Minera Andes hits bonanza grade

A 14-hole program of reverse-circulation drilling has intersected bonanza-grade mineralization at the Pluma/Cerro Saavadra gold property in Argentina’s Santa Cruz province.

Minera Andes (MAI-V) reports that holes 69 and 70, collared 300 metres apart, cut high-grade gold-silver mineralization in the northern portion of the 2.4-km-long Huevos Verdes vein system. Hole 69 intersected 2.5 metres grading 4.1 grams gold and 479 grams silver per tonne from 100 metres down-hole, whereas hole 70 cut 5.4 metres of 15.92 grams gold and 1,634.1 grams silver from 117 metres down-hole. Included in hole 70 was a higher-grade portion that returned 2.3 metres grading 30.73 grams gold and 3,166.3 grams silver. According to the junior, the vein in this area is steeply dipping and does not outcrop on surface.

The 1,598-metre program was designed to test the Huevos Verdes and Saavedra West silver-gold prospects along strike and at depth. The drilling cut the vein structure over widths ranging from 1 to 11.1 metres.

In 1999, Minera Andes drilled 19 holes on the prospects; 12 returned significant gold mineralization. The best interval came from hole 39, which cut 6.3 metres (true thickness) grading 9.74 grams gold and 630.3 grams silver per tonne.

The junior is considering a third drill program, to test the vein system at depth.