Vancouver, BC (FSCwire) - Aztec Minerals Corp. (AZT: TSX-V) announces it has commenced the 2017 exploration program at the Cervantes property in Sonora State, Mexico. Work now underway includes a more detailed review of historic drill data not previously released, as well as additional geological mapping and geochemical rock and soil sampling of the main California gold prospect and the Jasper copper-gold prospect area immediately west of the California gold prospect area.
The main goal of this work is to better define the extent of gold-copper porphyry mineralization on surface for the Phase 1 drill program which is expected to commence after the rain season ends in September-October. Phase 1 drilling will primarily target the surficial oxide gold zone with minor copper which overlies the main IP chargeability anomaly, interpreted to be a large body of porphyry copper-gold mineralization.
A more detailed review of historic drill data obtained from Industrias Penoles S.A. de C.V., who drilled 9 core holes totaling 1590 meters in 1996 and 5 reverse circulation holes totaling 927 meters in 1997, has revealed several long drill intercepts of gold mineralization. Highlights include 0.40 gpt gold over 99.4 m, 0.43 gpt gold over 88.1 m and 0.41 gpt over 141.1 m as shown in the table below.
|
Hole |
From (m) |
To (m) |
Width (m) |
Au (gpt) |
|
CAL-1 CAL-2 CAL-3 |
58.3 55.4 0.0 0.0 |
80.43 78.4 99.4 18.40 |
22.13 23.0 99.4 18.4 |
0.215 0.398 0.403 0.543 |
|
69.85 |
99.40 |
29.55 |
0.742 |
|
|
CAL-5 |
42.75 92.55 |
130.85 109.40 |
88.1 16.85 |
0.426 1.164 |
|
CAL-9 |
0.00 2.10 |
141.1 9.50 |
141.1 7.40 |
0.410 0.629 |
|
23.10 |
64.00 |
40.90 |
0.960 |
|
|
CLF-1 |
22.33 |
64.96 |
42.63 |
0.47 |
|
52.78 |
64.96 |
12.18 |
0.832 |
Aztec has an incomplete dataset of the Penoles results, this data is historic and has not yet been verified by Aztec, therefore Aztec is not relying on this information and is using it only as a guide to its Phase 1 exploration program.
Recent mapping and interpretation suggests the main quartz feldspar porphyry intrusion and related gold-copper mineralization dip steeply southeast whereas Penoles drilling assumed a northwest dip. New mapping is focusing on quartz vein density and orientations which will be analyzed by stereonet software, plotted, and utilized for drill targeting. A channel sampling program across the heart of the gold soil anomaly over the California target will commence shortly, followed by exploration drill hole permitting.
The Jasper copper prospect lies immediately west of the California gold prospect separated by a north-south trending normal fault zone that appears to have dropped the west side down compared to the east side. The main IP chargeability anomaly continues west across the fault, suggesting that porphyry copper-gold mineralization could continue to the west at depth. A 50m x 50m detailed soil survey was completed last week over Jasper, augmenting and extending the California 50m x 50m survey.
Additionally, two known areas of copper oxide and gold mineralization were hand trenched over 10 to 20m widths through a complex mixture of highly fractured and silicious hornfels, metasediments and quartz feldspar porphyry. Trenching exposed numerous new areas of copper mineralization, including neotocite and chrysocolla saturation and localized chalcocite mineralization. A total of 60 rock chip and channel samples were recently collected.
Joey Wilkins, B.Sc., P.Geo., is the Qualified Person who supervised the field work and approved the technical disclosure in this news release. All samples, including certified standards and duplicates, have been submitted to Bureau Veritas Laboratories in Hermosillo, Sonora.
About Aztec Minerals - Aztec is a mineral exploration company focused on the discovery of large porphyry gold-copper deposits in the Americas. Our first project and core asset is the prospective Cervantes gold-copper property in Sonora, Mexico. Aztec’s shares trade under the symbol AZT on the TSX-V.
