Terreno Resources Corp. George A. Brown, President & CEO, is pleased to announce the proposed plans for 2020 fieldwork at the Las Cucharas Gold and Silver Project in Nayarit, Mexico, which are subject to financing.
Las Cucharas represents a historic gold and silver mining area with well documented small-scale production from 1903 through 1961 of 3,000 kilograms of gold and 30,000 kilograms of silver (Vargas, 1994, COREMI Pub M-12e). It is located in the southern extreme of the mid-Tertiary Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) volcanic belt, which hosts many of Mexico’s gold and silver deposits. Las Cucharas is considered a low-sulfidation epithermal precious metal system hosted in andesitic to rhyolitic volcanic flows, tuffs, ignimbrites, and associated subvolcanic intrusions. Significant vein hosted gold and silver mineralization occurs along a six kilometer long northwest-trending regional structural zone. The project area covers 4,447 hectares in seventeen (17) concessions.
Fourteen major showings occur along this structural zone, including underground adits developed on several levels, cross cuts, exploration adits, and surface prospecting pits. Geological mapping on the property shows that the main mineralized zones have strong structural control, with the main structural directions being northwest to north-northwest, northeast, and east-west to east-northeast. The vein structures often form large mineralized lenses and ore shoots where these structures intersect, and coincide with the larger underground adits. Quartz veins, shear structures, stockwork zones, and breccias show typical low-sulfidation epithermal textures such as fine banding in veins and breccias, as well as drusy, bladed, and chalcedonic quartz.
Most historical work on the Las Cucharas project has focused on known mineralized showings, but as fieldwork has advanced, Terreno has consistently discovered new zones and extensions of existing zones. Widespread gold and silver values occur in many smaller showings throughout the project area which are located well outside of the main structural zone. This is clear evidence of a widespread hydrothermal precious metal system with much greater size potential and continuity than was indicated by the historical results.
Terreno Resources’ exploration program moving forward will include:
– Continued detailed structural mapping on a property-wide scale in order to produce a reliable geological model for gold and silver mineralization to help guide future exploration efforts.
– Continued rock, soil, and stream sediment sampling programs will target under-explored areas and new showings on the property. This includes many new exposures exposed during the very strong hurricane season in 2018.
– Diamond drill testing to be carried out in phased 1,000 to 1,500 metre stages. The targeting and design of subsequent drilling would depend on results from earlier stages.
Terreno is evaluating several exploration tools to help advance the project:
– Satellite image spectrometry has been used on several projects in the Las Cucharas area to help define mineral alteration zoning and distribution, especially clay and potassium-rich alteration styles associated with precious metal systems. This can help to define and delimit areas of interest for more focused exploration activities in a non-invasive way.
– Bulk sampling of vein material accessible from underground workings to help define average grades and metallurgical characteristics.
– The use of underground drilling is being considered in some locations. A major advantage is that no surface areas would be disturbed in any way, greatly simplifying the permitting process.
Terreno Resources is very pleased with our results from the work carried out to date on the Las Cucharas project. The large project area combined with very widespread gold and silver occurrences highlight the significant precious metal potential of the project.