Callabonna Resources  has arranged for drilling to commence at its Ansongo Manganese project in Eastern Mali.

The contractor is part of the Project Production International Group, which has extensive operating experience in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

The first stage of drilling scheduled to commence next month will be diamond drilling from the top of Hill D to obtain core for assay and structural studies, as well as reverse circulation drilling elsewhere on the mining lease.

This work will be part of a larger drilling program and scoping study to be completed in 2015 and aimed to produce a resource estimate.

The field program is designed and will be funded and supervised by Callabonna as part of its earn in to acquire 51% of Ansongo Limited.

Ansongo is located about 60 kilometres from the borders with Burkina Faso and Niger and connected by good roads to the south-west African coast.

Manganese oxide outcrops extensively in the south east part of the mining lease in eight hills known as Takavasita that had some previous exploration and mining of manganese oxide.

Unexplored areas of the mining lease also contain manganese in outcrop 15 kilometres to the west in hills at Agualla and Tondibi.

Ansongo Limited owns a 70.4% interest in Sahara Manganese that owns Mali Manganese, which in turn owns the Ansongo manganese mining lease in Eastern Mali.

• [Editor:Sophie]