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The La Frontera property is a low sulphidation style silver-gold prospect located 320 kilometres west southwest of the City of Salta, northwest Catamarca Province, Argentina. Access is by 75 kilometres of rough 4 x 4 or quad trail from the south end of the Salar Rio Grande.
Mineralization at the La Frontera property was initially discovered by the Company's exploration team in March 2000. There is no evidence of previous exploration in the area. The Company staked the property and owns a 100% interest. In July 2005, the Company entered into an agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Apex Silver Mines Ltd., whereby Apex may earn an initial 55% interest in the property by spending US$2,000,000 in exploration expenditures and making US$600,000 in property payments over 4 years, and may earn an additional 10% interest by spending USD$1,000,000 in exploration expenditures in the 12 month period following vesting.
Mineralization at La Frontera is of the low-sulphidation (quartz-adularia) epithermal type within Tertiary felsic volcanics. Metals of interest are dominantly silver with subordinate gold. Sulphide content is very low with minor pyrite and chalcopyrite noted. Thin section work has shown argentite to be the main silver bearing species present. Areas of exposed and inferred mineralization cover an area exceeding 1,500 metres in length.
In several trenches, high-grade mineralization occurs at the end of the trench, suggesting that the mineralization may be wider than currently indicated. The results of the more significant mineralized intervals are summarized below.
In addition, sampling on a separate zone (Amethyst Zone) located one kilometre northwest of the main mineralized trend has returned erratic yet significant values of gold and silver. In excess of 80 samples were assayed with values ranging from nil to 4.3 g/tonne Au and from nil to 43 g/tonne Ag. The Amethyst Zone comprises an area of intense stockwork and sheeted quartz-adularia veining which measures 250 metres by 300 metres. Geological elements suggest the Amethyst Zone may represent a low-grade silica cap above higher grade mineralization at depth.
Between September 2006 and February 2007, Apex completed 2,150 metres of core drilling in 12 holes. See below for a summary of the more important results of that program.
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