LOCATION
The mining deposits are located at 26 km East of Los Menucos City, in the center of Rio Negro Province, Argentina; at an altitude of 890 m over the sea level.
The mining deposit cover near 13.800 HAS.
PURPOSE OF PRODUCTION
MINING DEPOSIT LIST
ESTUDIES & EXPLORATION
Surface Samples: A systematic grill were made with the soil samples that covered an area of 1.600 m x 500 m. The grill has 50 m by side and in each intersection a recolection of samples were made. Those samples were made on 1996, 1997, 2011 and 2012.
Drillings: 1.076 m of drillings of reverse circulation were made. The termination of drillings is beteen 139 and 217 m
Total of samples recollected: 900 (from surface) y 1.010 (from drillings).
LOCAL GEOLOGY
The Cerro Choique Project was identified as a low sulfurations epitermal system type “Termal Waters”, formed by veins and quartz - chalcedony veins, hydrotermal veins, lime silica scrab and sectors of intence opalescence (cap silice), distributed in an area of 2.000 X 600 m.
Mineralization is located in a piroclastic sequence with a composition that goes from riolitic to dacitic in Terthiary Age as in Los Menucos Complex. A fault recognized as Mining Project N 120°, divides the project in two blocks. At North, the block has protruding rocks from Cerro Choique epitermal system, as the South block is a quartz - fluorite ribbed veins system and an area with an extense presence of algerian, silica and breached. It was determined a minimum of 12 pulses of silica injections, three of them had explosive character and the rest formed with quartz - chalcedony and opal bands.
DEPOSIT TYPE
In the system of low sulfidation, in the type of thermal waters and the hydrothermal breachs several episodes of boiling tubes were seen. The veins and litlle veins are essentially formedy by chalcedony and opal, being less the ones formed by quartz . In the sectors were bands of sugared quartz predominates the Au grade reach up to 2 ppm.
According to the text model suggested, the mineralized zone has not been exposed to the currentl level of erosion and all indicated that there are many chances to find a deep good deposit. Macroscopics and microscopics studies suggest that the current level of erotion could be between 0 y 200 m from the paleo-surface.
GEOCHEMESTRY
During the different parts of the investigation, near 900 surface samples were collected and 1.010 sampleso from drillings. The next image shows us some of the maximum grades obtained:
EXPLORATION
The first works for prospection and exploration started in 1996 when a grill of the soil samples was carried away was covering an area of 1.600 m x 500 m. The grill was 50 m by side and in each intersection a showing with chips was made.
The final result was the recolection of 166 samples that showed an average grade of 168 ppb Au, with extreme values of 35 ppb Au and 902 ppb Au. Then, 8.750 m of road were made; 4.650 m of exploration trenchs for reverse corculation. Eight trenhs were made distant 300m from each one with a leng of 250 m to 820 m. In the trenchs samples were collected each 25 m, and a total of 134 samples were reached. Also, 6 drillings (reverse circulation) were made with a fina deep between 139 m to 217m.
During the developing of the works beteen 2011 - 2012, 518 rock samples were made and they had the following results:
During 1997 a soil samples new program was created. 70 samples were taken and they showed an averange grade of 212 ppb Au, while two samples showed grades of 1.330 and 1.734 ppb Au.
The results of the exploration works from 2012 had as a principal conclusion that the mineralized system is open in its Norwest side. The satelital image shows the exploration trenchs (1996). The next exploration phase could have the following works in consideration: Geophisical Prospection (IP Resistivity and Magnetic Fields) Geochemical (to complement the sampling of the surface of the mining deposit) Special studies (PIMA, chalcography, petrography ando inclusion of fluids) Program of drillings (minimum of 6.000 m DDH).
MINERALIZATION
During 2011 - 2012 518 samples of rocks were recollected with the following Au content:
- 20 samples @Au1.00 a 4.00ppm
- 25 samples @Au:0.50 a 1.00ppm
- 221 samples @Au:0.10 a 0.50ppm
- 252 sampless @Au:<0.10ppm
INFRASTRUCTURE
- Line of Electric power and gas: Available at 13 km at Northwest in Los Menucos city.
- Gas pipes: Located at 13 km at Northwest in the city of Los Menucos. Supplies: Located at 13 km at Northwest in Los Menucos city.
- Roads: paved, road N° 23, conected with the Atlantic Sea (at East) and North
- Train tracks: Located at 13 km Northwest.
- Transport: Nowadays, the transport of charges is made on 28 T trucks .
IMAGES
