VANCOUVER, Dec. 11 /CNW/ - Gitennes Exploration Inc. (TSX-GIT) wishes to update shareholders on recent developments at the Urumalqui Property, a silver and gold project located in north-central Peru. Since the completion of core drilling in March 2008 (see release dated April 17, 2008 for details) the Company has conducted preliminary metallurgical tests, re-logged drill core and has rehabilitated a portion of the underground workings.
Silver and gold mineralization is hosted within a simple quartz-adularia vein surrounded by a much lower grade but broad envelope of disseminated mineralization. Most of the silver is contained in the mineral argentite, the remainder with gold in electrum. Pyrite is also present. Using the 38 widely-spaced holes that intersect the vein three higher grade segments of the deposit that constitute attractive targets are apparent that average 230 g/t silver (6.7 oz/T) and 1.6 g/t gold.
Metallurgy - The processing steps originally envisaged to recover the silver and gold mineralization include crushing and milling, gravity separation followed by flotation, then custom leaching of both the gravity and flotation concentrates in an in-house, closed-circuit cell that would yield gold bullion and silver dore. The concentrate would not be marketed. Though very early-stage, results are encouraging.
Preliminary flotation tests indicate that rougher concentrate can be readily produced that recover approximately 81 to 82% of the silver (a 20:1 concentration factor) and 40 to 46% of the gold (electrum does not float). These flotation recoveries are similar to those at other deposits in the region. Higher yields were obtained in some tests, however it is thought that the results reported here may represent a cost-effective point in the mineral processing and form reasonable guidance at this early stage. Tank leach tests of the rougher concentrates yield over 99% recovery of the silver and 99% of the gold in 24 to 48 hours.
Current tests are now focused upon increasing the gold recovery (as well as silver) through gravity techniques. Methodology and approach remains consistent with those employed at various mining sites in Peru that have similar styles of mineralization. It is not known at this time whether higher yields will be achieved and it is possible that other metallurgical methods may yet prove more attractive.
These laboratory tests were done using composited core samples (up to 30 kilograms) from the 2008 drill programme. Samples were submitted to ALEX STEWART (ASSAYERS) DEL PERU S.R.L. in Lima, Peru for testing.
Underground - Sometime in the late 1970's or early 1980's a 250 metre-long segment in the central portion of the vein (itself more than 1500 metres long) was explored by means of a vertical shaft in the footwall of the zone (50 metres deep), short crosscuts from the shaft through the vein, then drifts along the vein structure at the 28, 50 and 80-metre levels. At the time it was common for deposits of this type to be explored by tunneling along the vein structure and it is unlikely that any drilling was done beforehand.
During Gitennes' exploration of the property no holes have been drilled near the old workings as we have no mine maps and wished to avoid losing equipment in abandoned stopes. As a result of the anticipated need to obtain larger samples for more substantive metallurgical tests, and in order to bring this historical exploration area into the current database, crews recently accessed the old shaft to clean and stabilize it to a depth of 43 metres. During the process the 28 metre level was examined (see photos at www.gitennes.com) where a 1.5 by 1.3 metre drift exposes the vein along its 37 metre length. Work at the site was recently suspended but should resume in 2009 now that crews know what will be required to safely gain access to the 50-metre level and obtain mini-bulk samples for larger scale metallurgical studies.
Gitennes is pleased with the exploration progress being made at its 100%owned Urumalqui Project. The Company advises, however, that it is currently in discussions with other companies that have indicated their interest in acquiring an equity stake in the property. The Company may elect to either sell the property or option it, providing acceptable terms are obtained, but nothing is certain.
The technical information in this release has been reviewed by J. Blackwell (P.Geo), a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43101.
Jerry Blackwell, President The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information herein.