Focus Ventures Ltd. (TSX-V: FCV.V) has reported that it has received initial assay results from DDH-CHUC-001, the first hole to be drilled at its Chucara Au-Ag project. The hole is still in progress at the time of writing.
DDH-CHUC-001 is positioned in the Northern Target Area and is being drilled to test the down dip extensions of the past producing Conzuso, Maria and Wenses veins below the historical workings. The intersections are coincident with the down dip projections of the convergence of the Consuzo and Maria veins, which are some 290m and 315m respectively below the vein outcrops at surface. In the case of the Consuzo vein the intercept is 25m below the old workings and in the case of Maria approximately 170m below the old workings.
From 216.1m to 217m the hole cut massive sulphide vein mineralization grading 5.6 g/t Au, 512 g/t Ag (16.5 oz/t), 2.3% Pb, and 4.7% Zn (21 g/t Au Eq.) and from 218.95m to 219.55m a second massive sulphide vein grading 10.0 g/t Au, 323 g/t Ag (10.4 oz/t), 7.6% Pb, and 4.3% Zn (24.1 g/t Au equivalent) was intersected. The entire zone, including the low grade wall rock in-between the veins, assayed 3.53 g/t Au, 203 g/t Ag (6.53 oz/t), 2.1% Pb and 2.2% Zn (10.5 g/t Au Eq.) over a true width of 3.14m.
Another significant intercept was drilled from 127.2m to 127.8m which graded 4.95 g/t Au, 345 g/t Ag (11.9 oz/t), 5.78% Pb and 11.0% Zn (22.7g/t Au Eq.) over a true width of 0.55m.
The mineralization is hosted by an interbedded sequence of siliceous grey siltstone and black argillite intruded by a swarm of diorite and dacite sills. The massive sulphide veins cross cut the intrusions and thus far appear to have no spatial or genetic relationship to the intrusions.
Mark Slauenwhite P.Geo, Vice President Exploration of Focus, commented: "Even though it's early in the program these initial results from the first hole at Chucara demonstrate excellent vertical continuity of the veins which we now know extend below the old workings and average 300m down dip below the surface. We've seen no indications that we are near the base of the mineralized system. We're also encouraged that there appears to be no demonstrable change in the chemistry, metal zonation or grade of the mineralization suggesting that the system is still strong underneath the historical workings."
Project Background
Focus is evaluating a system of intermediate sulphidation-type epithermal veins at Chucara for a high-grade gold and silver deposit. The 700 hectare property, located within a highly endowed mineral belt in north-central Peru, is 45km southeast of Barrick's Lagunas Norte Mine and 18km east of the Comarsa Au-Ag Mine. The project covers the majority part of an historic Ag-Au (Pb-Zn) mine and the recently defined south-eastern extension of the mineralization.
The 3,000m drill program is designed to test the robust system of gold and silver-rich polymetallic veins for their high grade resource potential over the northwest-southeast trending corridor that is at least 2 kilometres long. Specific targets include:
- down-dip and strike extensions of the past-producing Au-Ag (Pb-Zn) veins in the northern part of the concession and their deeper feeder zones, plus conceptual targets that were successfully outlined during a recent CSAMT survey.
- stacked, shallowly dipping quartz - semi-massive sulphide veins that were mapped over a 850m x 300m ridge in the southern part of the property, where a total of 91 samples gave average grades of 7.4 g/t Au and 439 g/t Ag (14.1 oz/t Ag) over widths averaging 0.6m.
- new high-grade veins and splays discovered by surface mapping and trenching that link the northern and southern areas.
Drill targets were defined by a comprehensive exploration program undertaken by Focus that included digital compilation of historical work, property-scale mapping, surface channel sampling, a geophysical CSAMT survey and 3D modelling.
Sampling Quality Analysis and Quality Control
The drill program, including logging, drill core sampling and QA/QC is being supervised by Mark Slauenwhite P.Geo., Focus's Vice President of Exploration. Core was first split in half using a diamond core splitter and then logged, and each box photographed prior to sampling. Half-core samples were bagged, security-sealed and transported by Focus personnel to ALS Chemex laboratories in Lima for analysis. Gold was assayed by Atomic Adsorption Spectrometry with fire assay gravimetric finish. Silver was determined by multi-acid digestion and ICP-AES, with fire assay gravimetric finish. ALS Chemex's quality control system complies with International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025:2005. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of reagent blanks, reference material and replicate samples. Quality control is further assured by Focus's own QA/QC program which involves the insertion by Focus personnel of blind certified standards and blanks into the sample stream at regular intervals in order to independently assess analytical precision and accuracy of each batch of samples as they are received from the laboratory. Finally, representative sample pulps are forwarded to an ISO-compliant third party laboratory for additional quality control.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information in this release was prepared under the supervision of Mr. David Cass, Focus's President, who is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, and a "Qualified Person" in accordance with NI 43-101.
Source: Focus Ventures Ltd.