El proyecto Casposo, cuya mina en Calingasta, San Juan, iniciará su construcción esta primavera, agregó un 32% a sus recursos conocidos en oro y plata, según reveló en un comunicado su propietaria, la australiana Troy.

El alentador informe se desprende de la la actualización de Casposo a partir del informe de recursos minerales de la última perforación que fue completada por los anteriores propietarios, Intrepid Mines Limited, y la actualización de las estimaciones en los precios.
“Troy Resources se complace en anunciar que la actualización del Indicador de Recursos Minerales para el proyecto Casposo en la provincia de San Juan en Argentina, es de 2.369.000 ton de clasificación 5.4gr / ton y 201.7gr / ton de plata de 602.500 (equivalente Au_eq de Oro )” indicó el press release de la empresa.

Esto representa un aumento de 147.600 oz.: 76.400 oz de oro y 6.300.000 de oz de plata. El índice de recursos para el proyecto es actualmente de unas 414.600 oz de oro y plata en 15.300.000 ozen una calificación promedio de 7.9g / t Au_eq.

En junio, comenzaron los trabajos para actualizar los recursos de Casposo usando los resultados estimados de la perforación hecha por Intrepid Mines Limited durante el programa 2008 de perforación a diamantina.

El informe técnico julio de 2008 elaborado por encargo de Intrepid Mines Limited, dio cuenta de que la perforación durante 2008 fue de un total de 13.062 m en 61 pozos de perforación de diamantes. Ninguna de estas perforaciones incluyó anteriormente las estimaciones de recursos minerales.

El Indicador de Recursos Minerales señaló que la explotación a cielo abierto ha reportado un grado de corte de 0,8 gr/ton de oro equivalente. Este informe comprende las vetas Azteca, Inca, B y Mercado, con leyes de 6.1 gr/ton de oro y 187,1 gr/ton de plata (8,4 gr/ton de oro equivalente).

El CEO de Troy, Paul Benson expresó: "Este aumento en del indicador de recursos minerales justifica nuestro entusiasmo por el proyecto Casposo. El valor de un proyecto como este es impulsado por el aumento de la oz producida y minimiza el capital para construir el proyecto”.

PRESS RELEASE ORIGINAL

Significant (32%) Increase in Casposo Indicated Mineral Resource, San Juan Province, Argentina

Troy has completed an update of the Casposo Mineral Resource incorporating the latest drilling completed by previous owners, Intrepid Mines Limited, and updating the commodity price assumptions. This resulted in a 32% increase in contained gold equivalent Indicated Resource ounces (602,500 Gold-equivalent Au_eq ounces).
PERTH, Western Australia: Troy Resources NL (“Troy”) (TSX: TRY, ASX: TRY) is pleased to announce that the updated Indicated Mineral Resource for the Casposo Project in San Juan Province in Argentina is 2,369,000t grading 5.4g/t (grams per tonne) gold and 201.7g/t silver for 602,500 (Gold-equivalent Au_eq) contained ounces (See Table 1 and Figure 1).

This Indicated Resource Update is an increase of 147,600oz (ounces) Au_eq in the Casposo Project Indicated Mineral Resources consisting of 76,400oz gold and 6.3Moz (Million ounces) silver. Indicated Resources for the project are now 414,600oz gold and 15.3Moz silver at an average grade of 7.9g/t Au_eq.

In June, work commenced on the updating the Casposo Resource Estimate using drill results from Intrepid Mines Limited 2008 diamond drilling program that were not included in the 2008 AMEC International (Chile) S. A Consulting NI-43101 Technical report of July 2008 prepared on behalf of Intrepid Mines Limited. Drilling during 2008 totaled 13,062m in 61 diamond drill holes. None of this drilling has been included in earlier Mineral Resource Estimates.

Mineral Resources attributed to an open pit were constrained within a Whittle pit optimisation using a gold price of US$1,000/oz and a silver price of US$15/oz. Open pit operating costs of US$31.56/t and mill recovery of 93.7% were used and all royalties were included. Indicated Mineral Resources attributed to an open pit are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.8g/t Au_eq. These Indicated Mineral Resources comprising of the Aztec Vein, Inca Vein, B Vein and Mercado Vein, are estimated at 1,918,000t grading 6.1g/t gold and 187.1g/t silver (8.4g/t Au_eq).

Indicated Mineral Resources attributed to an underground were those mineral resources that are not contained within the Whittle pit optimisation. These Indicated Mineral Resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 2.0g/t Au_eq. The Indicated Mineral Resources attributed to an underground comprising of the Aztec Vein, Inca Vein, B Vein and Mercado Vein are estimated at 451,000t grading 2.5g/t gold and 264.0g/t silver (5.7g/t Au_eq).

Cut-off grades reflect the marginal cost of ore production from potential open pit and underground mining scenarios.
Gold equivalence is calculated by the formula:

Au_eq g/t = Au g/t + (Ag g/t ÷ 81.82)

The gold : silver ratio of 1:81.82 is calculated using metal prices of US$915/oz and US$13/oz for gold and silver respectively. These prices are the average London PM fix for the six months to June 30th 2009. Processing recoveries of 93.7% for gold and 80.6% for silver are also used. The formula for calculating the gold : silver ratio is:

(915 ÷ 13) x (0.937 ÷ 0.806) = 81.82

Grade was estimated into the model by ID2 interpolation. Search distances were determined from variography and high grade outliers were cut where appropriate.
Only diamond drilling was used in the grade estimation.

Current exploration will focus on near-surface open cut resource targets at Casposo that include Julieta, Cerro Norte, B vein Southeast Mercado-Kamila Gap, Kamila SE Extension (SEXT) see Figure 2. In addition, all of the known mineralised zones remain open at depth and will require further diamond drilling.

A NI-43101 Technical report is being compiled detailing the new Resource Estimate and will be posted on SEDAR and on the Troy Website within 45 days.

Commenting on the results Troy’s CEO, Paul Benson, said: “This increase in the Indicated Resource justifies our enthusiasm for the Casposo project. The value in a project like this is driven by increasing the ounces produced and minimising the capital to build the project and this is the first step. We expect to release our revised capital estimate in early August and any reduction compared to the current budget is value delivered to shareholders.

The increase in the Mineral Resource we are reporting today has been generated simply by including the results from the last program of drilling undertaken by Intrepid and updating price assumptions. We are of the view that the leases are very prospective and our initial exploration will focus on near surface, potential open-pit targets. Later we will move our attention to testing the main mineralised zones which remain open at depth.”