High-grade San Gregorio Veins - observationsAn adit is typically access to the u/g through the side of the mountain. It is different from an u/g shaft access.
Map of the San Gregorio adit:
https://www.kootenaysilver.com/img/id/837d8c8f-bf5f-4f8c-b58d-b4b7f6302586/Old-Workings-in-San-Gregori-Zone.jpg?w=200&h=200&fit=crop&q=75&s=ef5de0f1e00da97d1bf3dc9c8d1fd08c Here is today`s map of the tunnels mined out in the past by the (small scale) artisanals, via the adit access:
https://www.kootenaysilver.com/assets/img/nr/2017_01_SanGregorioAdit_Jan10_2017.jpg The top is north. The deposit dips northeast. The deposit runs (generally) northwest.
Northair found it a bit challenging to generate big results around the adit areas due to mining by artisanals in the past - at all drilled adit locations (La Borracha, San Gregorio and Las Carolinas).
However, the biggest San Gregorio drill result was located not very far from this San Gregorio adit. It was either to the north or the south, it`s not clear anymore (as the map with specific adit locations is no longer available).
A 2011 drill result, DH CC-11-002, produced
123.5 g/t silver over 80.45 m.
It included a vein of
559.7 g/t silver over 4.85 m.
I would not be surprised if this 2011 high-grade vein hit is either a north or south extension of one of the high-grade veins identified within the adit tunnels today.
Of note, prior to the artisanals mining it, this main tunnel area would have showed 50 (+) metres of around 90 g/t silver, with at least 3 high-grade veins within.
Today`s map shows 3 high-grade veins within the main tunnel (excluding high-grade disseminated areas between veins), as follows:
* 536 g/t silver over 2.0m
* 569 g/t silver over 1.0m
* 195 g/t silver over 1.0m As noted above, the 559.7 g/t silver over 4.85m vein from 2011 could be an extension of one of these 3 veins. Plus, there are likely numerous other veins like these within the deposit area. And, Ram Zone, Nogalera Zone, as well a possibly a number of other zones, appears to have these types of high-grade (narrow) veins on the property.
These are typical Mexican high-grade narrow silver veins. La Cigarra is somewhat unique though, as it has widespread lower-grade disseminated silver around the veins - to minimize waste material and allow for economies of scale (bulk tonnage) mining methods (possibly reduce strip ratio for open-pit surface mining and allow for long-hole stope (bulk, down dip angle) mining for u/g mining).
They will try to follow these high-grade veins, and other high-grade veins, around when they launch this particular drill program around later in Q1.