Mariana Resources (LON:MARL) plans to accelerate the drilling programme at the Las Calandrias gold-silver project, with a second rig due to arrive at Calandria Sur next month.
The second rig will also take part in drilling the Las Calandrias Dome Field.
In a statement this morning the company updated investors on its progress at the Argentine exploration project, where drilling is on-going and results are due in the coming weeks.
The company has now completed eleven holes, for 1,370m, at the Calandria Norte target and the rig has moved on to the Calandria Sur dome.
Assay results from the first six Calandria Norte holes are expected in mid-October.
Mariana noted that all eleven holes intersected broad zones of mineralisation - described as “rhyolite-hosted pyrite/marcasite stockworks and silicification", with ten holes intersecting thin marcasite/pyrite vein-breccias.”
The holes were drilled to test the vein strike length for 170m and up to 130m below surface. The company highlighted that the Calandria Norte mineralisation is open laterally, and a further 4,100m of drilling will test the 450m vein-breccia trend.
Mariana also reported that both 3D and 2D Induced Polarisation (IP) work has now been complete across the prospective 700m diameter Calandria Norte dome and the Calandria Sur dome.
The preliminary results are due shortly.
A separate 3D IP survey is currently in progress over the 5km2 El Nido Sur area.
At the Calandria Sur dome the company is carrying out infill drilling on the higher-grade breccia zones, as well as exploration drilling of the untested southwest dome border.
Four holes have been completed to date.
Additionally the company is about to start the metallurgical testing of material from Calandria Sur.
Earlier this month, the company said that exploration drilling at these two prospects could further expand the economic potential of the project.
Previous intersections at Calandria Sur have included 68 metres grading 2.4 g/t (grammes per tonne) gold and 24 g/t silver from 74 metres and 106 metres grading 1.6 g/t gold and 27 g/t silver from 3 metres.
At Calandria Norte, Mariana has intersected vein-breccia-hosted bonanza-grade gold/silver mineralisation of 4 metres grading 76 g/t gold and 70 g/t silver from 92.5 metres and 4.5 metres at 102 g/t gold and 72 g/t silver from 81.5 metres.