- Interval Width (m)

What it means: The length of the mineralised intercept along the drill core, measured in metres. If a lab reports gold grades over a 20-metre section of core, the interval width is 20m.

Why it matters: Width indicates scale. A 2-metre intercept of high-grade gold may be interesting but difficult to mine economically. A 40-metre intercept of moderate grade suggests a large deposit with strong tonnage potential.

True width vs. apparent width: The interval reported is the length along the drill hole, not necessarily the true thickness of the mineralised zone. If the drill hole intersects the deposit at an angle, the apparent width is larger than the true width. This is why drill hole orientation (Section 6.6) matters.