Mining

Tesoro Resources reports drilling goes through 231m of gold mineralisation at El Zorro

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By Robin Bromby - 
Tesoro Resources El Zorro ASX TSO assays drill gold Chile
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“Massive” is the word Tesoro Resources (ASX: TSO) uses to describe a new drill intercept at its El Zorro project in Chile, with the drill bit striking mineralisation 72m downhole — and then continuing for 231m.

The overall assay for that intersection at the Ternera prospect was an average grade of 0.83 grams per tonne gold over that 231m, but seven sections within that tell the story of its significance: 54m at 1.68g/t, 25m at 3.36g/t, 6.7m at 11.57g/t, 24.3m at 2.43g/t, 13.26 at 3.25g/t, 3.66m at 10.76g/t, and 15.9m at 1.04g/t, with the last section beginning at 248m down hole.

Last week the company reported that drilling at Ternera was demonstrating the presence of a wide gold zone with intercepts up to 176.5m in length.

But now the new hole has superseded that in length.

Managing director Zeff Reeves said that the hole (ZDDH00031) has returned the widest intercept encountered to date at El Zorro, and is the eighth hole of 32 holes to contain significant mineralisation.

“This is an exceptional result and a reflection on the potential of El Zorro and the outstanding work being done by our technical team on the ground in Chile,” he added.

Tesoro’s geological model holds up as drill results come in

Meanwhile, another hole (ZDD00032) has defined a gold zone that remains open to the south.

This hole returned 76m at 0.93g/t, including 12m at 1.39g/t, 2.37m at 4.3g/t, 18.7m at 1.57g/t, and 6m at 2.58g/t.

“The geological model is holding up, with multiple well-mineralised faults being identified within a large lower-grade halo,” Mr Reeves said.

“This bodes well for further expanding the mineralisation already defined at Ternera.”

Drilling is ongoing.

In early August the company reported that assay results from two prospects at its El Zorro project showed that it was continuing to deliver “outstanding” results.

The company had also been carrying out channel and rock chip sampling at the Ternera and Drone Hill prospects.

The El Zorro project is located 140km by road from the city of Copiapo in northern Chile.

Tesoro has been focusing on the coastal Cordillerra region in Chile, host to multiple large copper and gold mines.