Forte Minerals Corp. (CSE:CUAU, OTCQB:FOMNF) has announced that three new exploration projects have been added to its portfolio of gold prospects in Peru, following a four-month regional geological reconnaissance program to follow-up on recently awarded concessions that were staked through a remote sensing targeting program.
The Peru-focused copper and gold explorer said the three properties have large alteration signatures and coincident gold anomalies.
Forte CEO Patrick Elliott said this is especially exciting for the company as the remote sensing targeting program has proven to be consistently effective based on surface follow-up results.
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“Our systematic approach to regional exploration and new project generation is working and the company is thrilled to have expanded the portfolio of prospects through this process," Elliott said in a statement.
The NWC property (2,500 hectares) contains a seven-by-one kilometre (km) alteration anomaly with signatures consistent with an intermediate to high sulphidation hydrothermal system. Argillic, granular silica, silica-clay and alunite, silicification, hydrothermal breccia, chalcedonic silica and propylitic alteration are recognised from recent field work and are accompanied by anomalous silver, zinc, copper, bismuth and manganese encountered in rock samples collected along NW and NE trending structures, which align with Arasi gold mine located 11 km to the south.
The Pucarini North property contains a 1.4 by 1 km alteration anomaly exhibiting characteristic of a high sulphidation hydrothermal system, including argillic, advanced argillic, granular and vuggy silica and propylitic alteration. Anomalous gold was encountered in 14 of 64 rock samples collected from the alteration system, according to the company.
The CRP014 property is a 2.5 x 1.6-kilometre alteration anomaly with alteration mineral assemblages indicative of a low to intermediate sulphidation hydrothermal system including argillic, silica-clay, and silica (FeOx, Py, CuOx) alteration mineralogy with hydrothermal brecciation. Rock samples returned anomalous copper (up to 2.3%) with 40% of samples averaging 0.14% copper, Forte noted.
After April, the company said it launched an extensive regional mapping and sampling exploration program and successfully executed to follow-up on 10 satellite targets in the district surrounding the Pucarini epithermal gold project.
In late 2020, Forte said it had staked 18 regional claims surrounding Pucarini, comprising 16,100 hectares. The area selection was guided by knowledge gained at Pucarini to search for expressions of similar hydrothermal alteration signatures recognized in ASTER satellite imagery as part of the company's regional generative exploration program.
Following the successful surface exploration programs at Pucarini that identified anomalous gold on surface, Forte said it placed priority on controlling additional prospective ground in the district.
This involved initiating a regional exploration program with based on field sampling that included collection of 287 rock samples and 44 soil samples for multi-element analysis by ALS-Peru using their ME-ICP41 and Au-AA23 methods.
Alteration and geological mapping were also completed on 20 claims that include two more claims staked in July 2022, comprising a total of 18,100 hectares. Based on the exploration results, a total of six concessions covering 5,500 hectares over three separate prospects with favourable field geology, alteration and geochemistry of intermediate to high sulphidation epithermal gold systems were kept for future exploration work. Fourteen concessions were dropped due to low exploration potential.
Results from the regional exploration follow-up work undertaken by Forte geologists from April to September 2022 revealed several hydrothermal alteration zones and returned anomalous gold on several concessions.
A total of three remote sensing targets were given priority. One of these properties, named Pucarini North is immediately northwest and adjacent to Pucarini. The alteration zone at Pucarini North is extensive, pervasive and especially interesting as several rock chip samples returned anomalous gold, the company said.
Additional geological and structural mapping combined with sampling (soils and rock geochemistry) is currently underway to understand the extent of mineralization and the relationship with Pucarini, according to Forte.
As a result of the regional follow-up sampling and mapping program, the company added that its geological team recommended retention of six concessions totalling 5,500 hectares, which have been ranked in order of interest.
The six concessions are parcelled into three separate prospects: NWC, GRP014, and Pucarini North. All three prospects will require further investigation by geological mapping and sampling, and potentially geophysical work to better understand the extent of alteration and mineralization.
Vancouver-based Forte Minerals said that demonstrating the remote sensing targets identified in the generative stage represent zones of alteration and mineralization confirmed by ground follow-up is especially encouraging. It also said this has allowed expansion of the portfolio of prospects in the region and adds confidence that the exploration process adopted by the company is effective.
Contact the author at susie@proactiveinvestors.com