Solaris Resources reports near surface exploration results at Warintza Project, Ecuador
Solaris Resources Inc. [TSX-SLS; NYSE-SLSR] reported drill results from its ongoing 60,000-metre and eight-rig drilling program at its Warintza Project in southeastern Ecuador.
Additional drilling has extended near surface, high-grade mineralization to the north, northwest and southeast of the Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE). Ongoing drilling continues to focus on open lateral extensions of mineralization with infill drilling aimed at upgrading mineral resources and converting waste. The primary open vectors are to the northwest, southwest and to the southeast.
A series of holes from a step-out platform extended mineralization to the northwest with high-grades from near surface. Mineralization in this direction comes into contact with a tabular granodiorite unit that separates and underlies the Central deposit from Warintza West and a large, undrilled molybdenum soil anomaly to the northwest.
SLS-86 (drilled southwest): 57m of 1.11% CuEq within 105m of 0.88% CuEq from near surface. SLS-84 (drilled west): 69m of 0.82% CuEq² within 102m of 0.64% CuEq from near surface. SLS-82 (drilled east): 69m of 0.77% CuEq within 249m of 0.38% CuEq from surface.
The company has constructed a series of step-out platforms to the northwest to test the potential of this anomaly and the connection to West and Central. Drilling is underway from the first platform, approximately 1.3km northwest of SLS-86. The same approach is being taken with step-out platforms to the southwest. These represent opportunities for a major expansion of the MRE in a significantly enlarged pit.
Extensional drilling collared on the northern limit of the MRE has extended mineralization to the north, while infill drilling in hole SLS-83 has converted waste within the pit.
SLS-87 (drilled northwest): 33m of 0.81% CuEq within 114m of 0.38% CuEq from surface. SLS-81 (drilled northeast): 165m of 0.54% CuEq within 327m of 0.33% CuEq from surface. SLS-80 (drilled east): 191m of 0.43% CuEq² from near surface.
Extensional drilling in the southeast sector has extended mineralization to the south where it remains opens for approximately 600m within a large 0.8km x 0.8km undrilled molybdenum soil anomaly that defines the growth target in this area, with SLSE – 42 returning 300m of 0.57% CuEq within 359m of 0.53% CuEq from surface.
Additional drilling at Warintza East to the northeast encountered low grade mineralization in holes SLSE-37 – 43 that serve to convert undefined waste within the MRE pit shell, with further drilling planned in this direction and to the east.
Complementary district exploration efforts are underway with geotechnical drilling in the Caya-Mateo target area encountering epithermal clay alteration in the sandstone and high temperature alteration in the underlying volcanics. This drilling is expected to provide information to aid in more focused targeting efforts. Fieldwork in the emerging Celestina epithermal gold/silver area continues with the next batch of results expected soon.