Rochester Resources announced that operations at the Mina Real property in Mexico continue to show steady improvements. In early January 2009 the mill resumed operations and since then the Company has continued to see improvements in both mining and milling operations. A total of 6,814 tonnes was processed for the months January and February 2009. Production during this period was 560 ounces of gold and 17,289 ounces of silver. During the month of March, 4,105 tonnes were processed through the mill, an increase of 20 % over February, with head grades of 2.3 g/t gold and 299.4 g/t silver.
Results from technical report on Mina Real mineralization include the following principal conclusions: there are three main deformation events evident in the district; the exposed mineralization appears to represent the uppermost levels of an intermediate sulphidation epithermal system that has potential to be expanded at both depth and along strike; the mineralization may have undergone both hydrothermal and structural telescoping so that different stages of mineralization may be present at the current topographic level; within the main structures there is a strong control by early to syn-mineralization andesite dykes whose margins have been preferentially sheared. The same structures are also intruded by late- to post-mineral basalt dykes that are magnetic, relatively fresh and may provide a geophysical target; and there may be an association with rhyolitic flow domes and the belief is that this area is a good analogue with the Bolaņos district (Jalisco).
February 28, 2009
Production continued mainly from Tajos Cuates, in the levels Hundido, Chalata and Socavon. A total of 1,717.7 metres were developed this quarter, 30.9 metres at Florida and the balance at Tajos Cuates. The majority of mill feed will come from the Tajos Cuates area for the balance of the fiscal year. The grades at Tajos Cuates have historically been higher in silver. Through April 26, 2009 the average grade for the month of April was 2.3 grams/tonne gold and 313 grams/tonne silver. It is expected that production grades at Tajos Cuates for the balance of the year should be in the range of 2.6 grams/tonne gold and 342 grams/tonne silver.
Advanced or Above