Gunpoint Buys El Escorpion Silver Project From Chesapeake Gold Corp.
20 Juni 2012 - 3:30PM
Marketwired Canada
Gunpoint Exploration Limited (TSX VENTURE:GUN), ("Gunpoint") is pleased to
announce that it has entered into an agreement with Chesapeake Gold Corp.
("Chesapeake") whereby Gunpoint will acquire a 100% interest in Chesapeake's El
Escorpion silver project ("Escorpion") located in eastern Guatemala.
Chesapeake's Guatemalan subsidiary, Hunt Exploration S.A., has an option to
acquire Escorpion by making payments to a private owner totalling US$351,000
over five years. Escorpion is subject to a 1.0% net smelter return ("NSR")
royalty, which can be purchased for US$585,000 at any time.
The Escorpion property is a 900 hectare concession located 85 kilometers by
paved road southeast of Guatemala City. Escorpion is situated 7 kilometers
southwest and along trend of Tahoe Resources Inc.'s world class Escobal deposit
which has a NI 43-101 compliant indicated mineral resource of 367 million ounces
of silver grading 422 g/t, plus 37 million ounces of silver grading 254 g/t in
the inferred category. Mineralization at Escobal is associated with steeply
dipping and northeast-southwest trending intermediate sulfidation epithermal
silver rich quartz veins with significant values in gold, lead and zinc. The
Escobal land package completely surrounds the Escorpion project.
The outcropping mineralization at Escorpion appears to have many similarities to
that at Escobal and occurs in a fault controlled, intermediate sulfidation
epithermal system characterized by several multistage, subparallel
silver-lead-zinc quartz-carbonate veins and stockworks. To date, the
northeast-southwest trending system has been traced discontinuously for over
1,500 meters along strike and remains open to the northeast and southwest. The
system is characterized by carbonate-minor quartz vein swarms in the southwest
(Mina Blanca zone) and quartz stockworks and quartz veins in the northeast part
of the concession (Escorpion - Los Pozos zones). The exposed vertical extent of
the system is greater than 300 meters. The epithermal system is hosted in
volcaniclastic sediments, porphyritic andesites and rhyodacitic rocks, the same
rock types which host mineralization at Escobal.
The Mina Blanca zone has been traced along strike for 350 meters, up to 50
meters wide and with a topographic relief of 150 meters. This broad zone
consists of numerous en echelon, oxidized multistage veins up to 7 meters wide.
Selected channel samples taken across the veins from shallow workings and hand
dug trenches returned:
5 meters of 78.0 g/t silver, 2.30% lead and 2.63% zinc
4 meters of 62.6 g/t silver, 0.71% lead and 0.42% zinc
3 meters of 53.7 g/t silver, 6.48% lead and 2.05% zinc
6 meters of 73.6 g/t silver, 3.81% lead and 0.70% zinc
A second subparallel vein swarm is located 200 meters to the south of the Mina
Blanca zone. Channel sampling of individual veins has returned up to 4 meters of
41 g/t silver, 0.18% lead and 0.24% zinc.
The Escorpion and Los Pozos zones are located in erosional windows 400 meters
apart in an area of extensive volcanic cover. The Escorpion zone hosts a drusy
to massive quartz stockwork that has been mapped over an area 70 meters by 100
meters with channel samples up to 33 g/t silver, 0.2% lead and 0.2% zinc. The
Los Pozos zone is situated topographically higher with the vein and surrounding
stockwork hosted in argillized rhyodacite rocks. Samples from a quartz stockwork
zone, up to 100 meters wide and 200 meters in length, returned anomalous values
in silver, lead, zinc, bismuth, arsenic and antimony. Preliminary work suggests
the Escorpion and Los Pozos zones represent the possible extension of the Mina
Blanca zone along strike and higher up in the epithermal system.
At Escobal, high grade silver mineralization typically begins between fifty and
several hundred meters below surface and underlies leached and oxidized veins
which are anomalous in gold, silver and base metals. The high grade
mineralization was not discovered until the property was drilled extensively
starting in 2007.
Gunpoint has agreed to acquire a 100% interest in Escorpion by issuing and
granting the following to Chesapeake.
-- 500,000 common shares of Gunpoint
-- 500,000 warrants exercisable at $1.50 per share for a term of five years
-- A 1.5% NSR royalty in the event Chesapeake purchases the existing 1.0%
NSR
-- 1.0 million common shares of Gunpoint in the event a NI 43-101 measured
and indicated resource estimate of 1.0 million gold equivalent ounces is
achieved on the Escorpion property.
The transaction is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.
Gunpoint plans to follow-up Chesapeake's prospecting of the vein and altered
outcrops at Escorpion. Detailed mapping, trenching and rock channel sampling
along the fault controlled, altered corridor will delineate priority drill
targets. Gunpoint is planning to drill test both the Mina Blanca and Escorpion -
Los Pozos zones within 6-8 months.
Dr. E. Max Baker commented, "Being on the doorstep of Tahoe's Escobal deposit,
an advanced stage silver deposit with estimated production of over 20 million
ounces of silver per year for over ten years, the Escorpion project represents a
tremendous exploration opportunity for Gunpoint as it has three untested zones
of outcropping epithermal silver mineralization ready for drill testing in 2012.
While upgrading the existing resource at our Talapoosa gold project in Nevada
continues to be a priority for Gunpoint, the Escorpion project will provide
Gunpoint with an opportunity to rapidly advance exploration in one of the most
prolific exploration districts for silver globally."
Gunpoint is a gold exploration company with projects in the United States and
Mexico. Gunpoint's flagship Talapoosa project in Nevada has a drill indicated NI
43-101 measured and indicated resource of 632,000 ounces of gold at 0.92 g/t
plus an inferred gold resource of 326,000 ounces at .89 g/t. Talapoosa also
contains a resource of 8.2 million ounces of silver at a grade of 12.2 g/t in
the measured and indicated categories plus an inferred resource of 4.3 million
ounces grading 11.6 g/t. Gunpoint currently has approximately 39.1 million
shares issued and outstanding.
Chesapeake, which currently owns 82% of Gunpoint, has three representatives,
including Mr. Randy Reifel on Gunpoint's board of directors. Chesapeake remains
focused on its world class Metates project located in Durango State, Mexico. A
pre-feasibility study is currently being advanced and expected to be released in
Q3 2012. In addition, Chesapeake continues to systematically explore its
regional projects near the Metates and Ranchito sites (see NR4-2012, dated March
6, 2012). Geophysical survey work has been contracted to commence in July.
Drilling at one of the regional projects is planned for late third quarter.
Currently Chesapeake has approximately $40 million in working capital.
Mr. Alberto Galicia, P. Geo, Chesapeake's Project Manager and a Qualified Person
as defined by NI 43-101 supervised the preparation of the technical information
in this release. E. Max Baker, Ph.D., Member AusIMM, President of Gunpoint, has
also reviewed this news release.
For more information on Gunpoint, please visit our website at
www.gunpointexploration.com.
GUNPOINT EXPLORATION LIMITED
E. Max Baker, President
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements,
such as estimates and statements that address future events and conditions that
describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals which are subject to
various risks and uncertainties in relation to the Company. The assumptions used
in the preparation of such statements although considered reasonable at the time
of preparation may prove to be imprecise and as such, actual results in each
case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such
statements. The Company does not intend to, and does not assume any obligation
to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required
by applicable law.
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