Highlights are as follows:
- Hole 135 intersected 197 metres averaging 4.95 grams gold starting at a down-hole depth of 122 metres. Included within this interval was a 41-metre section that assayed 13.72 grams gold starting at a down-hole depth of 197 metres. The hole was drilled toward the east from the same platform as hole 112, which had returned 142 metres averaging 2.63 grams gold and 32.8 grams silver.
- Hole DDF-1, the first diamond core hole drilled at Filo Federico, returned 146 metres averaging 1.81 grams gold starting at 5 metres down-hole. This included a 69-metre interval of 2.67 grams gold starting at 69 metres down-hole. The hole was drilled as a twin to reverse-circulation (RC) hole 72, which had returned 192 metres of 1.51 grams gold and 9.94 grams silver (including 47 metres grading 4.4 grams gold and 15.09 grams silver).
- At the Amable North target, hole 133 cut a 149-metre intercept grading 0.96 gram gold, starting at a depth of 253 metres down-hole. Included in this interval was a 28-metre section that assayed 1.39 grams gold, starting at a down-hole depth of 345 metres. The hole was drilled 75 metres north of hole 100, which had cut 91 metres grading 1.15 grams gold and 11.7 grams silver. The mineralized interval was intersected at 4,300 metres above sea level and represents the same mineralized horizon that was found at both the Amable and Filo Federico targets. AG believes that this provides further evidence that the targets defined to date lie within a much larger mineralized system that extends throughout the Veladero project.
- Hole 124, drilled at the Amable North target, was collared 50 metres south of previously reported hole 100. The more recent hole intersected 9 metres averaging 1.22 grams gold and 6.47 grams silver starting at a down-hole depth of 157 metres, and this was followed by a 5-metre interval of 1.76 grams gold and 26.20 grams silver, starting at a down-hole depth of 180 metres. At 185 metres down-hole, a 85-metre interval assayed 0.13 gram gold and 31.29 gram silver. A 130-metre section, starting at 270 metres down-hole, assayed 0.52 gram gold and 7.3 gram silver.
- At the Amable target, final results from drill hole DDA-2 were released. The hole had been temporarily abandoned at 162 metres down-hole, owing to mechanical problems. An RC rig twinned the hole down to 162 metres, and diamond drilling resumed to a final depth of 226 metres. RC results of the twinned hole returned 103 metres averaging 1.78 grams gold and 16.75 grams silver. This compares with 103 metres of 4.31 grams gold and 52.14 grams silver from the original diamond drill hole. The remaining 64 metres of hole DDA-2 cut through a 32-metre section of mineralization that assayed 0.87 gram gold and 24.46 grams silver starting at 194 metres down-hole. DDA-2 was collared 150 metres northwest of hole 89, which had assayed 193 metres averaging 1.2 grams gold and 33.32 grams silver.
- At Western Filo Federico, hole 126 intersected 10 metres averaging 0.48 gram gold and 2.52 gram silver starting at 84 metres down-hole. The hole was collared 150 metres west of hole 98 (145 metres of 1.06 grams gold and 13.05 grams silver).
- Hole 130 cut 5 metres averaging 0.82 gram gold and 10.52 grams silver starting at a down-hole depth of 87 metres. At 97 metres down-hole, a 21-metre section assayed 7.24 grams gold and 11.9 grams silver. This was followed by a 95-metre interval that ran 0.35 gram gold and 9.15 grams silver starting at 118 metres down-hole. The hole was collared 90 metres south of previously reported hole 98.
- Hole 131 intersected several mineralized intervals starting from 21 metres down-hole. The first intercept cut 23 metres averaging 1.44 grams gold and 0.5 gram silver, and this was followed by an 11-metre section of 1.11 grams gold and 0.5 gram silver, starting at 78 metres down-hole. The next interval cut 81 metres averaging 1.08 grams gold and 1.3 grams silver, starting at 91 metres down-hole. At 148 metres down-hole, a 27-metre section assayed 1.98 grams gold and 2.4 grams silver. At 203 metres down-hole, a 4-metre interval averaged 1.82 grams gold and 8.9 grams silver. Finally, at 241 metres down-hole, the last 59 metres assayed 0.9 gram gold and 6.51 grams silver. The hole was collared on the same platform as hole 112 and drilled in a westerly direction.
Meanwhile, drilling on the new Palito target, situated on the western flank of the Cerro Pelado diatreme, failed to encounter any significant mineralization. AG plans to continue to investigate this target.
New metallurgical data have been released from samples recovered from the Amable, Amable North and Filo Federico targets. CIMM laboratories of Chile completed the study of gold and silver recoveries, using the agitated cyanidation leach method. Results indicate that an average gold recovery of about 90% can be achieved (some samples of the Amable target showed 98% recoveries). AG states that the mineralization is free from the deleterious minerals arsenic, bismuth and mercury. The presence of coarse gold (greater than 105 microns) in some samples suggests that a gravitational recovery system or centrifugal concentrators should be considered.
Six of the 17 samples analyzed had silver values of greater than 50 grams per tonne. Silver recoveries ranged from 15% to 35% at Amable and 20% to 42% at Filo Federico. The company states that silver may be contained in argento-jarosite and in its native form. AG hopes to find methods that would enhance silver recovery up to 60% or better.
Drilling continues, with three RC rigs and three diamond rigs currently on site. At Filo Federico, RC holes 134-140, 142-145 and 147 have been completed, with assays pending. RC holes 146 and 149 are in progress, and RC hole 148 is spinning on the eastern Filo Federico target. Diamond drilling at Amable continues, with holes DDA-3 and -4 twinning RC holes 80 and 90, respectively.
At Amable North, hole 141 has been completed, with assays are pending. Argentina Gold holds a 60% interest in the Veladero property, with the remainder held by
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