Focus Ventures has declared that the new underground sampling and diamond drilling program conducted at its Minas Chanca project has returned bonanza silver grades of about 9.3 kg/t silver over 35 cm in underground drilling.
In addition, underground channel sampling on certain veins returned an excellent interval for the Candelaria vein of 2.46% lead + 761g/t silver + 2.25% zinc over vein width of 60 cm and strike length of 87 m. Focus Ventures’ partner, Compañia de Minas Buenaventura conducted this drilling program.
Buenaventura is now commencing work on a resource evaluation for certain high grade shoots discovered by the latest sampling program. It will conduct a comprehensive surface and underground exploration program that will comprise 6,816 m of diamond drilling. Surface drilling has discovered expansions to the Santo Rosa and the Santo Toribio vein system about 300 m towards the west of the old workings in a region masked by colluvial cover.
Buenaventur is planning to make a cross-cut from the 440 Level main gallery approximately 375 m to intersect the high-grade veins drilled in holes 11-08, 11-07, 11-04 and 11-02. Underground mapping and sampling has discovered the strike and depth continuity of bonanza-grade shoots, which are characteristic of the grades mined in the Chanca’s upper levels.
So far, more than 2,000 m of tunnels have been restored across three levels including the 400 Level that accessed the core high-grade Candelaria vein and the 440 Level, which was the main access gallery utilized in the 1980s when mining was in production stage. The 365 Level, which is the lowest gallery, is presently being rehabilitated to access the Candelaria West vein to serve for investigation purposes. The Candelaria West vein returned high-grade silver mineralization along the 400 and 440 Levels.
Buenaventur has blocked a number of high-grade shoots along the Tarazca and Candelaria veins. Once all the assays have been obtained, resource estimation will be started. The high grades sample obtained from the Tarazca vein along 440 Level will be investigated to substantiate additional exploration by underground development along the Level 400.
Source: http://www.focusventuresltd.com/