Azure commences follow-up drilling in Mexico

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Azure Minerals (ASX: AZS) has been given the go-ahead for the immediate drilling of a second 1,000 metre deep drill hole at its La Tortuga project, located in the state of Sonora, Mexico by its Joint Venture (JV) partner, Japanese Government organisation JOGMEC.

The JV considered the results of a first exploration hole to be very encouraging, resulting in the approval for an immediate start to a second drill hole to test the target zone to a depth of 1,000m.

The hole is currently drilling ahead and is at a depth of 133m.

Exploration on the La Tortuga project is being conducted in JV with JOGMEC, which has the right to earn up to 51 per cent of the project by spending US$3 million.

Azure is the operator and manager of the JV.

“Azure views La Tortuga as a high priority and potentially company transforming project,” Azure Minerals managing director Tony Rovira said in the copany’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“We are therefore very satisfied with the positive approach and support shown by our JV partners, JOGMEC, to continue advancing La Tortuga.”

The recently–completed diamond drill hole at La Tortuga was designed to test a geophysical target interpreted to represent a deeply buried, large porphyry copper body.

According to Azure, the drilling demonstrated coincident aeromagnetic and magneto-telluric  anomalies commence at approximately 600m below surface and extend to more than 1,500m depth.
 
The first drill hole passed through a thick sequence of overlying post-mineral cover rocks before entering basement rocks at 635m before moving through 30m of, what the JV viewed as, a very promising-looking intrusive rock.

The hole was prematurely terminated due to unstable ground conditions in the cover rocks causing drilling problems.