Animas Silver-Gold Discovery Zone

Animas Silver-Gold Discovery

The Animas/Del Norte Discovery has been the focus of the Company’s drill program this year. Presently two drill rigs are turning at the Discovery. Drilling has been focused on the two sub-parallel quartz-breccias structure that trend roughly east – west. The structures, which consist of veins and stockwork zones, are called Animas and Del Norte. These structures have been traced for about 800 metres, extending on to the newly acquired surrounding concessions. Drilling is working from approximately a centre point, moving east and west with one drill rig on either side drilling along strike in a step out manner.

Recent mapping has lead to the discovery of an additional bulk tonnage target. A reconnaissance map over an area 800 by 400 metres has identified zones of stockworking in the rock unit north of the Del Norte vein. Generally, south of the Del Norte Vein the host rock (andesite porphyry) is less receptive to fracturing and stockwork, while the unit of rock north of the Del Norte Vein (andesite crystal lithic tuff) is well fractured containing zones of stockworking. This new relationship provides Nayarit with an additional target for future drilling; as well it is a model which is being used to identify additional targets throughout the area. Nayarit has modified its drill program so that the holes are collared north of the Del Norte Vein to test for mineralized stockwork prior to intersecting the Animas and Del Norte system. Mapping and sampling will immediately move north and east to outline additional targets and extend the target zone of the Animas and Del Norte, which is believed to extend to the east for at least 1 kilometre (click on maps to view larger). 

Figure 1. Reconnaissance geology map of the Animas/Del Norte area

Figure 2 illustrates a conceptual cross section through the target area being drilled. As illustrated the main structure is a graben and the Del Norte vein is hosted in the northern side of this large structure. In addition to identifying additional stockwork targets north of the Del Norte vein, Nayarit will also attempt to locate the southern side of the graben to determine if a similar target with stockwork and veining exists.

Figure 2. Conceptual Cross-Section through the Animas and Del Norte system looking east.

The Animas/Del Norte system was discovered during the Phase I drill program during the fall of 2007. Subsequently, the company has started a +10,000 metre Phase II drill program on this system. To date, most all drill holes at Animas have intersected the mineralized structures. Mineralization has been drill intersected along strike for 190 metres, while the deepest mineralization intersected to date is nearly 400 metres below the surface. The system is demonstrating a high-grade aspect with associated stockwork zones. Many of the holes have intersected mineralization near or at the bottom of the drill hole, and thus the width of the mineralizing system has not been fully defined. Several recent holes, including OR-07-60 and 63 were drilled to lengths up to 600 metres to test the width of the system in the subsurface.

The most significant assays results to date include data from holes OR-07-32, on the easterly most drill section, and OR-08-59, on the westerly most drill section tested to date. Hole OR-07-32 returned 61.5 metres of 225 g/t Ag Eq, including 11.0 metres of 1179 g/t Eq Ag, while hole OR-08-59 returned 48.35 metres of 335 g/t Ag Eq, including 3.0 metres of 3229 g/t Ag Eq. Drilling continues in a step out manner, where both east and west extensions have a dedicated drill rig.  Each drill is conducting step outs of 40 to 100 metres and testing up to 300 metres deep, with three stacked holes on each fence line.

Figure 3, below, illustrates the drill hole map in plan view, while Figure 4 illustrates the westerly most cross section tested to date.

Figure 3. Animas vein system with drill hole locations and silver equivalent assays projected to surface.

Figure 4. Cross section through the most westerly tested section illustrating recent results from OR-08-59.

Table 1. Summary drill hole data for the Animas target.

Note: * Bottomed in mineralization

Section Maps

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