Nov 3 2011
Focus Ventures Ltd. has reported additional assay results from its Santa Rosa Ag-Pb-Zn project, located 100km northeast of Lima, Peru.
Highlights include:
- 5m @ 9.3% Zn + 1.9% Pb + 69.3g/t Ag from 88m downhole in hole DDH-11-04
Hole SR DDH-11-04 was drilled 140m west of the first platform under the Milagros-Sally workings, and SR DDH-11-05 was a major step out hole drilled some 260m to the south at Santa Rosa Sur, where altered Calipuy volcanics outcrop over an area 400m x 200m. Results for holes SR DDH-11-01, 02 and 03 were announced previously .
Both holes intersected multiple high grade intervals; in particular SR DDH-11-05 demonstrates that the mineralization continues to the south, hosted mainly within brecciated quartzites that are blind to surface.
DDH-11-04 was drilled to 208.6m at an azimuth of 92°, and -45° inclination and targeted underneath the Milagros-Sally workings. Multiple zones of breccia-hosted mineralization were intercepted down the hole hosted within a sequence of quartzite, sandstones and shales. Various intervals of andesitic volcanics and tuff belonging to the younger overlying Tertiary sequence were drilled, often weakly mineralized, confirming the model that the best mineralization is hosted at depth in older Cretaceous-aged sediments. Higher silver grades of up to 256 g/t (91.2 - 92.1m) are associated with argentiferous galena. The wider, lower grade intervals drilled in Hole DDH-11-02 could indicate that the mineralization is widening to the south where a thicker zone of brecciated and mineralized quartzites were drilled.
DDH-11-05 was collared underneath the Santa Rosa Sur target and drilled at an azimuth of 260° and -45° inclination to 352m. A sequence of altered andesite and epiclastic volcanics were drilled from surface to 66.2m depth, after which a sequence of brecciated and fractured quartzites, sandstones and shales was drilled to the end of the hole. Multiple zones of mineralization drilled were associated with zones of strongly brecciated quartzites with sphalerite, galena and pyrite. Surface sampling of the overlying volcanics gave only weak values in Zn, Pb and Ag, confirming that the high grade mineralization is preferentially hosted in quartzites and is blind to surface.
The drilling to date has demonstrated silver, zinc and lead mineralization hosted in a quartzites that is blind to surface due to overlying Tertiary-age andesites. Intercepts include high grade, massive sulphide intervals (best intercept DDH-11-03 - 10.8m of 169g/t Ag + 7.8% Zn + 8.3% Pb) and low grade disseminated/fracture-controlled mineralization (DDH-11-02 - 59m of 1.2% Zn from 63m - 122m). The low-grade, bulk-style mineralization is open to the south and represents a type of mineralization previously unknown to the district and requires further exploration to understand the controls and magnitude.
The drill program has been concluded and the Company is currently compiling and assessing the results.
A powerpoint presentation including a full table of results can be found on the Company's website.
Background
The Santa Rosa property is located within the prolific Central Peru Polymetallic Belt at an altitude of between 4,000m and 4,500m above sea level. Several world class silver, lead and zinc mines owned by major operators such as Pan American Silver, Buenaventura, Glencore and Volcan lie within a 50km radius of the property. Volcan, the world's fourth biggest silver and zinc producer, operates the high-grade Shalca Ag-Pb-Zn Mine which borders the Santa Rosa property on the northern end of the mineralized corridor.
The property underwent some small scale production in 2008, where ore grading 6 oz/t Ag, 8.75% Zn and 6.6% Pb was mined exclusively from the Santa Rosa and Milagros zones.
Focus can earn 100% of the property by making cash payments totaling US$9 million over 4 years to a local Peruvian company. For resources defined in Measured and Indicated categories in excess of 5 million tonnes, a royalty of US$1.19 per tonne will be payable.