In addition, thirteen samples of rock float spread out over 650 meters of strongly leached sericitized hornblende diorite in the southeast part of the depression were assayed for copper and gold. The copper averaged 160-ppm with a low of 20-ppm and a high of 790-ppm. Gold was low averaging 0.013 g/t. Mineralization noted included fine relic chalcopyrite sparse erratic copper oxides and a great deal of disseminated and veinlet specular hematite within the breccias and the intrusive. See photographs of Tordillo amphitheatre with alteration and a boulder of breccia below:

    The contact of the dioritic intrusive to the north is against silicified volcanics that are reddish in colour due to specular hematite concentrated within strong northwest shearing. These altered volcanics extend over a distance exceeding a kilometer in length with a width of 600 meters. This zone hosts narrow, surface leached 0.10 to 0.60 meter wide siliceous veins of coarse to massive specularite and chalcopyrite in ribbons up to ten or more centimeters in thickness assaying up to 31.49 g/t gold and 17.63 % copper. Strike directions vary from northwest, which is predominant, to east-west or north-south. The trace of one northwest vein can be followed by eye over a distance of 400 meters. In all eighteen separate surface-leached vein outcrops were located and sampled. These could correspond to as many as eleven individual veins, but more work is needed to verify this possibility.

    The eighteen leached surface samples are given below. It should be noted these are surface samples partially to near completely leached of values. Furthermore the two meter wide samples are taken from systematic sample lines where individual structures were not sampled. The inference is that detailed sampling within the two meter wide samples will give higher grades over narrower widths. The two meter spacing was used in order to check for possible bulk tonnage potential.

    Sample Number Width cms Grams/ton gold Percent Copper

The volcanics that form the high rim of the amphitheatre to the west, east, and south show the same reddish colour as the volcanics carrying the known veins to the north. It remains to be verified if they also carry gold copper veins.

The terrain is extremely rugged with elevations varying between 3,800 and 4,670 meters. Only a quarter of the terrain corresponding to the northern contact zone surrounding the central depression has been examined in a cursory manner. The widespread leached and mineralized explosive breccias as well as the altered hornblende diorite porphyry with relic chalcopyrite needs to be mapped.

The preliminary data suggests Tordillo contains the upper part of a deep-seated copper/gold, and possibly copper molybdenum porphyry system associated with narrow high grade gold and copper veins which maybe widespread and represent a separate exploration target.

The presence of strong extensive explosive breccias is markedly different from Pimenton and reminiscent of the porphyry copper systems at Andina, Disputada de Las Condes, and El Teniente. Exploration next season should bring into perspective the vein potential and establish if the porphyry system is large enough to host possible economic copper mineralization.

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