Avrupa Minerals, a junior exploration company, declared that drilling has been started on the Alvalade JV Project located in the Pyrite Belt of southern Portugal. The company along with Antofagasta Minerals SA, its joint venture partner, has scheduled a 6-hole Phase 1 core drill campaign. Preliminary drilling is likely to be done for about 3000 m. An additional Phase 2 program is anticipated to commence in August 2012.
Six major stockwork and sulfide mineralization targets will be tested under the Phase 1 drilling program in three common regions on the Canal Caveira and Alvalade licenses in the JV region. Additionally, the Phase 2 drilling program will examine other targets and follow-up positive results from Phase 1 drilling.
Reconnaissance activity in the JV region continues with fresh target generation in minimum three belts of prospective mineralization. The program comprises core sampling and re-logging from prior reconnaissance drilling projects of the past three decades, geological mapping, re-analysis of prior geophysical information as well as detailed compilation into a GIS-based data system. Using this latest data, both the companies are applying a geological model to aid in the mineral targeting method. The companies have planned to utilize this method to identify near-surface targets as well as targets located under thick sedimentary cover.
Avrupa Minerals has a series of exploration projects, which include the following:
- Gold and Tungsten in northern Portugal at the Covas JV project region
- Zinc and copper in southern Portugal in the Alvalade JV project region and at Marateca situated in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, wherein the richest active copper mine in Europe is operating
- Precious metal and rare earth elements potential in the Aljezur project region in south Portugal
- Tellurium, bismuth, and gold on the Arga license, which lies in northern Portugal, contiguous to the Covas JV
- Gold and copper porphyry potential in southern Portugal in the Alvito project region
- Gold and copper in southern Kosovo inside the Koritnik exploration license region in the Sharr-Dragash intrusive complex
- Zinc, lead and silver in Kosovo at the Kamenica, Glavej, Bajgora and Selac properties in the Vardar Zone’s Trepça Mineral Belt which is the most productive district for zinc and lead in Europe.
- Gold in eastern Germany in the Oelsnitz exploration license in the Erzgebirge Mining District, a historic producer of uranium, tungsten, silver, tin and base metals.
Source: http://www.avrupaminerals.com/