Aug 3 2016
Revelo Resources Corp. is pleased to announce that it has completed surface geological mapping and received results from surface geochemical surveys at its Morros Blancos project that, combined with historic information including limited historical geophysical and peripheral drilling data, delineate and refine two potential porphyry copper targets.
The principal conclusions from recent work include:
- Morros Blancos Norte (MBN) represents a porphyry copper-moly (+/- gold) target related to a zone of quartz-alunite alteration over about 2 km x 2 km, within a larger zone of advanced argillic alteration including the presence of pyrophyllite, over about 4 km x 3 km. Hydrothermal alteration mineralogy and zonation patterns, combined with multi-element geochemical anomalies including Mo from 2.5 ppm up to 8 ppm in sieved surface samples, define a central target area some 2 km x 1 km in size.
- Morros Blancos Sur (MBS), centred 8 km southwest of MBN, also corresponds to a porphyry copper-moly (+/- gold) target, with similar characteristics to MBN, but with the addition of a quartz-veinlet stockwork partially exposed at surface, including "A"-type veinlets, which suggests somewhat deeper erosion and probable telescoping of the porphyry copper system. Mo anomalies above 2.5 ppm in sieved surface samples range up to 32 ppm, and the target area is at least 1.5 km x 1 km in size, and possibly larger, within an overall hydrothermally altered area some 5 km x 4 km in size.
- Altamira represents a third area of interest within the overall Morros Blancos property, and is located approximately 17 km south of MBS, but is poorly explored to date. It does however represent another potential porphyry copper target with extensive hydrothermal alteration related to a feldspar porphyry intrusion, but will not be further discussed here.
Tim Beale, President and CEO of Revelo, commented: "Morros Blancos represents an exciting new discovery for Revelo in an area with very easy access close to the Pan-American Highway, and located within the Paleocene mineral belt of northern Chile that hosts giant porphyry copper deposits such as Spence and Sierra Gorda. Morros Blancos Sur is particularly interesting with exposed quartz-veinlet stockworks at surface, within an otherwise heavily leached desert environment. The presence of important molybdenum geochemical anomalies at surface could be significant, as they are sometimes related to porphyry copper centres in the sub-surface in these leached environments. Other general similarities and compelling exploration data also suggest that Morros Blancos Norte could be an important and likely geologically related, target. We will look for a partner to drill test these targets, which are located along a segment of one of the world's most prospective belts for major porphyry copper deposits."
WORK AND RESULTS - MORROS BLANCOS
Detailed geological and hydrothermal alteration mapping has been completed on key portions of the Morros Blancos porphyry copper project, focused on the MBN and MBS targets, with preliminary work carried out to date at Altamira. Visual interpretations of hydrothermal alteration characteristics in the field have been supported by in-house mineral analyses carried out by Revelo's technical team using a "Terraspec" near-infrared mineral analyser.
Additionally, geochemical results from more than 1,500 sieved surface fines (desert soils and colluvium) samples collected by a previous owner, together with limited rock-chip sampling, have been re-plotted and re-interpreted, and supplemented by more than 800 sieved surface samples collected by Revelo over MBN and MBS. Three reverse circulation historic drill holes on the northern periphery of the MBN target, and three historic diamond drill holes on the western periphery of the MBS target, have also been reviewed, re-logged and analysed with "Terraspec" near-infrared mineral analyser. Two, short IP geophysical lines at each of the MBN and MBS targets, together with partial magnetics coverage of the targets, have also been re-processed and re-interpreted.
Although there is no QA/QC information available for the historic geochemical data, and consequently those data must be treated with caution, results are consistent with those obtained more recently by Revelo.
Both MBN and MBS represent zones of extensive advanced argillic alteration or "lithocaps", dominated by intense quartz-alunite alteration within larger areas of quartz-alunite-dickite-pyrophyllite and kaolinite alteration. High-temperature alunite (K-alunite) and high-temperature kaolinite (WX-kaolinite) tend to be focused, and are generally coincident with the best geochemical anomalies at surface. Additionally, a peripheral drill hole to the west of the main target at MBS includes sericitic alteration at depth.
Bismuth anomalies are coincident with molybdenum at MBN, whereas selenium is more anomalous at MBS, suggesting a deeper level of erosion. Zinc geochemical anomalies are peripheral at both MBN and MBS, suggesting a typical geochemical zonation pattern for porphyry copper systems.
Both target areas at MBN and MBS are coincident with magnetite-destructive anomalies on a combination of heli-borne and ground magnetic surveys, and the limited IP information available also shows chargeability anomalies associated with both target areas.
The quartz-veinlet stockwork at MBS is poorly exposed, but is visible in one old trench, and in several areas with colluvial cover and minor outcrops, extending over approximately 1.5 km x 1 km. The stockwork is coincident with the best geochemical and geophysical anomalies. Veinlets, including centre-line "B"-veinlets with molybdenum have been observed in historic diamond drill holes drilled outside the main target area to the west and northwest.
Morros Blancos Sur represents an un-drilled porphyry copper target in a highly prospective belt with very easy project access. Target depth is unknown at this time, but the presence of a quartz-veinlet stockwork, including "A"-type veinlets and Mo in surface fines samples, suggests a reasonable level of erosion and likely telescoping of the system. Morros Blancos Norte has similar characteristics, but without a quartz-veinlet stockwork being recognised at surface, suggesting a slightly lesser amount of erosion and/or the absence of telescoping. However, in the context of porphyry copper clustering, and other similarities between the targets, both represent valid targets for drill testing. MBN and MBS appear to be related to a common fault zone - the Morros Blancos Fault - that trends north-northeast - south-southwest through the centre of the MBN target area, and along the eastern margins of the MBS target area.