Crews drilled 105 holes into the Ontario zone, 20 of which returned 10.3-41.4 grams gold per tonne over 2-8 metres.
Twenty-one holes intersected 5.02-9.5 grams gold over 1-8 metres, while 30 returned 1.06-4.85 grams gold over 1-9 metres. Nineteen holes (mainly in the eastern edge of the deposit) failed to cut significant grades.
The total depth of the holes was 10 metres; some holes ended in mineralization.
The Ontario zone occupies 2,000 sq. metres, has an average grade of 8.5 grams gold per tonne, and a thickness of 4 metres. The zone was drilled locally at a spacing of 5-10 metres and is open to the north and west.
Reserves will be updated using these and other data.
In the 1990s,
Sonora estimates that it would cost US$2 million to start up a 200-ton-per-day mining operation. The site has infrastructure remaining from previous operations, and environmental studies were submitted to the government last autumn.
A 2,000-metre drill program tested geochemical anomalies at the San Enrique zone, 6.5 km southwest of the Ontario zone.
San Enrique, like the Santa Gertrudis deposits, is hosted by shallowly dipping sediments with associated regional hornfels and skarn. The mineralization here is in silicic sub-horizontal structures, whereas at Ontario, the alteration at surface is argillic.
At the Los Panoches zone, hole 15 intersected 27.6 metres grading 0.3% copper and 0.15% molybdenum, plus 6.7 grams silver per tonne, including a 5.3-metre section of 0.9% copper, 0.45% moly, 24.7 grams silver and 0.02 gram gold.
Two other holes intersected 20 metres grading 0.04% copper, 0.06% moly and 0.12% zinc, and 31 metres of 0.12% copper, 0.04% moly and 2.5 grams silver.
The Los Panoches zone strikes northeast and dips shallowly to the northwest.
Sonora Gold drilled seven holes at the Huerfanita zone, one of which cut 5 metres grading 0.7 gram gold and 7.3 grams silver, while four others returned 12-60 metres grading 0.06-0.15% copper and 0.01-0.08% moly. One hole failed to reach the targeted depth.
Two holes tested a northeast-striking structure and, in the process, intersected a north-northwest-striking gold anomaly known as the Ciria target. The best interval graded 0.02% copper and 0.01% moly over 169 metres.
Four holes were drilled at Pinito zone, where rock and soil samples contained elevated gold and copper values. All failed to cut significant values.
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