LATIN AMERICA — Teck, Western Copper push ahead in Mexico

Teck (TEK-T) and Western Copper Holdings (WTC-T) continue to advance their El Salvador joint venture in Zacatecas state, Mexico. Recent drilling on the polymetallic property has increased the known extent of sulphide mineralization.

One hole, SAL-22, cut a 4.5-metre intersection with average grades of 0.97% copper, 0.79% lead, 1.42% zinc, 76 grams silver and 0.7 gram gold per tonne.

The 4.5 metres included a 0.7-metre interval that graded 6.1% copper, 4.34% lead and 7.62% zinc, as well as 455 grams silver and 4.2 grams gold per tonne.

Another 75 metres to the west, drill hole SAL-23 cut a 2.2-metre core length grading 0.44% copper, 1.89% lead and 4.58% zinc, along with 47.4 grams silver and 0.3 gram gold. A third hole, SAL-20, southwest of the other two, also encountered 2.2 metres of mineralization, this time grading 0.26% copper, 1.19% lead, 2.12% zinc, 138 grams silver and 0.6 gram gold.

Mineralization at El Salvador is still open at both ends, and induced-polarization (IP) surveys have found chargeable zones along strike to the northwest. Other IP anomalies have been found west and east of the mineralization.

Western Copper is also running geochemical surveys on the Nieves property, also in Zacatecas state, where it is earning an interest from Kennecott.

Earlier work by Kennecott had established a target of high-grade silver veins, and the geochemical survey is meant to indicate how far these zones may extend along strike.