TORONTO -- MCK Mining Corp. ("MCK") (TSX VENTURE:MMC) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an Option to Purchase Agreement with Juvenal Octavio Jeraldo Tapia et al ("Jeraldo") to acquire some or all of the Jeraldo mining concessions
in the area of Andacollo. These concessions, totalling 471 hectares, lie within and around the boundaries of the Andacollo Gold Mine property owned by Compania Minera Dayton ("CMD") . MCK has previously announced (August 18, 2004) its agreement in principal to purchase CMD from Pacific Rim Mining Corp. CMD's principal asset is the Andacollo Gold Mine located 56 km South-East of La Serena, Chile.The Jeraldo properties contain gold mineralization explored by Chevron, Medinah Energy and others in the 1980's and 90's which in some cases is in zones contiguous with deposits on adjacent CMD property. As is the case with most other properties in the district, small scale gold mining has occurred on the Jeraldo ground for centuries.
This acquisition adds value to MCK's Andacollo venture in three important ways. It will:
1. augment the presently delineated mineral resources on the CMD property.
2. permit efficient exploration and mining to proceed in the area of the boundaries.
3. set a standard for the area that will encourage further consolidation with other third-party properties which will lead to full utilisation, extension of life and maximum value of the existing CMD infrastructure.
Key terms and conditions of the Option to Purchase Agreement are:
- MCK makes a US$30,000 Option Payment on signing and secures the irrevocable right to purchase selected or all of the Jeraldo properties until March 31, 2005.
- During the Option Period, each party to the agreement nominates an independent resource specialist who will work together to generate a mineral resource estimate using the existing geological database. Resource categories will be determined using CIM Standards On Mineral Resources and Reserves and reported in a NI 43-101 Technical report. If the two specialists do not agree they will nominate a third specialist to provide a binding opinion.
- The purchase price will be determined on the basis of the measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources at a cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t that fall within a 3:1 waste to ore ratio open pit envelope.