Centenario Gold Corp. (TSXV: CTG) has completed the first phase of exploration at its Los Reyes project in Chihuahua, Mexico, reporting high-grade copper mineralization from underground sampling of historic mine workings. The company collected 58 rock samples from surface outcrops, old mine dumps, and underground workings at the Tuesda and Jibosa mines, with results expected by mid-June. The findings are expected to guide a planned 1,500-meter drilling program set to begin in July, targeting strike and down-dip extensions of copper-rich skarn zones.
The Los Reyes project, located 225 km south of Chihuahua City near Highway 49, consists of two mineral claims: El Rey (36.0 hectares) and El Rey 2 (9.3 hectares). The El Rey claim, where most historic workings are located, sits 14 km south of Jimenez and is accessible via a secondary dirt road. The project lies along an intrusive-limestone contact zone where copper-rich skarn mineralization occurs. Historic records indicate that approximately 200,000 tons of Cu-Zn-Ag material were mined from Los Reyes by ASARCO in the late 1800s to early 1900s.
The exploration program included geological reconnaissance, alteration mapping, and systematic rock chip sampling. Samples were collected under the supervision of a senior professional geologist, weighing between 1.5 kg and 2.0 kg, with sample cuts ranging from 0.3 m to 3.0 m. Samples were transported to ALS Chemex in Chihuahua for analysis using fire assay for gold and acid digestion for 34 other elements.
At the El Rey claim, copper-rich skarn mineralization extends sporadically for more than 800 meters along the north-south trending granodiorite-limestone contact. The altered zone on surface is up to 120 meters wide, with the contact dipping vertically to 75 degrees east. Mineralization includes chalcopyrite, bornite, malachite, azurite, and chalcocite within irregular, semi-tabular lenses up to 60 meters wide. Some zones mined by ASARCO exceeded 125 meters in length. Underground sampling at the Tuesda shaft identified a mineralized zone up to 20 meters thick, while at Jibosa, the thickness did not exceed 15 meters. Higher sulfide content is expected north of the Tuesda shaft, with fragments of magnetite and skarn suggesting Cu-Au skarn-type mineralization.
Centenario plans to use the assay results to refine drill targets for the upcoming program, which will test extensions greater than 50 meters below surface near the Jibosa and Tuesda shafts. The company is focused on responsibly exploring high-potential mineral projects in the Americas, with a primary emphasis on gold, copper, and silver. For more information, visit Centenario Gold Corp..
Derrick Strickland, an independent Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure in this release. The company cautions that mineralization on adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Los Reyes property.
