PUNO 1
The tenement area is situated within the western cordillera at an altitude of 4000 to 4500m above MSL. The area is marked by steep hills with broad and flat valleys. The area experiences rainy season between December to April, which is characterized by heavy rains and thunderstorms. May to November is the dry season, during which solar radiation is strong and constant in the day with grades 9 and 11. The temperature during day is about 20 degrees which falls to -5 degrees in the nights, during dry season it is hot and dry during the daytime and frigid during nights. The tenement area is dominated by steep hills which rarely contain large trees. However, lush green grass cover is seen over the entire landscape. Several small to large rivers are noted in the area, one of which flows through the tenement area. The highway connecting Arequipa and Juliaca passes through the tenement. In addition, there are a few paved roads in the area. Juliaca is the nearest town where lodging and boarding facilities are available.
Several traverses were taken within the tenement area to understand the nature of mineralization and the potential to discover additional prospects.
Au-Ag-Cu mineralization in the area is confined to large, semi-circular shaped, sub volcanic diatreme of Placa Group of Miocene age. The core part of the diatreme is massive and is surrounded by felsic volcanic breccia. The volcanic breccia is white in color and contains country rock xenoliths as well as fragments of the volcanic rocks. Mineralized veins are confined mainly to the peripheral breccia zone, although some of the veins are found within the massive core of the diatreme.
Au-Ag-Cu mineralization in the area is hosted by quartz veins which were emplaced in the peripheral parts of the diatreme. The mineralized quartz veins are whitish in color, massive and contain abundant sulfides (>30%). Sulfides occur either as discrete grains or massive lumps or layers. Width of the mineralized quartz veins vary from 0.4 to 2m. They exhibit diverse orientations, possibly controlled by diversely oriented brittle fractures. At places these veins are interconnected.
In addition to the sulfide-hosted mineralization, some of the volcanic rocks also contain non-sulfide Au mineralization, which requires detailed exploration.
In total there are 3 prominent mines within the tenement area, out of which only one is in operation.
Three sets of mineralized quartz veins are found in the operating mine. They trend E-W, 290 and 310 degrees. At many places they are found to be interconnected along the strike. Prominent argillitic and clayey wall rock alteration is noted. These wall rocks are known to contain elevated Au, Ag and Cu values.
Ore samples were collected from the mine head and wall rock samples were collected from inside the mine. Ore samples from the mine head have yielded >10 g/t Au, 127. g/t of Ag, 1.27% Cu, >5% Pb and >2.5% Zn. It is to note that the upper level of detection in the SGS laboratory at Lima is 10 g/t for Au, 5% for Pb and 2.5% for Zn. Subsequent testing of the samples at laboratories in India demonstrated that the actual Au value in these samples is about 48 g/t. Detailed sampling from the mine area has yielded 160.4 g/t Au & 238 g/t Ag, 46.9 g/t Au& 242 g/t Ag, 11.2 g/t Au & 32.7 g/t Ag and 6.45 g/t Au & 42.3 g/t Ag.
Sampling of the wall rocks