Drilling program enhances Zappa’s Plata property in Ecuador

Drilling has enabled Zappa Resources (ZPA-V) to extend the favorable massive sulphide lens at the Ecuadorean concession known as La Plata, where Cambior (CBJ-T) is carrying out an exploration program.

Hole 9 returned 8.7 metres grading 11.1 grams gold and 93 grams silver per tonne, plus 3.85% copper, 12% zinc and 2.4% lead.

The hole is a 50-metre stepout to the south of hole 1. That hole, drilled by a previous operator, intersected 10 metres grading 4.1 grams gold, 72 grams silver, 1% copper and 5.1% zinc.

Open-pit and underground mining was carried out on the property from 1975 to 1981. Exploration drilling during the period amounted to 26 holes over 3,978 metres.

“Our target is a half million tonnes,” says Albert Gerry, Zappa’s chief financial officer. “We need a million tonnes to get excited. That may not be big enough for Cambior, but it’s big enough for Zappa.”

Cambior has drilled 10 stepout holes to date, eight of which encountered mineralization over geochemical and geophysical anomalies, but with no economic intersections.

To earn a 51% interest in the prospect, Cambior must spend $2 million over three years. Zappa will then have the option of giving up an additional 15% interest in return for a feasibility study completed by Cambior.