Our Operations – Pastizal & Picachos

Pastizal

  • Option agreement signed Nov 2017
  • Private mine production for +20 yrs (grade +2.0% Cu)
  • Inaugural drill campaign at Pastizal in Dec 2017 comprising 2.400 RC metres
  • Excellent initial results:
    • PZ17051   4 m at 1.47% Cu from 31 m
    • PZ17057   4 m at 2.72% Cu from 52 m
    • 3 m at 4.13% Cu from 59 m
    • PZ17063   4 m at 2.21% Cu from 16 m
    • 5 m at 1.69% Cu from 32 m
    • 2 m at 3.03% Cu from 60 m
    • PZ17064   3 m at 1.94% Cu from 19 m
    • PZ17065   3 m at 1.39% Cu from 15 m
    • PZ17066.  3 m at 1.44% Cu from 32 m

Picachos

  • The Picachos Project, is located approximately 50km south east of the coastal city of La Serena, Chile
  • Picachos is 8km west of the Andacollo copper-gold project operated by Teck Resources (Carmen de Andacollo), and 10km south of the privately owned Tambillos copper mine
  • Close to the mining town of Andacollo
  • Approximately 800m above sea level
  • Well positioned for infrastructure (roads and electricity)
  • Successful drill program in 2014
  • Ore processing plants all located within close trucking distance of the mine
  • Historic mining has focused mainly around the high grade vein, however in some areas the mantos has been mined up to 50m wide. Mineralisation generally occurs from one to five metres below the surface.
  • In 1994 a small drilling campaign was conducted, by Shell Chile  – Division Metales, in the north-west section of the Project area resulting in a number of high grade intersections including 6m at 3.5% Cu and 30.9g/t Ag from 41m and 9m at 1.6% Cu and 9.6g/t Ag from 46m. A channel sampling program was also undertaken by the current owners on the main Leoncito decline which resulted in an average grade of 1.3% Cu along its entire 110m length.
  • Small scale mining of approximately 4,000 to 10,000 tonnes per month is presently being undertaken by private miners via small open pit and underground mining operations.
  • Ore is currently being trucked to a Chilean government owned processing plant (ENAMI plant) where it is processed.  Historic records provided by the owners indicate typical average mine grades achieved from processing the Picachos ore include:
  • Oxide Ore – 1.7% Cu
  • Sulphide Ore – 2.5% Cu