Turmalina Metals intersects 4.3% copper at San Francisco project in Argentina

Drilling at Turmalina Metal’s (TSXV: TBX; US-OTC: TBXXF) San Francisco project in Argentina has returned high-grade copper mineralization from the San Francisco del Andes (SFdLA) breccia, one of more than 60 tourmaline breccia occurrences mapped so far on the property, several of which have supported small-scale mining.

Highlights included 17 metres grading 4.33% copper, 0.64 gram gold per tonne,108 grams silver per tonne, 0.04% lead, 0.21% zinc (5.65% copper-equivalent) starting from 370 metres in drill hole SFDH-047, including 6 metres of 10.93% copper, 1.49 grams gold, 251 grams silver, 0.08% lead, and 0.54% zinc (14% copper-equivalent).

Drill hole SFDH-044 cut 33.5 metres grading 0.62% copper, 2.02 grams gold, 47 grams silver, 0.33% lead and 0.54% zinc (2.22% copper-equivalent) starting from 83 metres downhole; and SFDH-045 returned 63.7 metres of 0.38% copper, 0.10 grams gold, 21 grams silver, 0.20% lead and 0.69% zinc ( 0.62% copper-equivalent) from 334 metres, including 18.7 metres of 1.09% copper, 0.13 gram gold, 49 grams silver, o.39% lead and 1.29% zinc (1.59% copper-equivalent).

Turmalina Metals’ San Francisco project in Argentina’s San Juan province. Credit: Turmalina Metals.

The drill results from the 3,404-hectare project sent the company’s shares up 17% or 16¢ to $1.10. (Over the last year Turmalina has traded in a range of 75¢ and $1.80 per share.)

According to the company, the San Francisco de Los Andes breccia is “one of the highest grade tourmaline breccias ever discovered” and notes that “the mineralogy and geological setting indicates that only the top of the breccia pipe have been exposed, with excellent potential for growth at depth and laterally.”

The company released more results from the San Francisco de Los Andes pipe at the end of March. Drill hole SFDH-043 returned 35 metres of 1.99% copper, 0.79 gram gold, 150 grams silver, 0.32% lead and 0.17% zinc (3.79% copper-equivalent) from 109 metres, including 4.2 metres of 8.35% copper, 1.84 grams gold, 743 grams silver, 1.53% lead and 0.66% zinc (16% copper-equivalent).

In addition to the San Francisco project, Turmalina Metals is exploring its Chanape copper-gold project in Peru. Channel sampling at two breccia pipes have returned results from oxidized outcrops, including 38 metres of 0.9 gram gold per tonne in Breccia 8, and 24 metres of 1.4 grams gold in Breccia 11.