Minera Andes aims drills at Cerro Saavedra property

The new year is proving to be a busy one for Minera Andes (MAI-V), as it prepares to launch not one but two drilling programs at its Cerro Saavedra silver-gold property in the Patagonia region of southern Argentina.

At Saavedra West, three 800-ft. core holes will test a large geophysical anomaly.

In 1998, Minera Andes drilled five holes into the anomaly, intersecting disseminated high-grade mineralization associated with breccia pipes. The hottest hole hit 70 ft. grading 0.19 oz. gold and 27.1 oz. silver per ton.

A more ambitious program, consisting of 25 reverse-circulation holes, or 6,500 ft., is planned for the Huevos Verde target, 3 miles to the north.

Huevos Verdes, too, was drilled previously. Early in 1999, the company completed 19 holes along a 1.5-mile section of the northwesterly trending vein system. In this latest program, Minera Andes will test for down- dip mineralization as deep as 300 ft.

Drilling will be conducted by mining contractor N.A. Degerstrom, which holds a 22% interest in Minera Andes.