Pursuit Minerals is preparing an eight-hole diamond drilling campaign in Argentina’s Santa Cruz province to test deeper gold-silver mineralisation at the Sascha Marcelina project. The revised program totals 3,350 m of core and follows a recent induced-polarisation (IP) survey that sharpened the company’s target model.
Drilling plan focuses on depth and vein continuity
At the Sascha prospect, a northwest-southeast vein system extends roughly 5.5 km. Historical holes intersected shallow mineralisation, but most of the structure remains untested at depth. Four new holes will drill about 1,500 m, including one positioned 120 m back from a legacy bore to intersect the corridor near 350 m below ground.
Additional pairs will sample veins labelled 31 and 26, providing paired depth slices that should clarify the geometry of the buried veins. The drilling design also follows quartz textures that signal boiling hydrothermal fluids, a process linked to high-grade metal deposition in low-sulphidation epithermal settings.
“The opportunity at Sascha Marcelina is becoming increasingly compelling as we refine our understanding of the geological systems and importantly, where high-grade gold-silver mineralisation may be concentrated at depth,” said managing director and CEO Aaron Revelle.
At Marcelina, the IP data were merged with historic drill results, surface geochemistry and detailed mapping to produce a three-dimensional model. The model highlights a discrete high-probability target beneath the central system, where surface silica alteration likely marks the upper expression of a deeper hydrothermal conduit.
One historic interval returned 0.9 m grading 1.35 g/t gold and 363.17 g/t silver from 251.7 m depth, though true width was not defined. The upcoming four holes at Marcelina will test the continuation of vein 173, a fault structure with a strong IP chargeability response, and the central breccia corridor that lies below earlier drilling.
Read Also: Rising Bond Yields Attract Investors Weigh on Stocks
The broader Deseado Massif, where the project sits, is a recognised gold-silver province. Argentina’s geological survey, SEGEMAR, identifies Cerro Negro as a producing gold-silver deposit associated with low-sulphidation epithermal mineralisation. Research into the El Dorado-Monserrat mineral system elsewhere in the massif has also documented the relationship between boiling hydrothermal fluids, quartz replacement of bladed calcite and gold-silver deposition. This provides useful geological context for Pursuit’s approach at Sascha, where comparable quartz textures have been used to help identify prospective drilling positions.
Since the initial mapping phase, Pursuit has recognised five prospective exploration centres across the property. The recent IP survey has sharpened the understanding of these centres, allowing the company to move from broad-scale geological interpretation toward targeted drill testing.
Follow-up drilling and target expansion
Beyond the initial eight holes, Pursuit has designed another 20 follow-up holes planned across five prospective areas. These cover potential extensions at Sascha and Marcelina, along with targets at Estancia, Igloo and Valdivia-Brechón.
Preparations for drilling are progressing, with commencement dependent on rig mobilisation, contractor availability, seasonal weather conditions and safe site access. Further IP surveys are also planned across the broader project area as conditions permit.
Regional exploration momentum and geological framework
The upcoming campaign will provide Pursuit with its next opportunity to test whether the extensive hydrothermal systems identified through mapping and geophysics host significant gold-silver mineralisation at depth.
Exploration activity is also gathering momentum across the wider district. In September, Santa Cruz’s Ministry of Energy and Mining identified 14 gold-silver projects undertaking active exploration in the Deseado Massif, including Sascha Marcelina.
