Buried deep in Suriname’s untouched jungle, a drill has struck what may be one of the world’s richest high-grade gold deposits—sending shockwaves through the mining world.
A remote drill site in southeastern Suriname has produced one of the most notable high-grade gold intercepts reported in recent years: 22.5 meters grading 11.88 grams per tonne (g/t) gold. The result, announced by Founders Metals Inc. on June 24, came from an initial drilling program at the Maria Geralda target, part of the company’s broader 200 km² Antino Gold Project.
While the intercept exceeds grades at many producing open-pit operations, experts caution that the result stems from a single drill hole—MG003—within a geologically complex, previously untested zone. For now, it signals exploration potential rather than economic viability.
The discovery places Suriname—a nation where mining contributes approximately 60% of GDP and nearly 90% of exports, according to national data—into the spotlight of global exploration activity. But in a country where environmental and community oversight are intensifying, development remains far from guaranteed.
High-Grade Intercept in a Structurally Favorable Zone
The intercept was recorded at Maria Geralda, a newly identified target roughly five kilometers southeast of the company’s Lower Antino camp. It lies within the Marowijne Greenstone Belt, part of the 2-billion-year-old Guiana Shield, which hosts favorable structural conditions for gold deposition. According to the project overview, the mineralization occurs along a northwest-trending corridor at the contact between intrusive rocks and metamorphosed volcanic-sedimentary units.
Drill hole MG003 intercepted the high-grade mineralization after surface auger sampling had outlined a 500-by-400-meter gold anomaly, where 54% of samples returned above 0.1 g/t Au. This sampling phase provided the rationale for the first round of drilling.
“While weather has limited our access to other exploration targets recently, we were pleased to maintain ready access to Maria Geralda and follow up on early surface results,” said Colin Padget, President and CEO of Founders Metals, in the company’s press release. “The 22.5-meter interval grading 11.88 g/t Au represents some of the highest-grade mineralization we’ve encountered to date.”
Grades Attract Attention, but Continuity Remains Unproven
While the 11.88 g/t over 22.5 meters in MG003 is significant—well above the global average for open-pit mines—other holes returned more moderate results. MG001 and MG002 showed 7.5 meters at 0.51 g/t and 6.0 meters at 1.04 g/t, respectively. These variable grades indicate potential localized enrichment, which is common in structurally complex gold systems such as this.
To further assess mineral continuity, Founders has begun step-out drilling and plans to conduct metallic screen assays to mitigate the nugget effect, which can skew results in high-grade systems. Additional methods such as airborne LiDAR, downhole EM surveys, and expanded auger programs are planned for 2025.
As outlined in their technical release, the company is fully financed for up to 60,000 meters of drilling this year. All assays are conducted at FILAB Suriname, a Bureau Veritas–certified lab, with protocols in place for quality assurance, including external checks via ALS Global in Peru.
Regulatory and Logistical Barriers Ahead
Despite promising results, development is complicated by logistical and regulatory constraints. The Antino project sits in dense rainforest where annual rainfall exceeds 4,000 millimeters, and access is limited to rivers, helicopters, and seasonal tracks. These physical barriers add cost and slow progress.
Environmental oversight is increasing. Under Suriname’s 2022 Responsible Mining Framework, developers must complete baseline water monitoring, engage in Indigenous consultation, and maintain real-time royalty tracking before progressing beyond the exploration stage.
As reported, local communities in the Tapanahony and Lawa districts have already called for dialogue and transparency before any construction begins. These demands echo concerns over historical unregulated mining, which caused environmental degradation and social disruption along the Marowijne corridor.
Spotlight on a Previously Overlooked Province
This find places Suriname’s greenstone belts—long considered underexplored—into focus at a time when high-grade discoveries are becoming rarer. With gold prices hovering near multi-year highs and rising interest in secure, low-cost ounces, the sector is increasingly looking to frontier jurisdictions with favorable geology.
The Maria Geralda intercept is significant in grade, but its commercial potential depends on how well the mineralization holds across broader intervals and whether it can be defined economically. So far, the company has not released any preliminary resource estimate or economic model for the zone.
With further drilling planned, key questions remain: Does the high-grade zone extend laterally or at depth? Can the company demonstrate continuity sufficient to underpin a robust resource model? And critically, can exploration and future development proceed within the logistical and environmental limits of the region?
NOTE – This article was originally published in Indian Defence Review and can be viewed here
