Titan Minerals Ltd (ASX:TTM, OTC:TTTNF) has confirmed more high-grade gold and silver in rock chips at its Dynasty Project in southern Ecuador, substantially expanding the project’s footprint.
The company has been conducting extensive field-based exploration, including mapping and surface geochemical sampling at the project.
Recently returned rock chip results from the Papayal and Trapichillo prospects have confirmed high-grade gold and silver well beyond currently defined resources. The results include:
- 8.71 g/t gold, 197 g/t silver, 3.06% copper, 20% lead and 12.5% zinc 1.7 kilometres south of current mineral resources at the Papayal prospect; and,
- 8.73 g/t gold and 6.4 g/t silver 230 metres east of current resources at the Trapichillo prospect.
Titan CEO Melanie Leighton said: “Our expanded exploration programs have highlighted large-scale soil anomalies and coincident high-grade gold-silver rock chip results more than 1.7 kilometres from currently defined resources at Papayal."
Large-scale copper and arsenic anomalies
In addition to significant rock chip results, recent soil geochemical results have unveiled multiple extensive open-ended arsenic anomalies within the Dynasty epithermal gold corridor.
These large-scale arsenic soil anomalies have highlighted several new target areas for resource growth at the Papayal and Trapichillo prospects.
The soil sampling results have also revealed two coherent large-scale copper anomalies adjacent to gold mineralisation at Dynasty — at the Cola and Gisell prospects.
Further mapping and trenches are being developed over these new target areas of arsenic and copper to provide further information on mineralisation style, extent, and controls. This information will be used to optimise drill design.
Leighton added, “It’s exciting that entirely new copper targets are being unveiled by our exploration. We believe that these new areas of copper mineralisation provide a growth opportunity and could add considerable value to the Dynasty Project.”
Exploration continues
Titan has started trenching at high-priority gold and copper target areas to determine mineralisation extent and controls in a bid to optimise drill design.
The company’s exploration programs are now complete at Papayal with focus turning to a 1.8-kilometre gap zone between Trapichillo and Iguana. Recently executed agreements have provided access to highly prospective ground never previously explored.
“In the coming week we will commence work programs in the area between Iguana and Trapichillo, an area representing strong potential for lateral resource extensions, and a 1.8-kilometre strike extent of highly prospective land that has never seen exploration by Titan nor previous project owners,” said Leighton.
“The gap zone is an exciting area that we consider to be an important piece of the puzzle that has the potential to connect gold mineralisation along the entire 9-kilometre epithermal corridor.”
What’s next?
- Trenching and detailed mapping over newly identified arsenic and copper target areas to better understand mineralisation extent and controls, and to optimise drill design. Results are due in the coming six weeks.
- Expanded exploration programs including surface soil sampling and mapping to define resource extension targets over the 1.8-kilometre gap zone between Iguana and Trapichillo. Results due in the coming 4-6 weeks
- Rank and prioritise new targets defined by Titan’s exploration, to determine the best targets to be drill tested. Resource growth drilling is planned to commence in July 2024.
- Dynasty mineral resource estimate update targeting modest resource growth and improved JORC classification. Workstreams are advancing with the update due Q2 2024. The Dynasty pre-scoping study results are due in Q3 2024.
Papayal and Trapichillo prospects highlighting recent rock chip samples and previously reported significant drill and trench intercepts for Julia and Papayal vein systems. Extensive areas to the east of Iguana and the southwest of Trapichillo remain unexplored, representing opportunity to define further gold mineralisation.
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