PROJECTS - Don Sixto (La Cabeza)
RAB Exploration Drilling
During 2005 an initial orientation program of trial RAB drilling was completed successfully in an area of sand cover at Don Sixto. Stage 1 RAB drilling will total 500 holes, with an additional 300 holes planned for Stage 2 follow-up. RAB drilling was conducted initially on 100 meter centres, with follow up at reduced intervals to define targets. RAB holes were drilled through sand cover, and the top three meters of bedrock was then percussion drilled and assayed.
A minimum of 5,000 meters was proposed to be drilled in the two stages. A total of 220 RAB holes totalling 2850 meters were drilled in 2005. At the end of July 2006 an additional 307 RAB holes totalling 4730 meters had been completed.
The RAB drilling was a success with the discovery of two new mineralised zones adjacent to the Ojo and Luna deposits (refer to the Ojo and Luna sections for details). Two additional zones with anomalous gold were identified immediately northeast of the Ojo deposit and midway between the Ojo and Luna deposits. All four zones are presently being tested by conventional RC and diamond drilling.
With the Stage 1 and Stage 2 programs essentially complete, the RAB rig departed site in August 2006. Remaining planned holes from the Stage 1 program that were not drilled, and located west and northwest of the grid, will be completed by conventional RC drilling (as the depth of sand cover in these areas was beyond the capability of the RAB rig) or replaced by the new "fence" drilling program underway.
The discovery drilling program now includes "fences" of RC drill holes in areas of sand cover to test prospective structural corridors. This work is currently in progress and results will be released following compilation and verification of assay results.
Below regional RAB conducted to end July 2006:
AMEX : XRA
TSX Venture : XRC
FRANKFURT : EXB