Target: Sulfide silver and base metal mineralization was identified in the late 1980s in the Trinity Silver district during the exploration and mining of an oxidized silver deposit. Because exploration focused on the delineation of oxidized ores, the full extent of this sulfide mineralization remains unknown. Exploration targets include lateral extensions of sulfide mineralization, possible high-grade silver and base metal veins, and porphyry Cu-style mineralization at depth.
Location: The property is located about 25 miles northwest of the Rochester Silver Mine and 10 miles southeast of the Seven Troughs gold district. The Rochester Silver Mine is one of the larger silver mines in the US. AuEx leased the Trinity property package from Newmont Mining Corporation in August 2005 (see NR05-4 August 11, 2005).
Ownership: The property consists of 59 unpatented mining claims and 5,000 acres of fee land, (about 5,800 acres in total) which is controlled 100% by AuEx.
History: Silver mineralization was discovered at Trinity by U.S. Borax in 1981 and the property was subsequently explored under a joint venture agreement between U.S. Borax and Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corp. Open-pit mining began in 1987, and over a two-year period approximately 5 million oz of silver were produced from 1.1 million tons of oxide ore grading 6 ounces per ton Ag, utilizing heap leach technology. Reports prepared by U.S. Borax at the conclusion of mining indicate that the property still contains about 4 million tons of silver mineralization grading over 2 ounces per ton silver (non 43-101 compliant). The property was subsequently investigated by Santa Fe Pacific Gold in the period 1990 to 1992 but did not see further exploration until AuEx and Piedmont Mining conducted limited drilling in 2006 and 2008. That drilling encountered high grade silver values below and adjacent to the open pit, but cash flow issues with the joint venture partner prevented follow-up exploration of these and similar targets on the property.
Geology: Trinity Silver is a Tertiary-aged, volcanic-hosted, epithermal deposit of sulfide veins and stockworks with widespread illitic alteration. The sulfide mineralogy includes pyrite, galena, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, silver-bearing tetrahedrite, pyrargyrite, and stannite. Mineralization is associated with rhyolites and high tin values of up to 0.05% in 5-ft (2 m) drill intervals make this an interesting possible analogue to the major silver deposits in Bolivia.
The possibility that porphyry copper-style mineralization occurs at depth is suggested by the strength of illitic alteration, in combination with a crude district-wide zonation that includes a central copper-rich zone, an intermediate base metal-rich zone, and a peripheral silver-rich zone. In plan view, only a portion of the concentric zoning pattern has been tested by drilling and a number of vein and porphyry targets exist at depth.
AuEx Ventures, Inc. is currently seeking a joint venture partner for the Trinity property. To learn more about this property and other joint venture opportunities, please contact Eric M Struhsacker, Exploration Manager, US at (775) 337-1545 (775) 337-1545 or .
AuEx Ventures, Inc. is a TSX listed precious metals exploration company that trades under the symbol XAU. The Company controls over 167,000 acres of unpatented claims and fee land that includes twenty properties in Nevada, two projects in Argentina, and one project in Spain. Eleven of the projects are in joint venture agreements with seven companies providing exploration funding. The Company applies the extensive Nevada exploration experience and high-end technical skills of its founders to search for and acquire new precious metal exploration projects that are then offered for joint venture.
