Pampa Pacienca Project
A recent LSE gold-silver discovery with world-class potential
Project Highlights
Pampa Paciencia is a low sulphidation epithermal (LSE) gold-silver deposit. Epithermal mineralization represents the upper part of hydrothermal systems. At Pampa Paciencia, gold and silver mineralization in quartz veins returned grades of 93.3 g/t Au and 301 g/t Ag in surface rock chip samples, and 7.71 g/t Au over 3.75 m in drill results.
The Pampa Paciencia project lies within the Paleocene Mineral belt in Northern Chile. The belt hosts a wide range of intrusion-related mineral deposits. They include giant copper/molybdenum porphyry deposits like Spence and Sierra Gorda, as well as low sulphidation epithermal gold-silver deposits like Faride and Yamana’s world-class El Peñón.
Mineralization is wide open over several kilometers. Four historic drill holes in the Paciencia North Vein hit significant gold values. However, veins in the Central and South Zones were not drilled. Additional known veins have yet to be mapped and sampled, adding potential for additional discovery and size development.
Pampa Paciencia is
in an excellent mining jurisdiction
Pampa Paciencia is located within 15 km of two major producing mines in Sierra Gorda, northern Chile. The project sits in the Paleocene belt, home to a variety of Chile’s iconic mines like the Spence and Sierra Gorda Cu-Mo porphyries, the Guanaco and Amancaya epithermal deposits, and the El Peñón mine.
Pampa Paciencia covers approximately 38 square kilometers after Astra nearly doubled the project size by staking the Impaciencia claims to the west. It has accessible roads, power, and is in a mine-friendly jurisdiction. It is adjacent to the Cerro Dominador solar power plant – a potential source of green renewable energy.
The region and project are underexplored. Extensive but relatively shallow post-mineralization cover has kept historical exploration focused mainly on large porphyry deposits. LSE deposits which are genetically-linked with porphyry deposits have received relatively little focus. A small fraction of the known strike length of veins at Pampa Paciencia have received work, but have produced very encouraging results.
Astra owns 80% of Pampa Paciencia in a joint venture with giant mining company Sociedad Quimica y Minera (NYSE: SQM)
An epithermal project
in the early stages of discovery
Drill hole PP15-007 intersected 16.3m @2.3g/t Au, 18.73 g/t Ag, including 3.75m @ 7.71g/t Au, 46.58 g/t Ag
Multiple epithermal veins with significant grades including 93 g/t Au, 301 g/t Ag (surface), and 27.7 g/t Au, 240 g/t Ag in drill core
More veins on surface yet to be mapped and sampled
Additional 1,700 ha staked on west border shows potential to host sub-crop vein extension and mineralized float samples
Open zones of mineralization,
plus multiple unmapped epithermal veins
Limited trenching and drilling produced two prospective zones of gold and silver mineralization
These have very large gaps between current drill holes and are open at depth
The veins at surface in the Central and South Zones indicate a well-preserved epithermal system. They have never been drill-tested.
Historical data, regional models, and a detailed, systematic approach will produce and test drill targets
Exploration work by previous operators included geological mapping, rock chip and float sampling, ground geophysics, 2629.75 m of trenching and 3209.3 m of drilling, and resulted in the discovery of a low sulphidation epithermal vein system with Au and Ag-rich mineralization.
The results suggest a well-preserved system. The North Zone appears to have an intermediate level of erosion and the Central and South Zones shallower levels of erosion. None of the zones have been conclusively tested and potential exists for further vein-hosted Au-Ag mineralization at depth and along strike under post-mineral volcanic rocks or gravel cover.
Similar vein-hosted low sulphidation epithermal mineralization is observed in the now abandoned Faride deposit 5km to the south, and at the El Peñon and Amancaya mines some 200 km south along the same belt. In all cases, aggressive systematic drilling beneath sub-crop and shallow cover resulted in the discovery of new resources.
Astra is conducting an initial exploration program which includes detailed mapping, sampling, geophysics and trenching to expand the vein systems in the North, Central, and South zones. A drill program will follow consisting of RC and core drilling to test newly-defined targets and step out to expand mineralization at the Paciencia North Vein.
Section looking NW trench TRP15-006
and drill hole PP15-007
Drill Hole PP15-006 hit 21 m of 1.69 g/t Au and 22.06 g/t Ag. That included a 2.1 m interval that ran 8.13 g/t Au and 29.09 g/t Ag
The prize is an analogue
of the El Peñón mine
A world-class mine with total known endowment of over 7.3M oz gold and 207M oz silver
Occur within the well-defined Paleocene epithermal Au-Ag belt
Classic low-to-intermediate sulfidation gold-silver systems
Contain multiple individual veins
El Peñón Discovery*
November 1992
Discovery float sample 1 g/t Au, 28.7 g/t Ag
November 1993
Initial 13-hole drill program, 6 holes with >3 g/t Au
February 1994
Follow up drill program with 100m¹ @ 11 g/t Au, 123 g/t Ag from 110m (¹ True width 22m)
Pampa Paciencia Discovery
FEBRUARY 2014
Discovery float sample 4460 6.83 g/t Au
JULY 2015
Initial drill program, 2 holes with >7 g/t Au
2022
Follow up drill program to commence in Q1 2022
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