Dos Amigos shows bulk-tonnage potential

Geophysical surveys and chip sampling on the Dos Amigos gold property in the northwestern Mexican state of Chihuahua have yielded encouraging results for Duran Gold (DRN-V).

An induced-polarization (IP) survey revealed an area of high resistivity measuring more than 1,000 metres long, 200-600 metres wide and 100-150 metres deep. The IP anomaly coincides with surface outcrops of siliceous alteration and a strong geochemical soil anomaly, where several samples yielded values greater than 1 gram gold per tonne.

The property consists of two exploration concessions covering 1.1 sq. km in southern Chihuahua, 85 km southeast of Francisco Gold‘s (FGX-V) El Sauzal project. Duran can acquire a 100% interest in Dos Amigos by making staged payments totalling US$160,000.

Historic work on the property was confined to individual quartz vein mineralization, as indicated by several small-scale adits and hand trenches. Duran is targeting the property’s bulk-tonnage potential.

In November 1997 and March 1998, the company conducted preliminary grid sampling and hand trenching, collecting 422 soil and 164 rock samples. Soil results show a coinciding 800-by-300-metre gold-silver anomaly that remains open to the south. The northern part of the anomaly ranges up to 1.2 grams gold and 5.2 grams silver, whereas the southwestern portion returned peak values of 8.6 grams gold and 19.5 grams silver.

Hand trenching in the northern end of the anomalous zone exposed quartz-hematite-altered, andesite breccia that ran 0.37 gram gold and 8.5 grams silver over 119 metres of continuous chip sampling. A higher-grade section averaged 1.17 grams gold and 39.7 grams silver over 17.2 metres.

Additional rock chips collected in other parts of the anomaly included 8.1 metres of 0.92 gram gold and 7.2 grams silver, plus 5 metres of 0.62 gram gold and 27.9 grams silver.

Based on results of the geophysical and geochemical programs, Duran has selected several targets for drill-testing.

In the meantime, a recent geochemical sampling program on Cebolla Grande property in the state of Durango was unable to confirm the potential for porphyry-style mineralization. No further work is planned for this property.