Pilar Gold Project

The Pilar Gold Project

The Pilar Gold-Silver property has recently returned some of the regions best drill results. Coupled with encouraging gold and silver recovery results from metallurgical test work, Pilar is primed to be a potential near-term producer. Pilar is interpreted as a structurally controlled low-sulphidation epithermal system hosted in andesite rocks. Three primary zones of mineralization have been identified in the north-west part of the property from historic surface work and drilling and are referred to as the Main Zone, North Hill and 4-T. The Main Zone and 4-T trends are open to the southeast and new parallel zones have been recently discovered. Structural features and zones of mineralization within the structures follow an overall NW-SE trend of mineralization. To date, over 22,000 m of drilling has been completed.

Pilar has been the subject of two main exploration initiatives. The first was completed by Santa Catalina Mining (SCM) during 1996 and 1997 and the second has been completed by Minera Lyell S.A. de C.V (Lyell), and then Bestep, from 2008 to (2018). Both phases of exploration have included significant programs of surface exploration and reverse circulation drilling. It is the opinion of the author that the Pilar property represents an opportunity for the discovery of an epithermal precious metal deposit. (from Lavigne, 2016)

Pilar is located 130 km southeast of the capital of Sonora, Hermosillo. The project is fully road accessible and takes approximately 2 hours to drive to from Hermosillo to the town of Suaqui Grande on paved highway. From Suaqui Grande to the project site is approximately 30 mins on gravel road. 

SIGNIFICANT RESULTS

Drill Highlights:

  • 2022 Phase III Diamond Drilling Highlights include (all lengths are drilled thicknesses):
    • 116.9m @ 1.2 g/t Au, including 10.2m @ 12 g/t Au and 23 g/t Ag
    • 108.9m @ 0.8 g/t Au, including 9.4m @ 7.6 g/t Au and 5 g/t Ag
    • 63.4m @ 0.6 g/t Au and 11 g/t Ag, including 29.9m @ 0.9 g/t Au and 18 g/t Ag
  • 2021 Phase II RC Drilling Highlights include (all lengths are drilled thicknesses):
    • 39.7m @ 1.0 g/t Au, including 1.5m @ 14.6 g/t Au
    • 47.7m @ 0.7 g/t Au including 3m @ 5.6 g/t Au and 22 g/t Ag
    • 29m @ 0.7 g/t Au
    • 35.1m @ 0.7 g/t Au
  • 2020 Phase I RC Drilling Highlights include (all lengths are drilled thicknesses):
    • 94.6m @ 1.6 g/t Au, including 9.2m @ 10.8 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag;
    • 41.2m @ 1.1 g/t Au, including 3.1m @ 6.0 g/t Au and 12 g/t Ag ;
    • 24.4m @ 2.5 g/t Au and 73 g/t Ag, including 1.5m @ 33.4 g/t Au and 1,090 g/t Ag
  • Over 15,000m of Historic Core & RC drilling. Highlights include:
    • 61.0m @ 0.8 g/t Au
    • 16.5m @ 53.5 g/t Au and 53 g/t Ag
    • 13.0m @ 9.6 g/t Au
    • 9.0m @ 10.2 g/t Au and 46 g/t Ag

metallurgy at pilar

Bulk Sample Material Averaging Grades of 1.9 g/t Gold and 13 g/t Silver

  • Consistent Gold Values Reported from Bulk Sample Improve Grade 

    • 148 samples range between 0.8 and 3.4 g/t Au, weighted mean of 1.85 g/t Au 

    • Silver values range between 5 and 26 g/t Ag, weighted mean of 12.7 g/t Ag 

  • Fine Fraction Samples (excluded from Heap Leach Process), Report Equal Gold and Silver Values 

    • 32 Samples range between 1.2 and 2.8 g/t Au, weighted mean of 2.02 g/t Au 

    • Silver values range between 9 and 25 g/t Au, weighted mean of 15.6 g/t Ag 

Diagnostic Leach Study Reports High Percentage of Recoverable Gold and Silver

  • Diagnostic Leach Study Reports High-Percentage of Recoverable Gold and Silver (Au: 95 to 99%; Ag: 73 to 97%)
  • Head Screen Assays Report High-Grade Gold and Silver (2.7 to 24.9 g/t Au and 8.8 to 74.2 g/t Ag)
  • Gravity Concentrate Assays for Gold and Silver range from 35.6 to 290.3 g/t Au and 53 to 1,152 g/t Ag
  • Majority of Gold and Silver can be Recovered with Gravity Concentration and Agitated Cyanide Leach
  • Drill core sample indicates same recovery potential at depth (150m down hole) as at surface.


Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Composite samples were shipped for sample preparation and analysis to LTM in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
The LTM Hermosillo facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. A full report from the Diagnostic Leach Study is available on the Company website for review.

2021 Bottle Roll Study (SGS)

Two composites from RC drill hole JES-20-32:

  • Low-grade composite (48 hr Retention Time)
    • 0.63 g/t Au – 91% Recovery
    • 7 g/t Ag – 70% Recovery
  • Mid-grade composite (48 hr Retention Time)
    • 1.2 g/t Au – 92% Recovery
    • 12 g/t Ag – 84% Recovery

2022 Column Leach Studies

Four (4) Column Leach Samples Submitted for Analysis

  • Head Grade Range: 0.4 g/t Au to 5.0 g/t Au*
  • Gold Recovery Range: 88.9% to 96.9%*

geology

Pilar is located in an area of the western Sierra Madre underlain dominantly by Cretaceous-Paleocene Lower Complex intrusive and volcanic rocks. In addition, Mesozoic basement rocks as well as younger silicic alkaline volcanic rocks are locally mapped in the area.

Pilar is underlain by three rock types: andesite, granodiorite, and rhyolite. The andesite is mapped as part of the Lower Volcanic Complex of the Sierra Madre Occidental and is interpreted as being Cretaceous. The granodiorite is also mapped as being part of the Lower Volcanic magmatic event but is interpreted as Early Tertiary and therefore younger than the andesites. The contact zone of the granodiorite observed to the north and to the west side of the property is characterized by intense silicification and re-crystallization and is interpreted as a contact aureole/hornfels zone.

Three fault orientations have been mapped and interpreted on the property. The western contact between the volcanic rocks and the granodiorite is interpreted to be a north striking and steeply east dipping detachment structure which shallows under the volcanic rocks and places the volcanic rocks in the hanging wall and the granodiorite in the footwall. Within the hanginwall volcanic rocks there are 2 dominant fault orientations which include one fault set oriented at N40W which is similar to the orientation of the dykes and a second fault orientation at approximately right angles to the first with an orientation of N50E.

Gold and silver mineralization occurs within a zone of strong argillic alteration which locally contains overprinting strong silicification and weak sericitization. Veins on the property which consist of quartz and lesser carbonate and, in one case, gypsum. Sulphide mineralization is low to moderate in the gold and silver bearing zones being primarily pyrite and lesser pyrrhotite which weathers to bright red hematite. Better gold grades are interpreted to be associated with the most intense silicification and in other instances higher gold grades are associated with the occurrence of hematite on fracture surfaces. There are approximately 40 mineral workings on the Pilar property probably completed during the late 1800s to early 1900s period. (Summarized from Lavigne, 2016)

*Important NoteTesting was completed by a local private producer and contractor based in Sonora, Mexico. The facility used to calculate head-grade and recovery is not a certified lab.

Historic Metallurgical Work

Laboratorio Technologico de Metalurgia LTM S.A. de C.V (LTM) completed a preliminary metallurgical test on a sample from Pilar. The sample consisted of a total of 528 kilograms from which 5 kilograms were split out and crushed to 10 mesh (2 mm). The test completed was standard cyanide (NaCN) bottle roll test with pH and NaCN concentration monitored and controlled over a 72-hour period. The test resulted in a total extraction of 92.08% Au over a 72 hour period (summarized from Lavigne, 2016).

 2022/2023 Bulk Sample Planned

*Brodie A. Sutherland, P.Geo., CEO for Tocvan Ventures Corp. and a qualified person (“QP”) as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information on this website.

View All News Releases Related To Pilar

Tocvan Sets Dividend Date for Cascade Copper Shares

Calgary, Alberta – May 30, 2023 – Tocvan Ventures Corp. (the “Company”) (CSE: TOC; OTCQB: TCVNF; FSE: TV3),is pleased to announce that the 5,000,000 common shares it previously received from the sale of the Rogers...

Read More

PROPERTY PHOTOS