Apex to drill high-grade target at Mansfield’s La Frontera

Vancouver — La Frontera, a gold-silver property discovered and staked by Mansfield Minerals (MDR-V, MFMNF-O) in Argentina’s Catamarca province, has returned high-grade gold and silver values for the junior and its joint-venture partner, Apex Silver Mines (SIL-X).

The project hosts low-sulphidation (quartz-adularia) epithermal-style mineralization within Tertiary felsic volcanics. A recent trenching program by Apex Silver exposed silver mineralization over a structural trend exceeding 1,500 metres in length.

The North trench returned values of 0.6 gram gold and 2,344 grams silver over 6.2 metres, while Trench II returned 415.7 grams silver over 38 metres, including 1,253 grams silver over 10 metres.

Three other trenches returned: 0.6 gram gold and 207 grams silver over 24 metres; 2.76 grams gold and 18 grams silver over 6 metres; and 71 grams silver over 14 metres, including a 2-metre section of 290 grams silver.

Mansfield reports that a separate zone about 1 km northwest of the main mineralized trend returned “erratic yet significant” values of gold and silver. More than 80 samples were assayed from the Amethyst zone, and returned values ranging from nil to 4.3 grams gold, and from nil to 43 grams silver.

The Amethyst zone comprises an area of intense stockwork and sheeted quartz-adularia veining measuring 250 by 300 metres. Based on geological evidence, the company notes that the zone may represent a low-grade silica cap above higher-grade mineralization at depth.

Apex has informed Mansfield that it intends to carry out a follow-up program consisting of additional trenching and pitting, along with a substantial drill program.

Apex can earn an initial 51% interest in the project by spending US$2 million on exploration and making US$600,000 in property payments over four years. This can be increased to 61% by spending another US$1 million on exploration over a subsequent 12-month period.

Mansfield is exploring a number of other projects in Argentina. Apex Silver’s main asset is the large, San Cristobal silver project being readied for production in Bolivia.