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Drilling commences at Soledad Gold-Silver-Copper prospect in central Peru
Mariana Resources, the AIM quoted exploration and development company focused in Peru and southern Argentina, has commenced a 2000m drilling programme at the Soledad gold-silver-copper Prospect in Peru. The Project is located in the prospective Cordillera Negra metallogenic province approximately 34 km to the south of the Pierina gold-silver mine operated by Barrick Gold Corporation. Mariana has an option to earn a 70% interest in Soledad, which is fully drill permitted and 100% owned by Condor Resources Inc.
Mariana Chief Executive Officer Glen Parsons said, “I am delighted to announce that the drill bit is turning for the inaugural Mariana drill hole at Soledad, being the first in a 2000m initial programme. Momentum and exploration efforts have been building nicely over the beginning of this year for Soledad in preparation of drilling the potential target areas identified( Refer Fig 3). We are drilling the first hole in the known mineralisation at Breccia 1. This hole will test historic intersections from the 1990s at Breccia 1, the best of which was a reported 61.5m @ 1.9 g/t Au, 146 g/t Ag, 1.8% Cu from 68m (DDH 3). Mariana’s channel sampling indicates and has verified strong mineralisation at surface of Breccia 1 with 7.8m @ 8.6 g/t Au, 19 g/t Ag and 3.4m @ 7.6 g/t Au, 112 g/t Ag. The balance of the programme offers promising targets to be tested including adjacent breccia pipes, a high sulphidation alteration zone and a possible intrusive centre.”
“I would further like to add that weather conditions appear to be improving in northern Peru and I am hoping to update the market on our recommencement of drilling at Condor de Oro in the near future where we will be drilling and targeting the potential “Core Zone”. This will further add to a growing interest in the Mariana story as it moves into a drilling phase at both projects. We anticipate exciting times ahead for Mariana with sustained activity and news flow over the next few months.”
Potential Drill Target Areas for the 2000m programme:
Drilling for this campaign is based on the mapping, channel sampling and review of geophysics, with the Soledad prospect being subdivided into a number of zones of interest, some of which contain multiple targets. Target areas from north to south in no priority order are summarised below:
Area A – A 500 x 250m target area with high sulphidation epithermal mineralisation with strong-moderate silicification, advanced argillic alteration, sulphidic vuggy silica with strong mercury anomalies up to 35ppm Hg in channel samples and anomalous gold (Condor sampling) with potential breccia pipes at depth (coincident resistivity/chargeability anomalies).
Area B – Breccia 6 with 25.5m @ 0.2 g/t Au, 41 g/t Ag (Trench 1) and a prominent resistivity anomaly.
Area C – Possible mineralised intrusive, central to the “ring” of breccia pipes indicated by coincident magnetic, resistivity, chargeability anomalies and mapping.
Area D – Multiple breccia pipes hosted by andesites (including Breccias 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7), variable characteristics but typically 30-80m diameter EW, and some showing a combination of a number of pipes. Breccia sulphides include arsenopyrite, sphalerite, galena chalcoppyrite, pyrite with associated copper oxides, probable silver sulfosalts and gold. Core zones are silicified with drusy quartz (up to 1 g/t Au and 3) and chalcedonic quartz with sulfide in the breccia matrix (up to 8 g/t Au). Host andesites display phyllic, argillic, propylitic and silica- tourmaline alteration. Breccia 5 is the largest breccia pipe with the best geophysical response and promising channel sample results – 10m @ 1.3 g/t Au 142 g/t Ag. Previous drilling at Breccia 1 in the 1990s is reported to have intersected 61.5m @ 1.9 g/t Au, 146 g/t Ag, 1.8% Cu from 68m (DDH 3).
Drilling is being performed by Energold Drilling Peru SAC utilising an S-2 hydraulic portable diesel rig, similar to that used at our Condor de Oro project.
