VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Panoro Minerals Ltd. (TSXV:PML) (Lima:PML) (Frankfurt:PZM) ("Panoro", the "Company") is pleased to provide an update of its exploration drill program at its 100% owned Cotabambas Cu/Au/Ag Project in Peru. Highlights are as follows:
- Drillhole CB-157, the first hole completed at the Maria Jose zone, intersected 195.2 m of primary copper mineralization grading 0.34 % Cu, 0.06 g/t Au and 1.6 g/t Ag.
- Drillhole CB-158 at the Breccia zone, intersected 4.3 m of iron oxides grading 0.9 g/t Au, 1.1 g/t Ag and 0.01 % Cu.
The drill program commenced with the mobilization of the first drill rig at the end of May 2017 at the Breccia zone and a second rig to Maria Jose zone. The drill core was logged and sampled on site and samples were prepared and analyzed at ALS Chemex Laboratories in Lima.
Maria Jose Zone
The Maria Jose target is located between 1.0 and 2.5 km to the north of the proposed North Pit as defined by the September 22, 2015 Preliminary Economic Assessment. Hole CB-157 tested the MJ-2 target, one of two prospects associated with a strong chargeability anomaly within the Maria Jose zone and was completed to a total depth of 502.5 m. The following table details the more significant intersections. A location plan can be found at the company’s website, www.panoro.com.
| Drillhole | From (m) | To (m) | Metres | Cu (%) | Au g/t | Ag g/t | Mo% | Zone |
| CB-157 | 18.8 | 128.5 | 109.7 | 0.15 | 0.02 | 0.8 | 0.0023 | Mixed |
| " " | 200.9 | 272.8 | 71.9 | 0.17 | 0.01 | 1.0 | 0.0032 | Primary |
| " " | 272.8 | 467.9 | 195.2 | 0.34 | 0.06 | 1.6 | 0.0014 | Primary |
| Including | 336.0 | 356.0 | 20.0 | 0.51 | 0.07 | 2.4 | 0.0021 | Primary |
| Including | 423.3 | 444.4 | 21.2 | 0.42 | 0.07 | 1.8 | 0.0018 | Primary |
The hole commenced within an andesite volcanic package from surface to 200.0 m with supergene, propilitic alteration and variable primary copper mineralization, including 109.7 m of mix mineralization with grades of 0.15% Cu, 0.02 g/t Au and 0.8 g/t Ag.
From 200.9 m to 272.8 m the hole intersected potassically altered quartz monzonite with primary chalcopyrite mineralization grading 0.17 % Cu, 0.01 g/t Au and 1.0 g/t Ag, before re-entering the andesitic volcanics. A more strongly mineralized, silicified and potassically altered interval with disseminations and veinlets of chalcopyrite which straddles this contact graded 0.34 % Cu, 0.06 g/t Au and 1.6 g/t Ag over 195.2 metres from 272.0 m to 467.9 m.
Drilling has shown that the extensive chargeability anomaly associated with the Maria Jose zone is associated with varying levels of disseminated pyrite and significant levels of chalcopyrite. Additional drilling continues to test this anomaly.
Breccia Zone
The Breccia Target is located adjacent to the north side of the proposed North Pit and is defined by a number of rock samples with anomalous levels of gold distributed over an area of 1.0 km x 1.4 km along with argillic alteration. Approximately 2,000 m of exploration drilling is planned for the zone, of which four shallow drill holes have been completed to date for a total of 558.1 m. The following table details the more significant intersections.
| Drillhole | From (m) | To(m) | Metres | Au g/t | Ag g/t | Cu (%) | Zone |
| CB-154 | 2.1 | 4.5 | 2.4 | 0.26 | 2.6 | 0.04 | Iron Oxides |
| " " | 6.1 | 8.1 | 2.0 | 0.75 | 3.4 | 0.02 | Iron Oxides |
| " " | 24.1 | 33.8 | 9.7 | 0.12 | 0.7 | 0.01 | Iron Oxides |
| " " | 39.0 | 44.6 | 5.6 | 0.15 | 2.0 | 0.02 | Iron Oxides |
| " " | 60.0 | 64.0 | 4.0 | 0.13 | 1.1 | 0.01 | Iron Oxides |
| " " | 70.3 | 82.4 | 12.2 | 0.18 | 2.0 | 0.02 | Iron Oxides |
| Including | 78.6 | 82.4 | 3.8 | 0.34 | 5.1 | 0.05 | " " |
| CB-155 | 77.6 | 83.0 | 5.5 | 0.18 | 0.6 | 0.01 | Iron Oxides |
| Including | 81.6 | 83.0 | 1.5 | 0.27 | 1.0 | 0.00 | " " |
| " " | 102.1 | 104.2 | 2.2 | 0.41 | 18.4 | 0.02 | Iron Oxides |
| Including | 103.3 | 104.2 | 0.9 | 0.85 | 39.6 | 0.03 | " " |
| CB-156 | 25.0 | 28.3 | 3.3 | 0.14 | 0.9 | 0.03 | Iron Oxides |
| " " | 77.3 | 81.8 | 4.5 | 0.11 | 1.4 | 0.01 | " " |
| CB-158 | 18.7 | 23.0 | 4.3 | 0.90 | 1.1 | 0.01 | Iron Oxides |
| Including | 19.7 | 22.1 | 2.4 | 1.52 | 0.8 | 0.01 | " " |
All four holes intersected shallow intervals of supergene iron oxide mineralization and silica veinlets within the dacitic porphyry intruding the dioritic host rocks, below which no primary copper mineralization was found. Each contained a number of narrow gold-mineralized intervals with low to moderate grades, demonstrating the extension of oxide gold mineralization north from the known zone at the north margin of the Ccalla zone. Additional drilling will continue to test the Breccia zone.
Exploration Program
A second drillhole, CB-161, has been completed in the Maria Jose zone. It is collared approximately 140 m to the southwest of CB-157 and has intersected primary and secondary mineralization beginning from shallow depths. Assay results are pending and will be announced when batches are received and summarized. Currently, two drill rigs are operating at the MJ-2 target and will step out toward the MJ1 target.
Luquman Shaheen, President & CEO, of Panoro Minerals states, “We are pleased with the first results from the stepout and exploration drill program. The intersection of significant intervals of mineralization at the Maria Jose zone is great news and an important milestone for the Cotabambas Project. This discovery validates our exploration thesis of the potential for a cluster of porphyry deposits around the current Ccalla and Azulccaca deposits. Also, the intersection of relatively shallow mineralization containing high grades of gold and silver at the Breccia target looks promising. We look forward to advancing the ongoing exploration and step out drill program with further definition of the targeted growth areas.”
About Panoro
Panoro Minerals is a uniquely positioned Peru focused copper exploration and development company. The company is advancing its flagship project, Cotabambas Copper-Gold-Silver Project and its Antilla Copper-Molybdenum Projects located in the strategically important area of southern Peru. The company is well financed to expand, enhance and advance its projects in the region where infrastructure such as railway, roads, ports, water supply, power generation and transmission are readily available and expanding quickly. The region boasts the recent investment of over $US 15 billion into the construction or expansion of four large open pit copper mines.
