Minera Andes picks up ground

Although known for its exploration projects in Argentina, Minera Andes (MAI-A) has signed an agreement with the Romanian government to explore two properties in that country.

The Voia and Ostoros properties are more than 300 km northwest of Bucharest. Minera Andes is required to produce a feasibility study, and, if results warrant, it can eventually apply for a mining permit.

The Voia property comprises 49 sq. km in the Golden Quadrilateral, a volcanic-plutonic complex that has been mined historically. The Golden Quadrilateral also hosts the Rosa Montana and Certej gold projects, controlled by Vancouver-based Gabriel Resources (GBU-V).

The 181-sq.-km Ostoros property occupies a belt of younger volcanic rocks in the Carpathian Mountains. Preliminary mapping, sampling and geophysical work by Romanian state-owned companies have identified several areas of intense hydrothermal alteration and mineralization. So far, however, no large-scale exploration has been conducted.

Initially, Minera Andes intends to carry out a US$200,000 program of sampling and geophysics through its subsidiary, Transylvania Gold.

Minera Andes still controls 25 properties (totalling 175,000 ha) in Argentina, having recently resumed exploration of the Huevos Verdes and Saavedra West targets at the Cerro Saavedra project in the region of Patagonia.