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Projects - Silver & Zinc - El Aguila
The El Aguila project is located in the world-class Cerro de Pasco mining district in central Peru approximately 17 km north of the Cerro de Pasco mining center and 10 km from the Atacocha silver-lead-zinc mine. The district benefits from excellent road, rail and mineral processing infrastructure. The project consists of the El Aguila and Pacos Hill mining claims which straddle the Cerro de Pasco fault, the main mineralizing control in the district. Sulphide veins and replacement structures, known from colonial times were mined on a small-scale during the 1970’s.
Horizonte has fast tracked exploration at El Aguila since listing in May 2006. The June field campaign concentrated on defining the main mineralized structures and associated alteration styles. Surface and underground mapping identified three principle silver-lead-zinc veins in the Pacos Hill zone termed, the Veta Norte, Veta Sur and Veta Laguna. The veins vary in width from 0.3 to 1.2 metres and demonstrate consistent metal grades. Vein intersection points were identified as priority targets where brecciation and replacement mineralization occur.
Continuous channel sampling across replacement style mineralisation around the ‘Veta Sur’ vein returned 6 metres grading 10.7 oz/t Ag, 7.8 % Pb and 5.9 % Zn. Underground vein samples returned 1.2 metres grading 13.9 oz/t Ag, 8.8% Pb, 2.2% Zn and 0.46 g/t Au. Surface trench sampling returned 16 metres grading 4.6 oz/t Ag, 2.8% Pb and 0.7% Zn, including 2 metres at 9.1 oz/t Ag, 6.8% Pb and 1.1% Zn (TR-2). The average grade of 20 rock channel samples taken at different vertical levels across the veins returned 10.2 oz/t Ag, 8.6% Pb and 3.5% Zn. A bulk sample of 24.5 kg from old mine dumps at Pacos Hill returned 12.2 oz/t Ag, and 13.7% Pb
In September 2006 the Company drilled 11 holes totaling 1,350 metres. Results from all 11 drill holes have now been received indicating wide zones of mineralization, highlights include:
The aim of the programme was to test the lateral and vertical continuity of the Veta Norte and Veta Sur polymetallic replacement structures. These drill results confirm the data received from the surface and underground sampling programme completed in July 2006, which indicated substantial widths of mineralisation adjacent to the Veta Norte and Veta Sur. The drill confirmation of the high sulphidation replacement style mineralisation similar to that of the Cerro De Pasco polymetallic mine is significant for the tonnage potential of the project. El Aguila is hosted within a hydrothermal breccia pipe below silicified Pucarra Limestone, which is the main host rock to the producing polymetallic mines in the Cerro de Pasco district. Mineralisation occurs in the form of massive sulphide and stockwork veins with associated mineralised hydrothermal breccia.
Reconaissance stage exploration has identified a large and significant mineralized system at El Aguila. Results from surface sampling and drilling have demonstrated high-grade silver-lead-zinc vein and replacement-hosted mineralization in a world-class base polymetallic district. Horizonte will now fast track El Aguila to resource definition in 1H07.
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