Formerly operated as the Shila mine from 1989 to 2005, Lucero consists of 10,805 hectares located in the Shila range of southern Peru, which contains several historic high grade gold-silver mines.(1) Lucero consistently delivered high grades during 16 years of operations, and between 1998 and 2004 reported production averaging approximately 18,800 ounces of gold and 435,000 ounces of silver per year at grades of 19.0 g/t Au Eq (14.0 g/t gold and 373 g/t silver),(2) with recoveries at the ore processing facility averaging 94.5% for gold and 85.5% for silver.(1)
A recent NI 43-101 report has been prepared for the Lucero Project by Mining Plus. Samples collected by the Qualified Person (the "QP") returned up to 116.8 g/t Au Eq (78.7g/t Au and 2,856 g/t Ag).(1) Due to a lack of historical data, the project does not host any 43-101 compliant or historic resources. However, access to the historic workings is available, and the QP states the Project is underexplored and has significant exploration potential for extension of known veins, and to discover additional veins. (1)
Lucero is one of many low-sulphidation epithermal Au-Ag deposits hosted in tertiary volcanics of the Central Andes Cordillera of southern Peru. The project hosts 74 recognized epithermal veins, 14 of which have been partially exploited. The project also hosts unexplored high-sulphidation style mineralization which have returned 33.6 g/t Au at surface samples. High grade 'bonanza-style' direct shipping ore was mined in the past from low-to-intermediate-sulphidation quartz-carbonate massive sulphide veins. Prospecting by previous operator Condor Resources Inc. ("Condor") from 2012 to 2020 identified the high-sulphidation epithermal alteration zone with structures that returned peak sample values of 80.1 g/t Au Eq (33.4 g/t Au and 3,500 g/t Ag). This alteration zone, measuring approximately 1,300 metres by 1,400 metres, exhibited no evidence of prior sampling or drilling and is believed to host potential for a bulk tonnage disseminated gold-silver deposit.(1)
"Lucero offers a rare opportunity to explore for not only an underground high-grade low sulphidation system but potentially an open pit-able high sulphidation system as well," stated Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P.Geo, Director of Element79 Gold, "This project has never experienced modern exploration techniques and I am very confident that significant gold-silver resources are to be found."
Three-phase electrical energy from the national grid is available in the town of Chachas 40km from the property. Subject to permitting, surface water is available in streams and small lakes throughout the year. Structures endowed with precious metals have been exploited at Lucero and surrounding areas by artisanal and formal miners over many years. Mining activity targeting high-grade veins is thought to date back to the Inca period.(2)
A 0.5% NSR is retained by Sandstorm Gold Ltd., one of the largest gold royalty companies in the world.(2)
Sources
https://web.archive.org/web/20220308020414/https://condorresources.com/portfolio/lucero/ https://web.archive.org/web/20220308020532/https://www.sandstormgold.com/our-royalties/lucero/
