Kootenay Silver Inc said the operator of its Cervantes joint venture (JV), Aztec Minerals Corp, has reported more strong drill results from the Mexico project, which advances its open-pit heap leach gold potential.
The latest results come from this year's reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the California target, which continues to hit both broad and high-grade gold mineralized zones.
In a statement, Kootenay CEO James McDonald said: "The Cervantes project continues to deliver wide intervals of oxide gold mineralization that remain open in all directions. The area now covers about 900 meters by 250 to 500 meters to a depth of 265 meters. We are looking forward to the remaining 8 holes of the current program."
Highlight assays include 0.884 grams per ton (g/t) gold over a length of 54.7 metres (m) starting from surface, which included an intersection of 13.7m at 1.965 g/t of the yellow metal starting from 36.58m depth at the southern edge of the eastern part of the mineralized zone.
READ: Kootenay Silver says JV partner Aztec Minerals hits “best hole yet” at Cervantes project in Mexico
Also hit was 0.53 g/t gold over 138.3, from surface, including 10.67m of 1.622 g/t gold from 50.3m depth in one hole located in the central portion of the mineralized zone.
"These intersections continue to expand the gold mineralization at California. This discovery further advances the California gold zone in demonstrating the open pit heap leach gold potential of the project," said Simon Dyakowski, the CEO of Aztec. "The Cervantes 2021-2022 RC drill program continues to return strong gold grades over broad widths in every drill hole reported to date."
The Cervantes property in Sonora state is a 65/35 joint venture with Aztec, with Kootenay owning the smaller stake.
The JV has now completed its phase 2 Reverse circulation (RC) program of 26 holes, totaling 4,649m at Cervantes. Drilling began in December last year.
The primary objectives of the 2021/2022 phase 2 exploration program was to better define the open pit, heap leach gold potential of the porphyry oxide cap at California, evaluate the potential for deeper copper-gold porphyry sulfide mineralization underlying the oxide cap, test for north and west extensions of the California mineralization.
To-date, every hole drilled at California has hit near-surface, oxidized gold mineralization with minor copper oxides, noted Kootenay.
Kootenay Silver is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico and in British Columbia, Canada.
Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com