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Location | Ownership | Geology | History | Work by Kings Minerals 2004-2006 | Mineral Resources | Cross Sections | Preliminary Pit Outlines | Next Steps | Exploration Potential | Quality Control | Property Reports | Property Maps
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| | HISTORY
The San Antón property lies to the east of the historic Guanajuato Mining Field which was discovered in 1548. There is evidence of widespread prospecting activity in the San Antón de las Minas area and limited production, however few records of these early activities have been located. The area is prospective for porphyry copper-gold/ IRGS and low sulphidation epithermal vein systems. A number of old prospects are reported throughout the area. The Consejo de Recursos Minerales, the Mexican equivalent of a Department of Mines, commenced an assessment of the San Antón de las Minas area in March 1977 as part of a combined federal and state government program to encourage new investment in the mining industry. This activity followed on from the declaration of the national mining reserve "Villalpando" covering the Carmen-Providencia vein system in the mid-1970’s. The mining reserve covers an area of 3,850ha. Work by the Consejo de Recursos Minerales consisted mainly of regional geological mapping and stream sediment geochemistry, prospect evaluation, and airborne magnetics. The Consejo de Recursos Minerales (1992) reported disseminated copper mineralization averaging 0.4% in a quartz monzonite stock at Cerro del Gallo. | | |
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| | Modern Day Exploration | | | | The Cooperative was the first company to explore the area in recent times with work commencing in 1982. The company held an interest in the area until 2004 when it sold the project to Luismin S.A. de C.V. (Luismin), however no work was completed in their last 4 years of ownership. The Cooperativa concentrated their work on the Carmen-Providencia vein system where they rehabilitated the Dolores shaft to the 90m level, re-opened the La Mora adit, and commenced development of the Carmen adit along a section of the Carmen vein near the Dolores shaft. Only 2 truckloads of ore totaling 20.9 tons and estimated to average 82g/t Ag and 2.15g/t Au were mined from the Dolores underground workings (Sociedad Cooperativa Minero Metalurgica Santa Fe de Guanajuato internal assay certificates). The company also completed a regional geological mapping program covering the Carmen-Providencia vein system and Cerro del Gallo. Trenching was completed along the Carmen-Providencia vein system and at Cerro del Gallo. The Cooperative drilled 6 diamond core holes for a total of 1,571.10m and excavated 2 shallow trenches at Cerro del Gallo. The first hole, Bno 251, was drilled in late 1983 on the outer western flank of Cerro del Gallo and intersected 24.55m grading 0.22g/t Au and 21g/t Ag from 3.6m. Only select intervals where quartz veins were recognized were assayed for gold and silver, and while chalcopyrite was recorded in the drill logs, copper was not assayed. Luismin commenced exploration at San Antón in about 1994 on 2 small contiguous claim blocks totaling 110ha surrounded entirely by tenure owned by the Cooperative. The claims covered half of Cerro del Gallo and the Ave de Gracia epithermal vein system. Most of their work was completed between 1996 and 2000 and all work was focused on Cerro del Gallo. Luismin completed a program of rock chip sampling (616 samples), trenching (10 trenches), 3 lines of dipole-dipole IP surveying (70.6km), and drilling (15 holes for 3,551.3m). Declining metal prices from 2000 and subsequent years resulted in exploration budget constraints and the demise of work at Cerro del Gallo. The operating company San Antón de las Minas S.A. de C.V. (SAM) was formed with the signing of a joint venture agreement between Kings Minerals and Luismin on 22 July 2004. | | |
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