TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 13, 2011) - Dia Bras Exploration Inc. (News - Market indicators) ("Dia Bras") (the "Company") is pleased to report that sampling of trenches at the San Patricio prospect of its Bacerac Property, Sonora State, Mexico, has yielded more high grades of silver and gold. The trenching and sampling program will be followed by diamond drilling to test the mineralized breccia at depth.
"Our results show that the San Patricio breccia zone is of significant size and that the zone could be much larger," stated Daniel Tellechea, President & CEO, "which is increasing the potential for an open-pitable silver-gold-lead mine at San Patricio. We plan to diamond drill this prospect when our sampling and mapping are complete. Bacerac is one of the four greenfield precious metal projects that Dia Bras is planning to drill in 2011. These four projects add exploration upside to our more advanced development work on Bolivar and Cusi properties."
The map of the San Patricio prospect area (http://www.diabras.com/files/media/d18f2_Bacerac-San_Patricio_Geo_Map%202011%204%205%20ppm.pdf) shows that the silver-gold-lead mineralized quartz breccia covers an area of approximately 500 x 200 m. The mineralized zone has not been completely closed off and remains open to the SSE and NNW.
Trench Sampling Results
Sampling crews have collected channel samples in eight trenches north of the old San Patricio mine, and assay results have been received from the first five trenches. Trench 4 cut a zone 50.0 m wide that averages 113.27 g/t Ag plus 0.343 g/t Au, while Trench 5 cut a zone 39.6 m wide that averages 71.99 g/t Ag plus 0.085 g/t Au. These trenches cross what appears to be the main flexure zone of a sigmoidal structure, which would have been a prominent opening zone for the passage of mineralizing fluids.
Highlights include:
- 23.5 m @ 0.59 g/t Au; 200.2 g/t Ag, it includes 15 m @ 0.37 g/t Au; 233.38 g/t Ag, and, 2.0 m @ 0.26 g/t Au; 477 g/t Ag in Trench 04 W.
- 7.0 m @ 0.6 g/t Au; 144.96 g/t Ag in Trench 04 E
- 20.6 m @ 0.08 g/t Au; 101.94 g/t Ag, it includes 10.6 m @ 0.07 g /t Au; 142.96 g /t Ag in Trench 05 W.
- 23.90 m @ 0.19 g/t Au; 121.88 g/t Ag, it includes 9.4 m @ 0.29 g/t Au; 192.12 g/t Ag, and, 7.0 m @ 0.29 g/t Au; 222.67 g/t Ag in Trench 05 W.
Selected results from trenches 2-5 are shown in Table 1 below, and results for all samples (http://www.diabras.com/files/media/523f6_Bacerac_-_San_Patricio_Trenchs%202011%204%20Spreadsheet%20Final.pdf) are available on the Company's website.
Table 1: Selected Samples from San Patricio Prospect
Trench # |
Sample # |
Sample Width (m) |
Ag g/t |
Au g/t |
Cu ppm |
Pb ppm |
Zn ppm |
2 |
345712 |
2.0 |
83.5 |
0.228 |
77 |
1,335 |
40 |
|
345713 |
2.2 |
38.2 |
0.044 |
204 |
3,270 |
28 |
345714 |
1.6 |
20.7 |
0.049 |
245 |
2,880 |
70 |
345715 |
0.7 |
16.8 |
0.036 |
100 |
2,870 |
26 |
345716 |
2.4 |
21.4 |
0.063 |
155 |
2,210 |
52 |
345717 |
1.3 |
25.5 |
0.051 |
272 |
2,790 |
57 |
345718 |
1.4 |
58.2 |
0.085 |
364 |
5,550 |
44 |
345719 |
2.1 |
36.6 |
0.131 |
310 |
3,840 |
61 |
3 |
345623 |
0.6 |
20.2 |
0.097 |
74 |
1,900 |
22 |
|
345624 |
1.7 |
20.2 |
0.127 |
379 |
3,280 |
666 |
345625 |
0.9 |
10.7 |
0.093 |
425 |
4,500 |
632 |
345626 |
0.8 |
20.6 |
0.133 |
259 |
4,090 |
356 |
345627 |
0.7 |
34.6 |
0.202 |
298 |
4,400 |
336 |
345628 |
0.6 |
23.6 |
0.154 |
203 |
3,440 |
206 |
4 |
345885 |
1.5 |
195.0 |
0.402 |
240 |
7,750 |
14 |
|
345886 |
2.5 |
96.6 |
0.150 |
323 |
2,730 |
31 |
345887 |
2.0 |
477.0 |
0.268 |
359 |
3,710 |
12 |
345888 |
2.5 |
196.0 |
0.116 |
156 |
4,940 |
9 |
345889 |
2.3 |
94.0 |
0.116 |
514 |
4,740 |
108 |
345890 |
1.2 |
101.0 |
0.124 |
565 |
7,300 |
81 |
345891 |
2.0 |
286.0 |
1.460 |
2,170 |
14,200 |
49 |
345892 |
1.2 |
234.0 |
0.411 |
1,280 |
9,940 |
61 |
345893 |
1.8 |
250.0 |
0.383 |
823 |
8,340 |
36 |
345894 |
2.0 |
242.0 |
0.117 |
485 |
5,030 |
25 |
345895 |
2.5 |
176.0 |
2.820 |
896 |
9,830 |
470 |
345896 |
2.0 |
115.0 |
0.113 |
137 |
3,130 |
85 |
5 |
352594 |
2.0 |
208.0 |
0.167 |
228 |
1,865 |
40 |
|
352595 |
1.0 |
256.0 |
0.164 |
217 |
1,925 |
41 |
352596 |
1.6 |
205.0 |
0.192 |
569 |
4,020 |
50 |
352597 |
1.7 |
243.0 |
0.649 |
362 |
5,320 |
28 |
352598 |
2.4 |
103.0 |
0.277 |
197 |
3,290 |
24 |
352599 |
1.6 |
68.0 |
0.077 |
78 |
1,250 |
4 |
352600 |
1.2 |
47.6 |
0.165 |
370 |
3,760 |
31 |
352601 |
1.4 |
106.0 |
0.080 |
158 |
2,580 |
6 |
352602 |
2.1 |
82.4 |
0.113 |
97 |
1,825 |
5 |
352603 |
1.2 |
78.4 |
0.236 |
170 |
3,370 |
6 |
352604 |
0.6 |
89.8 |
0.175 |
179 |
2,730 |
9 |
352605 |
2.9 |
47.5 |
0.105 |
192 |
2,720 |
11 |
352606 |
1.5 |
56.0 |
0.022 |
309 |
2,660 |
18 |
352607 |
2.0 |
125.0 |
0.170 |
467 |
3,620 |
5 |
The project area contains Tertiary volcanic rocks consisting of rhyolitic and andesitic flows and breccias that overlie probable Cretaceous sedimentary rocks; both units locally exhibit strong alteration. A large area of alteration and mineralization surrounds the San Patricio mine and provides a large exploration target. Mineralization is commonly associated with strongly silicified rhyolitic rocks near the base of the unit at or near the contact with underlying sedimentary rocks. Veins are locally important. There are multiple small mines and prospects in the region.
Infrastructure only five kilometres from San Patricio includes a major regional highway, towns, power grid, etc. These factors will have a significant positive effect on future operation costs.
Trenching Methodology
The current trench-channel sampling program at the San Patricio prospect is a planned total of 1,800 m, along eight parallel lines, spaced 50 metres apart (lines 4 and 5 are 25m apart). The trench lines are oriented perpendicular to the strike of the San Patricio mineralized breccias which were previously defined by rock channel sampling and field mapping. Trenches range from 35 m to 300 m in length and are excavated using a high capacity backhoe, which is aided by field crews using picks and shovels, where access is difficult. This program is approximately 60% completed to date.
The beginning of each trench is located and marked with GPS using datum WGS84 and Z13N UTM system. Trench-channels, approximately 25 – 30 cm in width, are cut into the bedrock. The channels are 6- 10 cm deep on trench wall and 15 cm deep at the floor of the trench. Samples are continuous and their respective intervals are determined using a compass and measuring tape. The sample material is chipped out of the newly exposed rock in sample intervals using a hammer and chisel, and the chips placed in a sample bag with tag and secured with cinch straps. The beginning and end of each sample are marked by a short piece of flagging tape and a paint line perpendicular to sample orientation. Dia Bras personnel transport the samples directly to the ALS Chemex preparation site in Cd. Chihuahua, Chihuahua.
Method of Analysis
Samples were prepared at the ALS Chemex lab facility in Chihuahua, Mexico, and analyzed by ICP and AA methods at their facilities in Vancouver, Canada. Samples sent for analysis were prepared by the ALS Chemex sample preparation laboratory in Chihuahua, Mexico, and assayed for Au by 50 g fire assay with AA finish, and for Ag by AA on 50 g split sample at the ALS Chemex North Vancouver Laboratory. Assays for Pb, Zn and Cu are done by Induction Coupled Plasma (ICP) at ALS Chemex.
Quality Control
The quality assurance-quality control (QA-QC) program employed by Dia Bras has been described in detail in both RPA's NI 43-101 reports of December, 2006, at Cusi and October, 2005, for Bolivar.
The technical content of this news release has been approved by Thomas L. Robyn, Ph.D., CPG, RPG, a Director of Dia Bras, a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.
About Dia Bras
Dia Bras is a Canadian exploration mining company focused on precious and base metals in Chihuahua State and other areas of northern Mexico. The Company is pursuing the development and exploration of its most advanced assets – the Bolivar Property (copper‐zinc‐silver) and the Cusi Property (silver). Dia Bras is also exploring several precious metal targets such as La Cascada project at the Bolivar Property, the Las Coloradas project at Melchor Ocampo (Zacatecas State), the Bacerac Property (Sonora State) and the Coralitos-Satevo and La Verde projects at the Batopilas Property (Chihuahua State).
Forward-looking Statements
Except for statements of historical fact, all statements in this news release without limitation regarding new projects, acquisitions, future plans and objectives are forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.