Arian Silver Corporation (TSX VENTURE:AGQ)(AIM:AGQ)(PLUS:AGQ)(FRANKFURT:I3A), a silver exploration, development and production company with a focus on projects in the silver belt of Mexico, today reports the first batch of assay results from its recently started Phase-3, 10,000 meter drilling programme, at its 100%-owned San Jose Property in Zacatecas State, Mexico.
Highlights:
- Approximately 35% of the Phase 3 drilling completed;
- Eight drill holes completed and assayed between the Santa Ana and Solidad resource blocks, and an additional twelve drill holes completed and awaiting assay results in the Guanajuatillo area along the San Jose Vein ("SJV");
- Mineralisation remains open along the SJV;
- Drilling is currently being undertaken more than 6 km west of the San Jose Mine head-frame (west of Guanajuatillo) to evaluate strike extensions; and
- In addition to silver, encouraging high base-metal values increase economic potential.
Commenting on today's operations update, Arian's Chief Executive Officer, Jim Williams, said:
"This current phase of drilling has had a good start with the rapid completion and analysis of these initial eight holes with a further twelve holes so far completed this year which are currently awaiting assay results. The drill hole assay results confirm significant mineralisation within even more of the SJV system between the Santa Ana and Solidad resource areas, and this additional mineralisation will inevitably increase the overall mineral resource in this zone when the next resource update is undertaken. We now very much look forward to the results of further drill holes which have been drilled the furthest west yet along the SJV."
Core (Diamond) drilling is underway using two 'Longyear 44' drill rigs. Eight drill holes have been completed and assayed to date for a total of 1570m. All eight drill holes have been positioned between the previously demarcated Santa Ana and Solidad resource blocks. The high base-metal assemblage together with silver is encouraging and is typical of this type of epithermal vein system. Intercepts include:
- Hole SJ-10-113 comprising 1.83m (true width) with 177 g/t Ag, 4.83% Pb, and 9.24% Zn;
- Hole SJ-10-115 comprising 1.38m (true width) with 305.7 g/t Ag including a number of vein stringers with up to 564 g/t Ag; and
- Hole SJ-10-116 comprising 5.47m (true width) with 242.5 g/t Ag and 1.03% Zn including vein stringers with up to 339 g/t Ag.
Current drilling is now concentrating in the area west of Solidad, along the western extension of the SJV, known as Guanajuatillo, and the results of this drilling will be reported when received.
All technical information for the San Jose Project is obtained and reported under a formal quality assurance and quality control (QA / QC) programme. The core is logged and photographed by Arian staff and then split using a diamond saw. Half the core is stored on-site in a secure core shed and the other half is labelled, bagged and secured before transporting to Stewart Group's sample preparation facility in Zacatecas, Mexico. Each sample has its own unique sample number. The entire half-core is crushed to minus 10 mesh and a half kilogram riffle split is pulverized and homogenized to minus 200 mesh. The pulp samples are then air freighted to Stewart Group's analytical laboratory in Canada for analysis. Systematic assaying of duplicates, blanks and certified reference material is performed for precision and accuracy; quality procedures and processes are continually reviewed and monitored with protocols in place to deal with any non-conformity. Stewart Group's laboratories in Zacatecas, Mexico, and Kamloops, BC Canada are ISO 9001:2000 accredited.
Approximately 5% of the analysed samples are re-sampled and sent to (ALS Chemex) preparation facility in Guadalajara, Mexico. The samples consist of both coarse reject samples as well as pulp samples. The coarse material is crushed and pulverised according to the same protocol, and the pulp samples are air freighted to ALS Chemex's analytical laboratories in Vancouver, Canada, for analysis. Results from all duplicate analyses are compared to identify potential analytical or sampling errors.
Stewart Group and (ALS Chemex) Laboratories are independent of Arian.
The samples were analysed for a multi element scan by aqua regia digestion and ICP (inductively coupled plasma) finish. High-grade samples (>200 g/t Ag) were re-analysed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish.
Qualified Person
Mr. Jim Williams, Eur Ing, Eur Geol, BSc, MSc, D.I.C., FIMMM, the Chief Executive Officer of Arian, is a "Qualified Person" as defined in the AIM guidelines of the London Stock Exchange, and a "Qualified Person" as such term is defined in Canadian National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). This press release has been prepared under Mr. Williams' supervision. Mr. Williams has verified the data disclosed by this release.
Source: Arian Silver Corporation