Lumina Copper has expanded the drill program at its 100%-owned Taca Taca copper-gold-molybdenum deposit in Salta province, northwest Argentina, from 99,500 m to 163,500 m with the addition of 64,000 m of step-out drilling. The added drilling will extend the program from a previous end date of April 2012 to the fourth quarter of 2012.
Lumina based its decision to expand the drill program on recent results from drilling in the northeast, south, and southeast zones of the Taca Taca deposit, along with visual interpretation of mineralized material from subsequent exploration drilling in areas to the north and northwest of the current NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate.
Recent results at Taca Taca are highlighted by two step-out holes. One hole intersected 873 m grading 0.54% copper, 0.09 g/mt gold, and 0.01% molybdenum, including 148 m grading 1.31% copper, 0.19 g/mt gold, and 0.01% molybdenum, in the northeast zone. The other intersected 184 m grading 0.45% copper, 0.13 g/mt gold, and 0.02% molybdenum, including 72 m grading 0.76% copper, 0.20 g/mt gold, and 0.02% molybdenum, in an area to the southeast of the previously identified porphyritic intrusion.
Seven core and two reverse circulation drill rigs were operating at Taca Taca as of late March 2012, and Lumina expected to add an another core rig to the program before the end of April. A new interim NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate was also scheduled for completion before the end of April.
