Fieldwork At The Santo Tomas Project
VANCOUVER, BCV - Oroco Resource Corp. reported the commencement of technical fieldwork, initially environmental baseline studies and permitting, at its Santo Tomas Project in Northwestern Mexico, followed by start-up of 3D Induced Polarization geophysical surveys and the first phase of confirmation diamond drilling.
The Company currently operates community-based social and environmental programs in the area of the Project from its logistics and administrative base in the nearby community of Choix. The Company has supported modest public works such as water distribution, community road and infrastructure projects, and other social programs, as part of its commitment to the communities proximal to its Project operations.
The new fieldwork is supported by an extensive network of existing access roads and historical drill roads, therefore expediting preparations for the confirmation diamond drilling program expected to follow in early 2020.
The Company holds an irrevocable option to acquire a 56.7% interest in the collective 1,172.9 ha core concessions of the Santo Tomás Project in NW Mexico, and may increase that majority interest up to an 81.0% interest. The Company also holds a 77.5% interest in 7,807.9 ha of mineral concessions surrounding and adjacent to the core concessions (a total project size of 22,192 acres). The Project is situated within the Santo Tomas District, which extends from Santo Tomas up to the Jinchuan Group’s Bahuerachi project, approximately 14 km to the north-east. Santo Tomás hosts a significant copper porphyry deposit defined by prior exploration spanning the period from1968 to 1994. During that time, the property was tested by over 100 diamond drill and reverse circulation drill holes, totaling approximately 30,000 meters. Based on data generated by these drill programs, a resource estimate for the project was calculated by Mintec, Inc., and metallurgical test work was conducted by Mountain States Research and Development, Inc. In 1994, a Prefeasibility Study was completed by Bateman Engineering Inc.
The Santo Tomas Project is located within 160km of the Pacific deep-water port at Topolobampo, and serviced via highway and proximal rail (and parallel corridors of trunk grid power lines and natural gas) through the city of Los Mochis to the northern city of Choix. The property is reached by a 32 km access road originally built to service the El Sauzal Mine of Goldcorp in Chihuahua State.