Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX: ELO; OTCQX: ELRRF; FSE:
P2QM) (“Eloro: or the “Company”) is pleased to provide an
update on Eloro’s Iska Iska silver-tin polymetallic project in
Potosi Department, southern Bolivia.
Tom Larsen, CEO of Eloro commented: “Our
geological team has carried out a detailed analysis of all the
drilling information, including updated modelling, to develop a
very targeted diamond drill program that will start up in late
September 2024. The initial focus will be proximal to the Santa
Barbara adit zone to help define the potential “Starter Pit Area”
and then move to the west to upgrade and expand the polymetallic
and Ag-Sn mineralization. This new drilling would aim to generate
expanded mineral resources in the Santa Barbara starter pit area
and provide a mine life of 10-15 years at a preliminary optimized
production rate of 35,000 tonnes per day, to be evaluated in the
PEA.”
“I am excited to report that a ramping
development phase is planned within the Santa Barbara potential
starter pit area once initial infill drilling has confirmed the
ramp location from the independent engineering study,” added Mr.
Larsen. “This ramp would provide Eloro with the added benefit of
bulk sampling assay results and potentially permit Eloro to start a
small-scale operation and a pre-concentration plant that would aim
to demonstrate the economic, environmental, social benefit and
sustainable validity of the Iska Iska project. For these expected
planned projects, permitted mining licenses are in good standing to
move forward with these initiatives.”
The company is pleased to announce the
appointment of Dr. Osvaldo Arce to the role of Executive VP Latin
American Operations, as he continues in his role as General Manager
of Eloro’s Bolivian subsidiary Minera Tupiza SRL., together with
the appointment of Chris Holden to Senior Vice President, Corporate
Development.
A current inhouse ramping study for driving a
ramp into the core of the Santa Barbara starter pit area is being
carried out by geological and mining consultants, Mr. Julio
Zavaleta and Mr. Max Penafiel, respectively, who have carried out
similar projects for major mining companies elsewhere in Bolivia
over the past 25 years.
Planned Definition Diamond Drilling
Program
As highlighted in the Eloro press release of
July 30, 2024, updated modelling of the potential starter pit area
at Santa Barbara (see Figure 1, Table 1 and Figure 2) emphasised
the importance of completing additional definition drilling to
better define the grade and extent of the mineral resource. Areas
with higher-grade resource typically have much better drilling
density whereas holes outside the core area are too widely spaced
to give an accurate estimate of grade. This increased drilling
density is particularly important for defining the extent of the
high-grade Ag-bearing and high-grade Sn-bearing structures which
have a major influence on resource grade and overall project
economics.
An initial phase program of 5,700m in 13 holes
of diamond drilling in in the Santa Barbara potential starter pit
area is planned as follows:
- 1,800m in four
holes to better define the vertical and lateral extent of
high-grade Ag mineralization.
- 3,900m in nine
holes to fill-in and expand the higher-grade Ag and Sn
mineralization to the west which will be an important part of the
potential production as the starter pit area expands.
Figure 1. Geological and Planned Drill Hole Location
Map, Santa Barbara Potential Starter Pit Area.
This will be followed by:
- 1,400m in two larger diameter PQ
holes for further metallurgical testing in Sn mineralization to the
west
Upon completing the initial drilling program, a
second phase 7,000m diamond drilling program in the Zn
polymetallic, Ag and Sn domains is planned. The overall data will
be incorporated into an updated mineral resource estimate (“MRE”),
which will be reported and incorporated into the PEA.
Table 1: Proposed Drill Holes in Phase
I
Drillhole Name |
Easting |
Northing |
Elevation |
Azimuth |
Dip |
Length (m) |
Domain |
Category |
DP-01 |
205264 |
7656133 |
4290 |
0 |
90 |
500 |
Ag-Sn |
Infill |
DP-02 |
205390 |
7656251 |
4220 |
225 |
50 |
400 |
Ag-Sn |
Infill |
DP-03 |
205460 |
7656319 |
4191 |
225 |
50 |
400 |
Ag-Sn |
Infill |
DP-04 |
205203 |
7656016 |
4282 |
0 |
90 |
500 |
Ag-Sn |
Infill |
DP-05 |
205291 |
7656269 |
4273 |
0 |
90 |
450 |
Ag |
Infill |
DP-06 |
205310 |
7656329 |
4257 |
0 |
90 |
600 |
Ag-Sn |
Infill |
DP-07 |
205205 |
7656083 |
4310 |
225 |
70 |
400 |
Ag-Sn |
Infill |
DP-08 |
205251 |
7656269 |
4293 |
225 |
65 |
350 |
Ag |
Infill |
DP-09 |
205371 |
7656228 |
4229 |
205 |
35 |
350 |
Ag-Sn |
Infill |
DP-10 |
205403 |
7656144 |
4210 |
225 |
60 |
450 |
Ag |
Infill |
DP-11 |
205327 |
7656383 |
4236 |
0 |
90 |
400 |
Ag |
Infill |
DP-12 |
205327 |
7656383 |
4236 |
225 |
65 |
400 |
Ag |
Infill |
DP-13 |
205088 |
7656107 |
4341 |
0 |
90 |
700 |
Ag-Sn (Met) |
Infill |
DP-14 |
205035 |
7656126 |
4357 |
0 |
90 |
700 |
Sn (Met) |
Step-out |
DP-15 |
205022 |
7656003 |
4342 |
0 |
90 |
500 |
Sn |
Step-out |
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
7100 |
|
|
Note holes may be modified as the program progresses based on
results obtained.
Figure 2: Representative SW-NE Geological
Cross Section across Potential Santa Barbara Starter Pit Area.
Section line is shown on Figure 1.
Potential Ramp and Pre-concentration
Plant Program
As previously reported (see Eloro press release
dated January 23, 2024), bulk metallurgical tests returned
substantially higher grades than the original twinned diamond drill
holes - 91 g Ag/t in the bulk sample versus 31 g Ag/t in the
original holes that were twinned, suggesting that grades,
especially for silver, may be underestimated, in some cases
significantly. These results highlight the need for further bulk
sampling to better confirm overall grade in the deposit.
Eloro has carried out a preliminary independent
study on the potential for driving a ramp into the core of the
Santa Barbara starter pit area. This ramp, which would be built to
international standards by experienced Bolivian mining contractors,
would be 3.0m wide by 3.2m high and the first phase will consist of
1000m of ramping at a gradient of 12% to a vertical depth of
approximately 300m but could extend deeper if warranted. The
proposed project would access both the high-grade Ag and
higher-grade Sn zones providing the opportunity to assess the
continuity and grade of mineralization.
The company is currently studying the commercial
viability of installing a small pre-concentration plant and the
equipment selection will take into account the metallurgical
characteristics of the zinc polymetallic oxide and sulphide domains
that have already been metallurgically tested. The technologies
currently being considered are TOMRA XRT and/or Gekko Jigs. Gekko
Jigs are already in operation at MINSUR in Peru treating tin ore
and Pirquitas in Argentina treating silver ore.
Update on Preliminary Economic Assessment
(PEA)
The Eloro press release dated July 30, 2024,
provided an update on the PEA study in progress and recent work has
focussed on assessing the potential of adding Sn to the production
plan.The addition of a tin processing facility is
currently seen as a later stage processing option so that the
capital cost expenditure on the Ag-Zn-Pb equipment can be
re-utilised for the subsequent processing of the tin-silver
sulphide domain. Alternative processing options will be considered
provided the size and quantity of tin discovered justifies a
stand-alone operation.
The proposed 1400m PQ drill holes in the
tin-silver sulphide deposit are designed specifically to extract
bulk samples for metallurgical testing at Wardell Armstrong
International in Cornwall and TOMRA GmbH in Wedel, Germany and
Gekko in Australia to confirm that this “ore” is amenable to
pre-concentration and provide a conceptual flowsheet for this “ore”
type that can be used in the PEA study.
Qualified Person (“QP”)
Engineering work for the PEA is being managed by
Mike Hallewell, B.Sc., F.I.M.M.M., F.S, A.I.M.M., F.M.E.S., C.Eng.,
Eloro’s Senior VP Engineering Projects/Metallurgy, and a QP as
defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Hallewell has reviewed and approved the
technical engineering content of this news release.
Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., Eloro’s Executive Vice
President Exploration and a QP as defined by NI 43-101 has reviewed
and approved the technical geological content of this news release.
Dr. Pearson who has more than 50 years of worldwide mining
exploration, development and production experience, including
extensive work in South America, manages the overall technical
program, working closely with Dr. Osvaldo Arce, P.Geo. Executive VP
Latin American Operations and General Manager of Eloro’s Bolivian
subsidiary, Minera Tupiza S.R.L., and a QP in the context of NI
43-101, who supervised all field work carried out at Iska Iska.
About Iska Iska
The Iska Iska silver-tin polymetallic project is
a road accessible, royalty-free property, wholly controlled by the
Title Holder, Empresa Minera Villegas S.R.L. and is located 48 km
north of Tupiza city, in the Sud Chichas Province of the Department
of Potosi in southern Bolivia. Eloro has an option to earn a 100%
interest in Iska Iska.
Iska Iska is a major silver-tin polymetallic
porphyry-epithermal complex associated with a Miocene possibly
collapsed/resurgent caldera, emplaced on Ordovician age rocks with
major breccia pipes, dacitic domes and hydrothermal breccias. The
caldera is 1.6km by 1.8km in dimension with a vertical extent of at
least 1km. Mineralization age is similar to Cerro Rico de Potosí
and other major deposits such as San Vicente, Chorolque, Tasna and
Tatasi, all located along the same overall geological trend.
Eloro began underground diamond drilling from
the Huayra Kasa underground workings at Iska Iska on September 13,
2020. On November 18, 2020, Eloro announced the discovery of a
significant breccia pipe with extensive silver polymetallic
mineralization just east of the Huayra Kasa underground workings
and a high-grade gold-bismuth zone in the underground workings. On
November 24, 2020, Eloro announced the discovery of the Santa
Barbara Breccia Pipe (SBBP) approximately 150m southwest of the
Huayra Kasa underground workings.
Subsequently, on January 26, 2021, Eloro
announced significant results from the first drilling at the SBBP
including the discovery hole from 0.0m to 257.5m. Subsequent
drilling has confirmed the presence of significant values of Ag-Sn
polymetallic mineralization in the SBBP and the adjacent Central
Breccia Pipe (CBP). A substantive mineralized envelope
which is open along strike and down-dip extends around both major
breccia pipes. Continuous channel sampling along the walls of the
of the Santa Barbara Adit located to the east of SBBP returned
average grades of 164.96 g Ag/t, 0.46%Sn, 3.46% Pb and 0.14% Cu
over 166m including 446 g Ag/t, 9.03% Pb and 1.16% Sn over 56.19m.
The west end of the adit intersects the end of the
SBBP.
Since the initial discovery hole DHK-15 which
returned 29.53g Ag/t, 0.078g Au/t, 1.45%Zn, 0.59%Pb, 0.080%Cu and
0.056%Sn over 257.5m, Eloro has released a number of significant
drill results in the SBBP and the surrounding mineralized envelope
which, along with geophysical data, has defined an extensive target
zone. On October 17, 2023, Eloro filed the NI 43-101 Technical
Report outlining the initial inferred MRE for Iska Iska, prepared
by Micon International Limited. The MRE was reported in two
domains, the Polymetallic (Ag-Zn-Pb) Domain which is primarily in
the east and south of the Santa Barbara deposit and the Tin
(Sn-Ag-Pb) Domain which is primarily in the west and north.
The Company completed a 5,267.7m definition
drill program in the fall of 2023 to upgrade and expand the
higher-grade mineral resource in the potential Santa Barbara
starter pit.
About Eloro Resources Ltd.
Eloro is an exploration and mine development
company with a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in
Bolivia, Peru and Quebec. Eloro has an option to acquire a 100%
interest in the highly prospective Iska Iska project, which can be
classified as a polymetallic epithermal-porphyry complex, a
significant mineral deposit type in the Potosi Department, in
southern Bolivia. A recent NI 43-101 Technical Report on Iska Iska,
which was completed by Micon International Limited, is available on
Eloro’s website and under its filings on SEDAR. Iska Iska is a
road-accessible, royalty-free property. Eloro also owns an 82%
interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the
North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru some 50 km south of the Lagunas
Norte Gold Mine and the La Arena Gold Mine.
For further information please contact
either Thomas G. Larsen, Chairman and CEO or Jorge Estepa,
Vice-President at (416) 868-9168.
Information in this news release may contain
forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking
information express, as at the date of this news release, the
Company’s plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations,
or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be
reasonable based on information currently available to the Company.
There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will
prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers
should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.
Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1796a3d0-4f5b-4861-8a09-9fe8deb2b029
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eb928dc9-c5bb-4071-8562-086a593fbd15
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