Projects
Argentina
Background
Mariana is exploring for low sulphidation epithermal gold–silver deposits in the Deseado Massif, Santa Cruz Province in Patagonia by way of a joint venture with IAMGOLD Argentina and more recently, in its own right. The Deseado Massif is a world class gold-silver mining province. The joint venture covers the Sierra Blanca and Cañadon Largo concessions which were located by IAMGOLD using ASTER satellite imagery.
Mariana can earn 70% in the properties by spending US$2M in four years. Mariana commenced a program of RC and diamond core drilling, mainly of the Chala and Lucila prospects, within the Sierra Blanca concession in September 2008 to test at depth, surface channel samples of up to 9.4m @ 2,362 g/t Ag (76 oz/t) and 1.3 g/t Au.
Elsewhere in Santa Cruz Province, Mariana has applied for more than 160,000ha of concessions considered prospective for epithermal gold-silver mineralization. Reconnaissance exploration has located encouraging surface mineralized outcops with rock chip samples of 0.7 metres (m) @ 21.7 grams per tonne (g/t) Au, 62 g/t Ag in brecciated rocks at Pampa del Tongoril II, 1 m @ 1.85 g/t Au, 302 g/t Ag in sulphide-rich stockwork areas at El Bozal II and 0.7 m @ 0.1 g/t Au, 240 g/t Ag in high-level vein breccias and sinters deposits at Amigo.
La Borita option to acquire 100% in a concealed porphyry copper target beneath extensive copper-bearing travertine within a magnetic low on Alumbrera Trend in Catamarca province, north west Argentina. IP surveying has been completed and the geophysical contractor, Quantec Geoscience reported “….The IP survey appears to have produced reliable data that suggest significant sulphides occur on a porphyry-like scale, at depth. The observed chargeabilities at La Borita are within the range of expectation for mineralized porphyry deposits….”
