Antares trenching results bode well (February 02, 2005)

High copper, gold and silver assays have been received for three trenches sampled at Antares Minerals‘ (ANM-V) Rio Grande project in northwestern Argentina.

Highlighting the trenching is a 106-metre-wide interval that graded 0.57% copper and 0.93 gram gold per tonne. This interval can be divided into a 60-metre-wide copper-rich zone, that graded 0.82% copper, 0.66 gram gold and 3.1 grams silver per tonne, adjacent to a lower-grade zone (0.28% copper and 0.36 gram gold) 32 metres in length, followed by a gold-silver zone that graded 3.4 grams gold and 10.7 grams silver per tonne, as well as 0.2% copper, over 14 metres.

This trench cut the Sophia zone. Copper mineralization is oxidized and is found as both disseminations and fracture-coating within altered sub-volcanic intrusive rock. The gold-enriched zone trends west-northwest.

Three trenches were cut in this area, perpendicular to the trend of a geochemical anomaly. One trench, 75 metres to the northwest, has exposed a 50-metre-wide zone of copper oxides, while another, dug 50 metres to the southeast, has hit 70 metres of mineralization. Assays are pending.

A trench in the Discovery zone resulted in 100 metres grading 0.34% copper, 0.43 gram gold and 3.2 grams silver per tonne. Included in this interval is 36 metres grading 0.54% copper, 0.65 gram gold and 4.1 grams silver per tonne. This trench is at the southeast margin of the zone.

The Sofia zone is 200-700 metres north of the Discovery zone. In total six zones were targeted within a 2-km-diameter induced-polarization chargeability anomalous area. Ten trenches have been dug and sampled over a combined-length of 3 km. Assays are pending for seven of the trenches.

Drilling is underway. Two holes have cut the Discovery zone and a third is testing the Sofia zone. Eight to nine holes are planned.

Antares is earning a half-interest in three Argentinian properties held by Mansfield Minerals (MDR-V). The option agreements cover a scenario that would see Antares increase its ownership to 60%.