Aura Minerals Inc. (TSX:ORA) has released an additional 21 drill holes from the ongoing infill and extension drilling program at its wholly-owned copper-gold-silver Aranzazu Project in Zacatecas State, Mexico.
The most recent drilling was designed to target zones southeast along strike, from the Glory Hole zone to the Cabrestante zone. In addition, results were received for the first hole drilled to the south of the Cabrestante zone on a zone termed "Zona CC". This hole (AZC-179) returned 45.0 metres of 1.05% Cu, 0.86 g/t Au and 28.83 g/t Ag and continues to show the high-grade on-strike potential of the Aranzazu Project. Drilling on Zona CC continues, with 12 additional drill holes awaiting assay results. Zona CC has not been included in any resource calculation to date.
Of the 20 reported drill holes from the Glory Hole and Cabrestante zones, 14 drill holes have intercepts of greater than 1.0% Cu with significant gold and silver values.
Highlights include:
- Hole AZC-097, which returned 55.5 metres of 1.15% Cu, 0.44 g/t Au and 9.40 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-112, which returned 15.0 metres of 1.89% Cu, 2.79 g/t Au and 21.94 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-115, which returned 18.0 metres of 1.15% Cu, 0.96 g/t Au and 12.05 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-117, which returned 25.5 metres of 1.81% Cu, 1.00 g/t Au and 23.36 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-123, which returned 22.5 metres of 1.29% Cu, 0.82 g/t Au and 11.83 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-146, which returned 16.5 metres of 1.48% Cu, 0.93 g/t Au and 14.10 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-158, which returned 19.5 metres of 1.24% Cu, 0.80 g/t Au and 21.44 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-166, which returned 12.0 metres of 1.98% Cu, 1.71 g/t Au and 23.71 g/t Ag, and 19.5 metres of 1.76% Cu, 0.80 g/t Au and 16.88 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-200, which returned 10.7 metres of 1.05% Cu, 2.05 g/t Au and 15.72 g/t Ag;
- Hole AZC-209, which returned 32.0 metres of 1.00% Cu, 1.17 g/t Au and 10.70 g/t Ag; and
- Zona CC Hole AZC-179, which returned 45.0 metres of 1.05% Cu, 0.86 g/t Au and 28.83 g/t Ag;
These results were received after the most recent resource update (see News Release no. 2010-18 dated September 20, 2010). Three rigs continue to drill along strike, with a focus on the area from the Glory Hole zone to Zona CC. In addition, two drill rigs are focused on the deep drill program at the Aranzazu Project, for which 10 holes have been released to date. Additional results from the deep drill program are expected later this quarter.
Commenting on these results, Mr. Patrick Downey, President and CEO of Aura Minerals, stated, "Drilling results continue to confirm the high-grade nature of the resource at the Aranzazu Project and expand the resource along strike and at depth. Zona CC is a completely new zone along strike for this project and we believe that further drilling on Zona CC could add significant high-grade tonnes to the resource."
Aranzazu Commissioning
The commissioning of the Aranzazu mine and plant are continuing as planned. Commissioning of the grinding circuit is ongoing, with throughput expected to average 1,000 tonnes per day ("tpd") in November, ramping up to full throughput of 2,600 tpd by year-end.
Qualified Person
Exploration at the Aranzazu Project is being conducted under the supervision of Mr. Alan Hitchborn, P.Geo., who is the Company's Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Hitchborn has also reviewed and approved the contents of this news release as applicable.
Source: Aura Minerals Inc.