October 18, 2018 President’s Letter to Shareholders
Since my last letter we have been reporting on the extensive soil sample and auger drilling results spanning the nearly 1200 sq. km of our Sikasso property in Southern Mali. Tens of thousands of soil samples and thousands of metres of auger drilling have now been completed, analysed and cross referenced by our technical team, using a variety of geological tools, data and independent studies. The exciting result is that we are now ready to commence a focused bedrock drilling program on numerous, high priority targets. By the end of our first year, we will have completed the first bedrock drilling ever performed on the Sikasso Property. This work will begin after the rainy season ends in the coming weeks and once the ground has dried out enough to enable our team and contractors to safely access the first priority target areas on our Ouassada permit.
For those not familiar with the weather conditions to which I am referring, the Sikasso Property is located on the southern edge of the Sahel, or sub-Saharan belt, and is characterized by a subtropical to hot climate with dry and wet seasons. Normally, the rainy season extends from May to October, with an average rainfall of 800-1000 mm, followed by six-months of hot dry conditions. (See the graph and photos below.) Although some limited exploration activity can be conducted year-round, many roads and streams are dangerous or simply impassable during the wet season, and also for some weeks after the rains cease. By all accounts, this latest rainy season has been one of the wettest in the last ten years.