Sendero Resources drills 0.84 g/t AuEq over 114 metres at Penas Negras, Argentina
Sendero Resources Corp. [TSXV-SEND] reported results of three more diamond drill holes from its maiden drilling program at its 100%-owned Penas Negras project in the Vicuna district in La Rioja, Argentina. These latest results from holes PNDH004 to PNDH006 continue to demonstrate the significant potential of the project.
Highlights: PNDH006 (La Ollita) intersected 364m of 0.51 g/t AuEq (gold equivalent) from a shallow depth of 34m to the bottom of the hole. The upper part of the hole intersected 114m of 0.84 g/t AuEq, including 22m of 1.61 g/t AuEq.
PNDH004 (La Ollita) intersected 266m of 0.52 g/t AuEq from 96m to post-mineral fault zone. The upper part of the hole intersected 166m of 0.63 g/t AuEq including 72m of 0.72 g/t AuEq and 20m of 0.82 g/t AuEq.
Maiden drilling at La Ollita PNDH003-PNDH008 is confirming the presence of a large, high-level mineralized advanced argillic epithermal lithocap telescoped on a porphyry gold-copper system.
All five holes drilled at La Ollita (PNDH003-PNDH008) ended in severe faulting with strong silica-sericite clay alteration, at what is considered to be the base of the large mineralized lithocap, and have not tested the porphyry system below.PNDH007 and PNDH008 (assays pending) designed to test the large magnetic anomalies intersected high levels of magnetite and in PNDH008 bornite replacement of the chalcopyrite was identified.
The exploration focus going forward at La Ollita is finding the high-grade feeder zone/s into lithocap and navigating out of the base of the lithocap to test the porphyry system below.
Sendero Executive Chairman, Michael Wood, commented: “La Ollita is a large telescoped mineral system with multiple phases of porphyry and epithermal mineralization identified in our initial drilling. We are learning a great deal with each hole that is drilled and starting to find higher grade zones such as 22m of 1.61 g/t AuEq. The feeder zone into the advanced argillic lithocap is the big prize for us where the grade should be substantially higher and often where large amounts of the metals are contained within lithocap deposits.
“We have seen extensive mineralization and alteration telescoping in holes 3, 4 and 6 with multiple phases of porphyry and epithermal mineralization identified, creating scale with continuous mineralization of 250m+ from beneath the moraine cover until we encountered the extensive fault zone at what we believe is the base of the lithocap, in all holes drilled to date at La Ollita.”
Next Steps: Drilling for the season was completed for a total of 3,124m across 8 holes with results from holes PNDH007 and PNDH008 pending, with depths of 95m and 88m, respectively. PNDH007 was designed to test the centre of the central magnetic anomaly at La Ollita, while PNDH008 was designed to test the centre of the eastern magnetic anomaly. Both are sizable magnetic anomalies that are untested by drilling.
However difficult drilling conditions, including heavily fractured rock with strong silica-sericite clay alteration at the base of the lithocap, resulted in both holes being stopped before testing the magnetic anomalies. However, both holes showed very encouraging signs, with both showing high levels of magnetite and in PNDH008 bornite replacement of the chalcopyrite was identified. These porphyry targets, below the base of the lithocap, are priority targets to be tested in the next drill program with zoning around the central magnetic anomaly suggesting it could be the potential centre of the system and a possible high-grade feeder zone.
The company plans to complete a geophysical program at La Ollita to gain a greater understanding of the system at depth, guiding towards the feeder zone/s of the lithocap at La Ollita and to navigate the extensive faulting seen at the base of the lithocap to test the porphyry complex below.
The company plans to conduct a Magnetotelluric (MT) survey, which is a geophysical approach that has been used successfully elsewhere in the Vicuna District, such as at Filo Del Sol, to identify feeder zones and navigate the base of the lithocap to test porphyries at depth.
The company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Barton SAS, is the holder of 10 granted mining concessions covering 120 km2 in the province of La Rioja, Argentina. The company also has an option agreement to earn 80% interest on eight granted mining concessions covering 91.7 km2 adjacent to the East of the Penas Negras Project.