Sur Am drills Comval

Vancouver — Sur American Gold (SUR-V) is attempting to define a gold-copper porphyry system at the Comval project on Mindanao Island in the Philippines. The efforts are concentrated on the Batoto zone.

Recently, while investigating a 600-by-800-metre induced-polarization anomaly, Sur American discovered a 1,000-metre-wide altered quartz diorite with quartz veining and oxidized iron and copper sulphides. Crews also collected a 17-tonne bulk sample of unoxidized gold-rich porphyry copper-style mineralization. Preliminary grades include 2 grams gold per tonne.

Sur American will try to define the size and averge grade of the 6.4-sq.-km prospective area. The company believes that if Batoto is similar to other porphyry copper deposits on Mindanao Island, copper grades could increase (while gold grades decrease) with depth.

Holes will be spaced 120-240 metres apart in the Clark area, then expand drilling to the south toward the Tarale zone. From there, the company will move west toward the Santa Fe zone. Santa Fe appears to occur at depths of 100-350 metres and could extend as far as 1,000 metres.