April 2, 2013 Medinah Shareholder Update Las
Post# of 689
April 2, 2013
Las dos Marias History & Update
April 2, 2013
Dear Medinah Shareholders:
The LDM project is privately held and funded on a profit-sharing basis with a 37.5% net worth of profits accruing to the benefit of Medinah Minerals, Inc. It should be noted that Medinah Minerals, Inc., made no monetary or share distribution for their position. The LDM exploration plan was designed to tunnel horizontally into the mountain with the goal of intersecting two previously drilled holes determined to contain high-grade gold discoveries. During this aforementioned drill program, two gold-bearing quartz veins were discovered that returned spectacular gold assays, some verified in excess of 400 grams of gold per tonne.
In December of 2011, surface rights for the storage of previous mine tailings and ore were negotiated prior to the planned commencement of mining operations at the LDM project site. Contracts for a mining venture were finalized with private concerns and the Quijano family.
In the Fall of 2012, (Spring in North America), work on the LDM Company base camp construction began. During the start-up phase of work, a gold-bearing skarn zone was accidently discovered at the entry point tunnel, proximate to the first blast site. For months this skarn has been followed along from its strike point all the way to the two target gold veins. Assays of this skarn returned grades of 1 to 14 grams of gold per tonne with a consistent mineable average grade. The skarn is open along strike heading in a direction toward the Altos de Lipangue claims, open to depth, and has been followed at least 20 meters in width.
As tunneling work progressed towards the target veins, numerous old Spanish workings were encountered. The Chilean artisans had followed what appeared to be small high-grade gold veins paralleling the new tunnel. The skarn extends out and beyond the Spanish workings but in that area the company geologist found evidence of very high-grade copper values. All the known copper areas at LDM and Altos de Lipangue carry values of gold with them. This new discovery differs in that there is very little gold content, but significant copper with assays running from 2% to a surprising 7% percent values.
The mining crews have now opened up several of these old tunnels and galleries to a safe state of mining condition and size. The total extent of this new copper discovery is not known, however Company geologists have sampled a section of this tunnel running more than 30 meters in length and 7 meters width with a section of gallery 100 meters in length and up to 20 meters in width. Samples have only been taken in visible areas and no drilling has been done to fully test its strike length and width. The formation appears competent and the structure is expected to carry on for much greater distances. Drilling will be done when a larger mining plan is completed. There is more than enough ore present to justify commencement of a small-scale production operation solely in this new copper zone.
Tunneling work has carried on to the intersection of the DDH-01 and then on to the DDH-02 targets. The DDH-02 vein was intersected 25.5 meters below the collaring of the hole. Shaft construction is now underway to follow the DDH-02 vein down 44 meters to the intended high-grade target area, mining the ore on the way.
Subsequently, mining crews had to complete a 25-meter bypass around the old Spanish workings in an area which had collapsed. The bypass is one of the areas in which high-grade copper was encountered. Assays have been taken along the way as previously reported. As the bypass progressed, another high-grade gold bearing vein was encountered immediately followed by more high-grade copper discoveries. This area was different again, as the copper being encountered was now in sulphides, where previously it has been noted in oxide form. Sampling of this area is now underway and will be reported, Señor Quijano reports they have already removed several ore piles from this area of about 50 tonnes each, averaging in excess of 4% copper per tonne and ready for shipping to the Enami refinery.
Mining work has expanded well beyond the original mining plan requiring new extensive safe rooms and ventilation shafts to be constructed. A new and larger dynamite storage room had to be blasted out of the mountainside outside the tunnel entrance. As a result of this work, a new vein structure was discovered and another area of high-grade copper was identified. This copper area carries values of gold and is from a different era of mineralization than the old Spanish tunnels. All of these discoveries confirm the necessity of two work projects recommended by the LDM Company Geologists and Mining Engineers.
PLAN OF EXPLOITATION
Phase 1. Carry on with the current mining plan of tunneling and begin shipments of high-grade ore to the Enami refinery immediately. Significant values of ore are currently stockpiled.
Phase 2. Transport the lower-grade stockpiles to a nearby local contractor and ship this separated material to Enami for smelting.
Phase 3. Concurrent with the revised mining plan, outline and design a much larger, open-pit mining plan for the entire deposit area. Drill and define the extent of the ore body and fund a significant mining operation with part of the proceeds derived from the current operations.
As we conclude the writing of this update, confirmation assays have been received. Ore samples at the 13-meter point of the bypass tunnel returned 41 grams silver and 4.2% copper and at the 25-meter point, 25 grams of silver per tonne and 4.26% copper. The gross metal content of the ore averages between $380 and $500 per tonne based on all assays received to date (see attached assay results document) .
These assays confirm the continuation of the high-grade copper zone from the previously reported galleries and tunnel area over a considerable distance to the bypass tunnel. Señor Juan José Quijano Fernández reports that the ore stockpiled and being mined from this area, is set to begin shipping to the refinery immediately, implementing the production phases recommended.
The entire LDM project has turned out to be far larger and better than the Compañia Minera LDM Chile owners had previously anticipated. This now warrants consideration of hiring trained mining operators to run the mine to Professional North American Standards. The tunnel workers are proficient in the work that they are performing thus far, but the LDM project now requires a much more conscientious approach for the ore extractions, assay controls, security, monitoring operations, and inventory and production/shipping scheduling.
LDM Management are now reviewing various options and talking with noted experts to define a start-up date for the Phase 3 work program.
Señor Juan José Quijano Fernández
President/CEO