Highlights
• All assay results received from E2 Metals’ (E2 or Company) initial drill program at the Sierra Morena Project in Santa Cruz province, Argentina.
• Results indicate a more extensive mineralised system than previously apparent from surface mapping and sampling, with “blind” structures and strike extensions identified.
• Shallow, gold and silver mineralised intercepts were returned from both the Eastern and Western Veins at the SM6 Prospects, confirming E2’s interpretation of the geometry and identifying potential for higher-grade targets at depth and/or along strike to the south.
A single hole drilled in the Southern Project Area identified new gold and silver mineralisation (SMRC-23: 1m @ 0.35 gpt Au & 31.4 gpt Ag from 19m downhole), highlighting wider potential beyond the Eastern and Western Vein outcrops.
Discussion
E2 is pleased to provide the results from the initial drill program at the Sierra Morena project in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina (Tables 1 and 2). The initial 1903m Reverse Circulation (RC) program was designed to test approximately 500 metres cumulative strike of outcropping gold and silver veins at the SM6 Prospects, as well as the first reconnaissance drilling of geological targets within the Acid Sulphate Cap prospect and Southern Project Area (see ASX announcement 24 April 2019).
Eastern Vein
Eleven holes totalling 1022m were drilled at the Eastern Vein prospect to test outcropping gold and silver mineralised veins (Figure 1 and 2). Most holes intercepted a wide zone of mineralised veins with variable gold and silver ratios. The broadest intercept in SMRC-02 totalled 12m at 0.33 gpt gold and 64.3 gpt silver from 32 metres, including 1m at 0.46 gpt gold and 204 gpt silver. Gold dominated veins assaying up to 3.47gpt gold over 1 metre are associated with narrow intensely silicified vein breccias with low sulphide content, whereas silver rich veins assaying up to 224 gpt silver over 1 metre are associated with unoxidized ‘black silica’ sulphide alteration. The black sulphide is interpreted to be fine-grained acanthite (a silver mineral) which was recorded by De Grey Mining Limited (De Grey) in historical drill holes1.
Mineralisation is hosted in argillic altered volcaniclastic rocks with at least three discrete intervals of vein and associated stock work zones that range from 1m to approximately 10m wide. This Eastern Vein zone has an estimated true width of up to 25m as defined in SMRC-10 which intercepted three mineralised intervals from 2m to 44m downhole. The drilling has confirmed E2’s interpretation of an easterly dipping orientation. The Eastern Vein zone has been traced over 160 metres strike and remains open to the southeast.
Hole SMRC-21, which was drilled 140 metres southwest of the Eastern Vein (see Figures 1 and 2), intercepted a ‘blind’ vein that yielded 1m at 0.16 gpt gold and 61.3 gpt silver from 46m, highlights the potential for additional mineralised trends west of the Eastern Vein prospect.