GOLD EXPLORATION COMMENCES AT BATIDERO PROJECT IN ARGENTINA
Tenke Mining has learned that exploration has started at its Batidero gold project in Argentina. The program has begun with a rock chip and talus sampling program covering most of the previously known gold anomalies and extending coverage to include the eastern flank of the project. To view the map please click on the link to the company's Web site tenke.com.
Initial results are encouraging. Data are indicating that the gold and mercury anomalies back an intense and large epithermal system. Gold anomalies are in close correlation with strong mercury and antimony anomalies, showing high-level epithermal characterization. Widespread, lower-grade anomalies surround large, main target zones.
As well, in the eastern flank of Batidero, an area entirely unexplored before, talus gold anomalies (greater than 20 parts per billion gold and as high as 66 parts per billion gold) correlate with impressively high mercury anomalies (300 to 2,150 parts per billion mercury), enlarging the extent of the regional geochemical anomaly approximately three kilometres to the east of the previously known target.
The Batidero project is located on the northern continuity of the El Indio gold belt in the Cuyo region of Argentina. The Cuyo region encompasses the prolific mining districts of Mendoza and San Juan. The primary target model is high sulphidation, breccia-hosted mineralization similar to the Veladero/Pascua (26+ million ounces gold) deposit 60 kilometres to the south. Tenke's exploration team is the same team that discovered the Veladero deposit.
Further sampling, mapping and some trenching will be carried out, followed by a geophysical program. Data from these programs will form the basis of a drilling program anticipated to commence by the end of March.
Tenke has assembled a total land package encompassing nearly 870,000 hectares throughout key prospective regions in Argentina and is continuing to review additional properties of interest. Tenke's land package can be broadly divided into two regions: the Cuyo region, where the Batidero project is located as described above; and the Patagonia region, where target models are primarily low-sulphidation vein systems such as Anglo Gold's Cerro Vanguardia operating gold mine and Meridian's Esquel gold deposit.
Assay results have been reviewed by Paul C. Conibear, PEng, president of Tenke Mining Corp., who is an appropriately qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. |
