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Valderama Zone: Massive Sulphide Mineralization
A 2001 scout drill program, consisting of 1,041 meters, encountered promising copper, gold, silver and zinc values at shallow depths. Drilling highlights include 37.1 meters of 0.8% copper, 1.87 g/t gold; and 40.25 meters of 0.69 % copper, 1.21 g/t gold, 4.34 g/t silver, and 0.63% zinc (true thicknesses).
A second drill program in 2002, consisting of 431 meters, encountered lower, more irregular grades. The zone is open to the north for a further 250 to 300 meters, where gossanous outcrops are present. The Valderama epithermal replacement mineralization is believed to be related to an adjacent porphyry copper-gold system.
Based on drilling to date, the Valderama Zone averages between 36% and 40% sulphur. Mineralization is near-surface, and a few hundred meters from tide water. It may, therefore, have potential for a low-cost sulphur source for sulphuric acid production for treatment of the numerous lateritic nickel deposits going into production in the region and for fertilizer production.
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