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Location Map
(Click picture to enlarge). |
The Santo Domingo Project comprises three deposits: Santo Domingo Sur, Iris, and Estrellita. On September 6, 2007 Far West Mining released NI 43-101 compliant resource estimates for all three deposits (prepared by Scott Wilson Roscoe Postle and Associates Inc). The Indicated Resource at Santo Domingo Sur is 171.5 Mt grading 0.57% Cu and 0.08 g/t Au. Iris has an Indicated Resource of 31.2 Mt grading 0.46% Cu and 0.06g/t Au and Estrellita has an Indicated Resource of 31.7 Mt grading 0.53% Cu and 0.05 g/t Au. The Indicated Resources at the Santo Domingo Project combine for a total of 2.85 billion lbs of copper. All Resources have been estimated at a 0.3% Cu cut-off. A technical report will be available on SEDAR www.sedar.com in late October 2007.
A scoping study (a study that includes an economic analysis of the potential viability of mineral resources taken at an early stage of the project prior to the completion of a preliminary feasibility study) is underway for the Santo Domingo Sur and Iris deposits. Because of their geological and mineralogical similarities, Santo Domingo Sur and Iris will be combined for the purpose of the study. The Estrellita deposit contains a significant oxide component that will have to be quantified by metallurgical tests before it can be incorporated into the scoping study.
Detailed Location Map
(Click picture to enlarge). |
The exploration potential of the Santo Domingo Property (200 sq km) remains high and the Company anticipates future exploration drilling in an effort to add to the outlined resources.
The Santo Domingo Project is 100% owned by Far West Mining (with a 2% Net Smelter Return royalty to third parties). The project was initiated in 2002 when Far West Mining and BHP Billiton formed a Strategic Alliance to explore for Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold ("IOCG") deposits in northern Chile's IOCG belt. The IOCG belt stretches over a length of almost 1200km from just north of Santiago in the south to the city of Antofagasta in the north along the coastal cordillera of Chile. The IOCG belt is one of the most prospective IOCG provinces in the world and hosts numerous copper deposits including Candelaria (470Mt @ 0.95% Cu) and Manto Verde (350Mt @ 0.75% Cu).
Resource Estimates
Indicated & Inferred Mineral Resources - Santo Domingo Sur & Iris
| Deposit & Category |
Cut-off (% Cu) |
Tonnage (Mt) |
Grade (% Cu) |
Grade (g/t Au) |
Contained Cu (M lbs Cu) |
Contained Au (oz Au) |
| Santo Domingo Sur |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Indicated |
0.3 |
172 |
0.57 |
0.08 |
2,164 |
433,000 |
| Indicated |
0.4 |
133 |
0.64 |
0.09 |
1,866 |
373,000 |
| Indicated |
0.5 |
94 |
0.71 |
0.1 |
1,473 |
292,000 |
| Inferred |
0.3 |
17 |
0.49 |
0.06 |
178 |
34,000 |
| Inferred |
0.4 |
11 |
0.56 |
0.07 |
132 |
25,000 |
| Inferred |
0.5 |
6.3 |
0.65 |
0.08 |
90 |
17,000 |
| Iris |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Indicated |
0.3 |
31 |
0.46 |
0.06 |
315 |
60,000 |
| Indicated |
0.4 |
17 |
0.55 |
0.07 |
206 |
39,000 |
| Indicated |
0.5 |
9 |
0.64 |
0.08 |
128 |
24,000 |
| Inferred |
0.3 |
21 |
0.44 |
0.04 |
203 |
27,000 |
| Inferred |
0.4 |
9.4 |
0.56 |
0.05 |
116 |
15,000 |
| Inferred |
0.5 |
4.5 |
0.68 |
0.06 |
68 |
8,000 |
| Santo Domingo Sur + Iris |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Indicated |
0.3 |
203 |
0.55 |
0.08 |
2,478 |
493,000 |
| Indicated |
0.4 |
150 |
0.63 |
0.09 |
2,072 |
411,000 |
| Indicated |
0.5 |
103 |
0.71 |
0.1 |
1,602 |
316,000 |
| Inferred |
0.3 |
38 |
0.46 |
0.05 |
381 |
60,000 |
| Inferred |
0.4 |
20 |
0.56 |
0.06 |
248 |
40,000 |
| Inferred |
0.5 |
11 |
0.66 |
0.07 |
157 |
25,000 |
Indicated & Inferred Mineral Resources - Estrellita
| Deposit & Category |
Cut-off (% Cu) |
Tonnage (Mt) |
Grade (% Cu) |
Grade (g/t Au) |
Contained Cu (M lbs Cu) |
Contained Au (oz Au) |
| Indicated |
0.3 |
31.7 |
0.53 |
0.05 |
371 |
53,000 |
| Indicated |
0.4 |
20.4 |
0.63 |
0.06 |
284 |
40,000 |
| Indicated |
0.5 |
13.3 |
0.73 |
0.07 |
215 |
29,000 |
|
| Inferred |
0.3 |
2.7 |
0.48 |
0.05 |
28 |
4,000 |
| Inferred |
0.4 |
1.4 |
0.6 |
0.06 |
19 |
3,000 |
| Inferred |
0.5 |
1 |
0.68 |
0.06 |
14 |
2,000 |
Geology
Santo Domingo Sur and Iris Deposits
The Santo Domingo Sur deposit consists of a 200m thick mineralized package of iron oxide mantos (mantos are +/- horizontal mineral horizons that are interbedded with their host rocks) hosted by andesitic tuffs. The deposit covers an area of approximately 800m by 700m. The southern end of the deposit starts at surface and dips gently towards the NW. At the northernmost edge, the deposit is covered by approximately 200m of barren andesitic volcanic rocks.
The iron oxide mantos consist of magnetite and hematite with various amounts of sulphides ranging from trace to 10%. The main sulphides in the deposit are chalcopyrite and pyrite with most of the copper contained in chalcopyrite. Trace amounts of other copper minerals such as bornite and chalcocite have been observed as well. Composition and appearance of the Santo Domingo Sur deposit is very similar to that of Phelps Dodge's giant Candelaria mine that is located 120km to the south of the Santo Domingo Property.
The Iris deposit also consists of chalcopyrite and pyrite in hematite rich iron oxide mantos. The mantos at Iris replace andesitic tuffaceous rocks in a NNW striking fault zone that covers an area of roughly 1000m by 150m. The mineralization is close to surface in the south and plunges very gently to the north.
Estrellita
The Estrellita deposit is located approximately 4km to the northwest of Santo Domingo Sur. The deposit covers an area of approximately 800m by 300m and consists of copper oxides and copper sulphides in iron oxide mantos, breccias and fault zones hosted in andesitic porphyries and breccias. The deposit is a roughly east-west striking, flat to shallow dipping tabular body which remains open towards the east, northeast, west and southwest.
The mineralization in the upper part of the deposit consists of copper oxides such as chrysocolla, brochantite, pitch limonite and copper wad which may be amenable to leaching. The oxide zone is underlain by a mixed zone with oxides and sulphides transitioning into a primary sulphide zone. Detailed studies will be carried out to quantify and characterise the different zones before assessing the economic viability of the deposit.
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