The Mineral Resource is reported in accordance with National Instrument 43101 ('NI 43101') and the estimate was completed by
Highlights
Publication of this Mineral Resource estimate is a major milestone for the Berenguela project. It represents the culmination of 15 months of work by Aftermath's team in
The company is now proceeding to initiate advanced metallurgical testwork programs on bulk drill core samples from key mineralized domains targeted in its drill program. This testwork will encompass flowsheets for silver, copper and zinc recovery and ultimately identify the potential manganese products including focusing on battery grade manganese sulphate (MnSO4).
Mineral Resource Estimate Details
The Mineral Resource estimate is based on a geological model which consisted of data from 386 drillholes including data collected by Aftermath and some from previous drilling. Lithological wireframes were constructed by
Rockridge completed an ordinary kriging estimate for the four metals with economic significance: silver, manganese, copper and zinc. Calcium and magnesium, as well as bulk density, were estimated using inverse distance squared. Prior to estimation, drillhole data were composited to an average length of 1.0 m. Capping was evaluated for all variables within each domain and carried out where required. No estimation was carried out outside of the domains. For all domains the parent block size was 10 mE x 10 mN x 5 mRL with subblocking employed. Subblocking resulted in minimum cell dimensions of 2.5 mE x 2.5 mN x 0.05 mRL.
Bulk density was based on 509 measurements and was estimated into the block model. The values in the model averaged 2.30 tonnes/m3 for mineralized material and 2.25 tonnes/m3 for waste.
Mineral Resource classification was completed by the QP using an assessment of geological and mineralization continuity, data quality and data density. Estimation passes were used as an initial guide for classification. Wireframes were then generated manually to build coherent volumes for the different classes. The block model was classified as Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Mineral Resources as appropriate.
The QP has not identified any known legal, political, environmental, or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of the mineral resources. However, it is recognized that there is social unrest in
Quality Assurance and Quality Control and Date Verification
Aftermath instigated a robust quality assurance/quality control ('QA/QC') program as advised by AMC. The data base for resource estimation consists of historic data as well as data collected by Aftermath. The previous drilling, carried out predominantly by
Aftermath completed a QA/QC program for their core drilling, covering the period
The QP, Dinara Nussipakynova,
The QP also carried out data verification both on site and on the database. This included a review of the assay database and collar locations. The QP considers the assay database to be acceptable for Mineral Resource estimation.
Geology
Mineralization at Berenguela is hosted principally in thickly bedded, folded limestones and dolomitized limestones of mid-Cretaceous age. Several large bodies of black massive, patchy, and fracture-controlled manganese oxide replacement mineralization occur, with associated silver, copper, and zinc enrichment. Mineralisation is stratigraphically localised above a regional detachment zone particularly where footwall horsts coincide with more intense folding of the carbonate hosts.
The bulk of the mineralisation is typically preserved as eroded synform remnants, usually exposed at surface and trending 105-120 degrees. Mapping and resource modelling shows the mineralisation to extend for roughly 1,300 m along strike (including a 100 m discontinuity) with a width of 200 to 400 m. Drilling has shown the mineralisation to extend to up to 80 m below surface where preserved.
Berenguela is interpreted as a carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) of an unusual hypogene Mn-oxide style localised above a regional detachment zone in a low temperature, oxidising setting.
About
Berenguela Silver-Copper project. The Company has an option to acquire a 100% interest through a binding agreement with
Challacollo Silver-Gold project. The Company recently completed the acquisition of a 100% interest in the Challacollo silver-gold project from
Cachinal Silver-Gold project. The Company owns a 100% interest in the Cachinal Ag-Au project, located 2.5 hours south of
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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to interpretation of exploration programs and drill results, predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as 'expects', 'is expected', 'anticipates', 'believes', 'plans', 'projects', 'estimates', 'assumes', 'intends', 'strategies', 'targets', 'goals', 'forecasts', 'objectives', 'budgets', 'schedules', 'potential' or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results 'may', 'could', 'would', 'might' or 'will' be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information.
These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, changes in commodities prices; changes in expected mineral production performance; unexpected increases in capital costs; exploitation and exploration results; continued availability of capital and financing; differing results and recommendations in the Feasibility Study and general economic, market or business conditions. In addition, forward looking statements are subject to various risks, including but not limited to operational risk; political risk; currency risk; capital cost inflation risk; that data is incomplete or inaccurate. The reader is referred to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators for disclosure regarding these and other risk factors, accessible through Aftermath Silver's profile at www.sedar.com.
There is no certainty that any forward looking statement will come to pass and investors should not place undue reliance upon forward looking statements. The Company does not undertake to provide updates to any of the forward looking statements in this release, except as required by law.
Cautionary Note to US Investors - Mineral Resources
This News Release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ('NI 43-101') and the
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