Mineralization
The gold mineralization, which has been delineated by the trenching and
drilling completed to date, is found principally within a northwest to
southeast trending corridor with dimensions of approximately 2,500 m in
length and up to 500 m in width. The drilling performed to date suggests
that the gold mineralization locally extends to depths of up to 450 m.
The gold mineralization identified at the project is associated with
both black banded silica veinlets (“BBSVs”) and
chlorite-magnetite-quartz veinlets (“CMVs”) which are hosted primarily
in the central breccia complex and less frequently within the
rhyodacitic-daciandesitic porphyry plugs. The BBSVs predominantly strike
north-westerly, north-easterly and east-west and flat lying veinlets
have also been described. The BBSVs transect the chlorite-magnetite
veinlets and are themselves cut by gypsum veinlets. Furthermore, the
BBSVs are observed cutting across the breccia clasts and matrix, as well
as occurring as breccia fragment themselves.
The CMVs are more abundant in the central and northwest sector of the
mineralized zone at the Cerro Maricunga Project. The CMVs consist of
magnetite ± silica bands which are up to 4 mm wide with local patches of
chlorite, contain a central crystalline gypsum infill and have 3-5 mm
wide halos of disseminated magnetite, clay and gypsum. No predominant
orientation has been determined for the CMVs.
Sulphide mineralization, predominantly pyrite, and very locally traces
of chalcopyrite, at the Cerro Maricunga Project has generally been
oxidized. Occasionally, sulphides (pyrite and chalcopyrite) have been
observed encapsulated in the silica veins. The limited drilling
performed by the Atacama Pacific in 2010 has demonstrated that oxidation
within the mineralized corridor extends to depths of up to 450 m below
the surface.
Metallurgical Test Work
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