Atna releases assay results from San Antonio; plans followup
drill program
Tuesday Apr 20 1999
Mr. Peter DeLancey reports
The company has reported excellent assay results from its phase I drilling program
(10 holes totalling 1,437 metres) on the San Antonio I concession in the
Dominican Republic. The drilling program was designed to test, at shallow depths,
several areas of the property where co-incident IP chargeability and geochemical
soil anomalies were underlain by a favourable belt of host rocks.
La Parcela Zone
Drill hole SA 99-01 was collared to test the favourable contact 60 metres
down-dip from a 0.3 metre zinc-rich massive sulphide intersection in SJ-4,
previously drilled in 1990. SA 99-01 intersected 3.4 metres grading 5.9 per cent
copper, 3.5 per cent zinc, 0.1 per cent lead, 85.7 grams per ton silver and 2.27
g/t gold in hanging wall rocks and a 1.4 metre section of massive sulphides grading
2.4 per cent copper, 10.5 per cent zinc, 0.01 per cent lead, 142.7 g/t silver and
1.10 g/t gold at the contact between hangingwall sediments/tuffs and highly altered
pyritic, quartz-sericite schists. Hole SA 99-02, drilled 100 metres northwest of
SA 99-01, intersected 3.1 metres of massive sulphide grading 3.4 per cent
copper, 8.6 per cent zinc, 0.1 per cent lead, 195.2 g/t silver and 1.38 g/t gold
(reported March 12, 1999). This intersection included 1.1 m grading 6.8 per cent
copper, 16.6 per cent zinc, 0.30 per cent lead, 462.5 g/t silver and 1.47 g/t gold.
These values confirm the potentially high-grade nature of the base and precious
metal mineralizing system. Hole SA 99-03, collared 100 metres southeast of SA
99-01, intersected one metre of massive sulphides grading 1.2 per cent copper,
2.1 per cent zinc, 0.1 per cent lead, 69,8 g/t silver and 1.87 g/t gold. Hole SA
99-04, collared 200 metres northwest of SA 99-01, intersected 2.7 metres of
massive sulphides grading 2.2 per cent copper, 4.1 per cent zinc, 0.1 per cent
lead, 20.9 g/t silver and 1.83 g/t gold. SA 99-10 was drilled to test 70 metres
below the SA 99-02 mineralization. It intersected strong stringer-type copper and
zinc sulphides in highly altered footwall rocks. Hole SA 99-09, drilled one
kilometre to the southeast of the La Parcela Zone, encountered similar altered
footwall rocks containing disseminations and stringers of copper and zinc
sulphides. The La Parcela massive sulphide mineralization appears to be
continuous over a strike length of 400 metres, has been intersected to a depth of
130 metres and is open in most directions.
Barite/Jasper Zone
Holes SA 99-05 and 06 tested an area 1.5 kilometres southeast from the La
Parcela zone. Gossanous, banded baritic rock in subcrop was discovered
adjacent to an area of large jasper boulders. Assay results of grab samples from
these banded gossanous rocks showed some of the highest precious and base
metal values on the property. Results from the drilling and a more detailed
appraisal of the area suggest that the holes were not orientated in the correct
direction to test the depth extent of mineralization in this attractive target.
Copper Zone
Hole SA 99-07 tested a surface oxide copper showing two kilometres southeast,
along trend, from the La Parcela zone. The drill hole intersected 1.9 metres of 1.2
per cent copper, 15.8 per cent zinc, 0.03 per cent lead, 24.0 g/t silver and 1.31
g/t gold. Followup hole SA 99-08 (drilled 100 metres down-dip) intersected 1.2
metres of massive sulphides grading 1.3 per cent copper, 5.3 per cent zinc, 0.01
per cent lead, 16.3 g/t silver And 1.48 g/t gold. This new discovery is significant
as it possibly represents a separate centre of high grade mineralization associated
with a thickening of rhyolitic host rocks in this area.
San Antonio I Concession
Drill Hole Assays
Hole Interval Width Copper
From - To (m) (%)
-------- ------------- ----- ------
SA 99-01 88.2 - 91.6 3.4 5.88
135.1 - 136.5 1.4 2.44
SA 99-02 152.4 - 155.5 3.1 3.39
SA 99-03 99.0 - 100.0 1.0 1.17
SA 99-04 148.8 - 151.5 2.7 2.20
SA 99-07 56.1 - 58.0 1.9 1.20
SA 99-08 139.7 - 140.9 1.2 1.29
Hole Zinc Lead Silver Gold
(%) (%) (g/t) (g/t)
-------- ----- ----- ----- -----
SA 99-01 3.52 0.08 85.73 2.27
10.52 0.01 142.67 1.10
SA 99-02 8.55 0.13 185.21 1.38
SA 99-03 2.07 0.05 69.76 1.87
SA 99-04 4.10 0.10 20.94 1.83
SA 99-07 15.84 0.03 23.97 1.31
SA 99-08 5.30 0.01 16.30 1.48
Following compilation of all results, including the outstanding assays of
disseminated and stringer mineralization in drill core, additional geochemical soil
surveys, detailed geological mapping and consultants reports, a followup drill
program will commence. Overall the results from the first phase drilling suggest
that the holes might have intersected the up-dip edge of a base and precious metal
rich massive sulphide deposit. |
