Astra Exploration Inc. (TSXV: ASTR) has identified promising new mineralisation in an exploration programme at Pampa Paciencia, its flagship gold-silver project in northern Chile.
Highlights
- Delineation of a 600 metre long mineralised vein and breccia structure at the Paciencia and Paciencia East veins containing wide intervals, up to 28.8 metres of precious metals, including 3.5 metres @ 5.0 grams per tonne (g/t) gold equivalent (AuEq) in trench TRP22-09
- Trenching results and re-logging historical drill core confirms both grade and vein thickness increasing at depth
- 3,000 metre drill programme commenced in February. Approximately 1,500 metres are planned to test the Paciencia Vein at depth and along strike with remainder of metres testing other veins in the North and Central Zone targets.
“The Company is making great strides with drilling commencing only one month after public listing,” CEO, Brian Miller, said.
“Preparation ahead of drilling included systematic trenching and re-logging of historic core. This demonstrates Pampa Paciencia is a large system with wide veins and high-grade gold and silver intercepts.”
“Most exciting is that historic drilling indicates grades are increasing at depth where the company’s initial drill holes will test.
“These are the perfect ingredients for a large, preserved system and the company’s maiden drill programme will look to step out from open intersections to grow the Pampa Pacienca mineralisation further.”
Pampa Paciencia is a 3,840 ha road-access low sulphidation epithermal (LSE) gold-silver project located within an active mining district less than 15 kilometres from two major mines (Sierra Gorda and Spence) and five kilometres from the Faride LSE mine.
The current exploration programme has combined property wide mapping and sampling, geophysical surveys, and localised trenching with the dual aims of defining a larger district and identifying the highest priority initial drill targets.
Trenching
A 1,119 metre trenching programme was completed in early 2022 at the Pampa Paciencia project to map the Paciencia and Paciencia East veins, and to confirm underlying magnetic structures coincident with float Au-Ag anomalies.
Trenches were concentrated in the outcropping or subcropping areas of the North target, with some trenches targeting covered areas. A total of 311 samples were taken with rock saw and pneumatic hammer and sent to ALS lab in Santiago, Chile.
Above the primary drill target systematic trenches at the Paciencia and Paciencia East veins reported anomalous gold and silver, with best results of of 21.1 metres @ 1.28 g/t AuEq, including 3.5 metres @ 5 g/t AuEq in trench TRP22-09.
Detailed trench mapping and interpretation of geophysical lineaments reveals that the the surface expression of the Paciencia vein system is a NW-SE striking fault-related lineament composed mainly by a late tectonic and hydrothermal breccia with limonitic matrix and clasts of the LSE quartz vein. This late breccia event is transporting vein clasts to the surface, creating the large amount of vein float blocks, and diluting the precious metal content of the quartz veins.
For further information please visit: https://astra-exploration.com/
