The extent of a near-surface, high-grade silver find on the El Salvador project in Mexico’s Zacatecas state remains unclear following the completion of an additional six holes in the immediate area.
El Salvador is a 55-45 joint venture between
The silver discovery occurs 5 km northeast of the San Nicolas massive sulphide deposit in the Cerro Gorrito area, where jasperoids, anomalous in silver, lead and barium, outcrop discontinuously over a distance of 1,100 metres.
As previously reported, Teck’s first hole in the area, TAM-5, intersected 32.6 metres averaging 230.2 grams silver per tonne, starting at a depth of 3.1 metres. The interval includes 15.9 metres averaging 331.3 grams, beginning at the top.
Teck recently completed an additional six core holes in the Cerro Gorrito area. One hole, TAM-8, stepped out 50 metres to the north of hole 5 and encountered 12.8 metres averaging 98.6 grams silver, beginning at a depth of 3 metres. Near the top of the interval, 4.5 metres averaged 163.6 grams.
Two holes were collared 75 metres south and southwest of hole 5 on the upthrown side of the Cerro Gorrito fault but did not intersect the mineralized zone. Three other holes, drilled west of hole 5 in an effort to test blind geophysical targets, came up empty.
Dale Corman, chairman of Western Copper, says the Cerro Gorrito zone remains open to the north and east, and partially to the west. Similar jasperoidal outcrops lie 700 metres and 1,100 metres northeast of hole 5 and contain barite, traces of galena and sphalerite, as well as silver values of up to 60 grams, with a fair degree of silicification.
Elsewhere on the property, induced-polarization geophysical surveys have identified anomalies in the areas north of San Nicolas. These geophysical targets are slated to be drilled early in the new year.
The San Nicolas deposit is in the western portion of the El Salvador project on ground optioned from Luismin, a Mexican mining company. Luismin is carried through to the completion of a feasibility study, at which point it has the option of participating at 25% by arranging its share of production financing, or diluting to a 15% interest.
San Nicolas is host to a preliminary open-pit resource of 72 million tonnes grading 1.35% copper and 2.27% zinc, plus 30 grams silver and 0.53 gram gold.
During the fourth quarter, Teck continued to advance San Nicolas with further metallurgical testwork, geotechnical slope design, groundwater evaluation and engineering. A 1999 budget of US$300,000 has been set aside for a prefeasibility study.
Be the first to comment on "Teck, WC test silver find"