SSR Mining has announced positive results from its exploration efforts at the Puna project, which includes the Pirquitas and Chinchillas properties in the Jujuy province of northern Argentina.
The exploration program, which took place from August to December 2022, focused on resource expansion, discovery and reconciliation drilling at Chinchillas and was the first exploration drilling completed at the property since 2016.
Of the 48 drill holes completed, 27 targeted extensions of the Chinchillas mineralisation to the east, northeast and at depth.
Drilling efforts also intersected mineralisation at the Melina zone and Socavon Del Diablo, two separate targets located near existing Chincillas infrastructure.
Highlights from the drilling at Chinchillas include 65 m at 386 g/t Ag from 53 m at CHN22-341, 63 m at 219 g/t Ag from 90 m at CHN22-374, 31 m at 453 g/t Ag from 25 m and 30 m at 422 g/t Ag from 2 m.
Chinchillas is an open pit silver-lead-zinc mine and is the current source of the ore processed at the Pirquitas processing plant, located approximately 42 km southwest of the Chinchillas property.
The processing plant produces a silver-lead concentrate and a zinc concentrate that are shipped to international smelters.
The undeveloped Socavon Del Diablo deposit is located approximately 700 m east of current open pit mining operations and consists of near-surface silver-lead-zinc mineralisation hosted within a clay-altered volcanic rock.
The company conducted a new metallurgical program in January 2023 to help evaluate the viability of the deposit and its ability to contribute to the Puna life of mine plan.
According to SSR Mining President and CEO Rod Antal, high-grade intercepts at the Meline and Socavon Del Diablo targets indicate the potential for new open pit mining opportunities adjacent to the Chinchillas.
He added that the positive results from the Coraderas target at Pirquitas could potentially present a long-term development pathway for further mine life extension at the Puna project.
“We have expanded the Puna exploration budget to 15,000 m in 2023 as we aim to accelerate mineral resource conversion and expansion efforts,” Antal said.
