Soltera Mining’s President and CEO, Dr. Fabio Montanari announced that the company has concluded the first phase of a field program, which includes surface sampling and geological mapping of key gold targets on the El Torno property.
In 2011, an exploration bedrock sampling campaign across a middle portion region yielded good results that comprise a 1.5 m channel sample with over 10 oz of gold per tonne. Based on these results, the company planned a mapping and sampling campaign across the entire length of the vein system as well as on the geochemical gold anomalies. Two teams handled the first phase of the program. Certain samples were obtained from rock outcrops, but majority of them, comprising 1 to 2 m long chip-channels, were taken from trenches. These samples were then delivered to ALS Minerals, a renowned laboratory, for gold analysis.
Overall, 1,150 rock samples were taken from an area stretching to 10 sq. km and enclosing the middle section of the vein system and the adjacent bedrock. The aim was to identify hot spots with high gold values and to asses those regions that were discovered in prior geochemical surveys hosting strong gold anomalies. A total of five bedrock hot spots were discovered, wherein gold values are above 1 g/t. These spots lie on or near the portions of the vein system. Among these five hot spots, the largest one stretches north-south for about 1 km. Channel sample analyses in the regions indicate high gold values of 376 g/t. Additionally, the gold level across the entire sampled region is high, wherein 755 samples include visible gold. These aspects may explain the wide anomalies revealed by prior geochemical surveys.
Estimation of the overall grades for these regions is not possible as the high gold values are distributed all over the hot spot regions. However, the Phase I survey results validate the prior bedrock exploration survey, which the company believes as highly satisfactory. Soltera will then perform the second phase of surface sampling and geological mapping program, which will target the hot spots to test their possibility for open-pit mining as well as on certain portions of the property that remain untested. Two geological teams are already conducting the second phase of the operations.
The second phase of the company’s operations will be supported by Goldlake Italia.