ANTOFALLA PROJECT
The Antofalla Property is comprised of six mining claims comprising 8,760 hectares, located in northern Catamarca Province, approximately 200 km north of Olacapato, in northwestern Argentina. "Antofalla" is an old mining district that primarily produced gold, silver and lead at a small scale in the 17th and 18th centuries. A purchase option agreement has been entered into between the optionor and Rio Diablillos, an Argentinian corporation that Kestrel proposes to acquire (as announced on March 7, 2011 and February 23, 2011). Under the terms of the new purchase option agreement, Rio has been granted the exclusive option to acquire an one hundred percent interest of all mineral rights in respect of the property,
Location, Climate and Access
- Location: Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Northern Catamarca Province, Argentina
- Area: 8,760 ha
- Centre of the property area: 25º38'30 S ; 68º1'98 W
- Elevations = 3,700m (12,100 feet) to 5,000m (16,400) o.s.l.
- Climate: Dry, high desert southern Puna plateau, with average rainfall of 50mm/year, average temperature 140 C
- Access and work is possible year round.
- Access is via national road from Salta, 200km to Olacapato, then 140km to Salar de Arizaro via provincial road, then along a local road 120km to Antofalla village. From Antofalla village, a 30km second order gravel road leads to the Antofalla property
- Antofagasta de la Sierra, 100km from the property has fuel and food supplies as well as a hospital
Geology
The Antofalla property consists of multi stage stratovolcanic, low sulphide and structurally controlled poly-metallic mineralization.
Permeable Oligocene host rock sediments have been subjected to mineralizing volcanic activity in the Miocene period. As a result of this, silicification and hydrothermal alteration has occurred several metres (lower grades) into wall rock where highly silicified sandstones and conglomerates have been observed to exhibit disseminated poly-metallic mineralization. The higher grades of Ag, Au, Pb, Zn are concentrated along dilational fractures.
Previous exploration indicates silver mineralization is both widespread and near surface - occurring in different zones explored over several kilometres of the property.
Both "Dome" and "vein" mineralization has been recognized. Historical and unverified "Dome" values have been reported up to 1300 g/t Ag, 4% Pb, 1.7 g/t Au*. Historical and unverified high grade "Vein" values of Ag, Pb, Zn, Au have also been reported* (note: historical and unverified values are not NI 43-101 compliant).
The geological model suggests that Antafalla has the potential to be a large, low sulphide, low grade-bulk tonnage silver deposit.
