AbraSilver Resource Corp, a Toronto-based mining company, announced the start of a 20,000-meter drilling campaign at its Diablillos project in the province of Salta. The diamond drilling program will focus on expanding and delineating high-grade silver and gold mineralization within the company's flagship project. AbraSilver's goal is to identify new mineralized zones and explore under-explored areas, thereby driving the project's growth.
By Panorama Minero
The program, known as Phase IV, will primarily target areas already known for their mineralization but will also explore new targets within the Diablillos land package in Salta province. The plan is to conduct the campaign with three drilling rigs: one is already in action, and the other two are expected to join in the coming weeks.
Campaign Details
-The fully funded drilling campaign will feature three rigs and is expected to conclude by January 2025.
-75% of the program will focus on the existing epithermal zone, which includes deposits like Oculto, JAC, Fantasma, Alpaca, and Cerro Bayo.
-The remaining 25% will explore unexplored regional targets and a porphyry complex located 4 km northeast of the Oculto area.
Following the announcement, John Miniotis, President and CEO of AbraSilver, commented: "We are excited to restart drilling activities to explore the potential of new regions in the Diablillos project. Following the recent Prefeasibility Study and the outstanding results from our previous drilling campaigns, this new phase aims to identify multiple new mineralized zones beyond the existing Oculto and JAC deposits. We look forward to providing regular updates as we progress, and we believe 2024 will be a key year for adding value to AbraSilver."
Dave O'Connor, the company's Chief Geologist, added: "We are very enthusiastic about ramping up our exploration activities in the project. Our Phase IV drilling campaign will focus on high-priority targets like the Alpaca trend, the Oculto-Fantasma connection, and the Oculto-JAC area, all with potential for high-grade silver mineralization. We will also explore new regional targets with very little historical drilling, representing significant potential for discovering mineralization and expanding the project's scope."
2024-2025 Program Overview
The 20,000-meter Phase IV program will focus on several exploration targets within Diablillos. About 75% of the program will target the existing epithermal district to expand the mineral resource estimate near the Oculto deposit and find additional high-grade silver-gold mineralization near the surface.
The remaining 25% of the campaign will focus on new regional targets and a porphyry complex located approximately 3.5 km northeast of Oculto. These new targets include the Cerro Blanco/Cerro Viejo area, where the company plans to drill for an underlying porphyry system, and the Jasperoid zone, which has low magnetic response and may host epithermal gold and silver mineralization.
"With this program, AbraSilver expects to discover new high-grade silver and gold zones that could drive future development of the Diablillos project and increase its long-term value," the company concluded.
