3. 3
Introduction
The Prospecting Licence is located in the Mazaruni Mining District No. 3 as shown on
Terra Surveys Topographic Map 25NW and 25NE, as shown in fig 8 and enclosing an
area of approximately 12290 acres of the headwaters of the Kartuni River. The potential
of the area for gold is very good.
The Kartuni River is a main side branch of the Puruni River, located in north-central Guyana,
south of the Cuyuni River and north of the Mazaruni River. Lower down in the Kartuni
drainage, some areas had been investigated in detail in the 1970’s by the UN, but higher in
this drainage only a handful of people have previously visited the area.
The geology of the PL area is complex, in that a broad zone of NW-SE trending Mazaruni-
Group meta-volcanics and meta-sediments occurs in the upper and lower reaches of the
Kartuni River. Drainage geochemistry showed that a large number of drainages in the PL
area had detectable to highly anomalous gold contents. One drainage area in the PL
contains eight a maximum of 876 ppb of Au in BLEG sample, as shown in fig 2.
Location and Access
The PL (C-72), located in north-central Guyana, south of the Cuyuni River and north of the
Mazaruni River (Figure 1), the PL area covers the drainage basin of the Kartuni River.
Access to the PL area is either from Georgetown to Bartica via speedboat on the Essequibo
River, or by road from Georgetown to Linden to Rockstone and across the Sherima Ferry to
Bartica. From Bartica, a toll road via Itaballi crossing to Peter’s Mine gives access to a side
road to Million Mountain, near the junction of the Puruni with the Mara Mara River.
From Million Mountain the mouth of the Kartuni is approximately 50 km upstream on the
Puruni River (about 3 hours by boat)..
When water is high small boats can reach 45-50km upstream on the Kartuni River where
the PL is located.However presently there is a tractor trail from Toroparu Mine to the
headwaters of the kartuni River which greatly enhances access to the PL.
4. 4
Relief is generally High to low (Fig. 8), with low river gradients and associated swamps.
Almost all basic supplies, such as fuel and food can be obtained in Bartica. Limited supplies
can be obtained at Puruni Landing by Peter’s Mine.
Previous Work
A number of geological survey expeditions in the PL area were carried out in the period
1948-1969, with access either from the Cuyuni, or the Puruni.
The earliest known detailed geological map of the area was done by Dove (1948), covers
the northern part of the Kartuni, and extends north to the Cuyuni. Carter in 1961 made some
traverses between the lower Kartuni and Puruni, while the geology of the Puruni River and
the lower part of the Kartuni was mapped by Allderidge in 1959. The official 1:200,000 scale
geological map of the Puruni SW quadrangle was compliled by Hawkes in 1961.
In 1934 Dermody and Dover (African Selection Trust) made traverses from the Cuyuni
as far as the Kartuni. Benett’s Workings are described by Bracewell (1949) as small
scale commercial gold and diamond workings in the Kartuni River.
5. 5
Geophysics
The first systematic geophysical survey in Guyana was an aeromagnetic survey flown by
Aero Services Corporation, funded by the United Nations in 1963. This covered the Kartuni
area with N-S flight lines at a spacing of approximately 1.6 to 2.4 km, and a height of 300m.
In 1971-72 additional areas in Guyana were flown by Terra Surveys, funded by the
Canadian Commonwealth Bureau, and older data was incorporated in a set of 1:200,000
scale map. These sheets were then re-issued with an interpretation by Tyl & Reford of Terra
Surveys Ltd in 1973. In 1994 aeromagnetic data covering Guyana was converted to digital
form by Gtech Ltd, a commercial group attached to the University of Leeds in the UK as part
of the “South American Magnetic Mapping Project” (SAMAP).
Generally the aeromagnetic data shows that there are two main structural trends in the area.
In the Kartuni area NE-SW magnetic lineaments correspond to faults which host the
youngest basic dykes called PAPA (Pre Apatoe Post Avenavero) dykes by Gibbs and
Barron (1994).
Mineral Occurrences
A few known mineral occurrences are known in and around the PL area. In most cases
alluvial gold or alluvial diamonds were worked, where as some areas gold occurs in quartz
veins and shear zones in saprolite. The source of the diamonds in the area is not clear.
There are a number of isolated small gold occurrences/Mining establishments that is not too
far from this PL, like Toroparu, near Marehugi Falls, at Bennett’s Workings, and in the
Akaiwong River that are not obviously related to the presence of Roraima Formation
geology. Bracewell (1949) suggests the possibility of a palaeo-channel extended diagonally
across the Kartuni to Chinese landing on the Cuyuni, via a right bank tributary of the Cuyuni
also called Toroparu. He based this interpretation on the combination of the presence of
subdued topography, and White Sand deposits in the Akaiwong and Toroparu river areas.
However examination of radar images and air photographs suggests that the low
topography and White Sand is mainly related to the presence of granitic rocks.
6. 6
C-62 Area Geology
The geology of the PL area is particularly poorly known, but old maps suggest that most of
this area consists of Devil Hole gneisses, and Younger Granites. The implication is that a
major structure runs NW/SE through this block between these two units.
The rock units are discussed in order of perceived age, oldest first. The discussion that
follows is summarized from Gibbs (1973 and 1975), Keats (1973), and Bracewell (1944).
These authors provide consistent summaries of the geology of the project area. Figure 8
and Enclosure 4 illustrate the distribution of different units in the area.
Generally, the geology of this area is very similar to that seen in other parts of the
greenstone belts of Guyana, with the oldest rocks consisting of the Lower Proterozoic
Mazaruni Supergroup, intruded by Younger Granites.
Comments & Conclusions
The PL area is very interesting as it has continuous and robust >50ppb anomalies of gold in
the stream sediment over 90 % of the concession area, as shown in fig 2. The PL area is
one worthy of further investigation, with a view to explore of the whole area outside the
faulted (?) granite contact.
Also, the anomalies appear to follow and overlie regional trends observed in the
geophysical data. The results speak for themselves and the PL area appears to be a
very promising target area for further and more aggressive exploration for next year
The PL area showed good potential for the discovery of large gold deposits, however
more aggressive exploration work like soil sampling and detailed geological mapping
need to be undertaken.
