High Tech Minerals was described on Tombstone Exploration's website as having the option on their Tres Marias Zn-Ge project in Chihuahua. NOTE: This property now is in the hands of War Wagle Mining.

High Tech Minerals

Tres Marias Property, Chihuahua, Mexico. Tombstone Explorations owned 100% of the Tres Marias project, located approximately 270 km northeast of Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico.

 The project comprises exploitation and exploration claims totaling 2,807 hectares. Tombstone has optioned the Project to High Tech Minerals. High Tech can acquire 100% of the Project (subject to a 3.5% NSR for Tombstone) with cash payments of US$335,000 and work expenditures of US$575,000 over four years. High Tech has also committed to paying all taxes and assessment commitments with the Mexican government for the term of the option. 

Tres Marias is a dissolution breccia pipe containing high-grade zinc and germanium mineralization hosted in Cretaceous limestones, shales and siltstones. At surface, the pipe is 60 to 100 m in diameter. Historic mining, at a limited scale, has taken place to a depth of 95 m on six levels. The host carbonate is estimated to be at least 1,000 m thick and is considered prospective throughout. The Tres Marias pipe has geological and geochemical characteristics of both Mississippi Valley Type and Tsumeb/Kipushi Type deposits.At the 6th level, the Tres Marias pipe is 120 m long by 70 m wide. Mineralization consists of a number of high-grade bodies hosted both within the breccia pipe and along its margins. The largest sulphide body encountered to date is 50 m long by 12 m wide. Samples from this zone grade in excess of 15% Zn+Pb and 300-600 ppm Ge. Geologic mapping and review of historic data indicate the potential for mineralization grading approximately 15% Zn and 500 ppm Ge accessible from the 6th level. Geophysical surveys suggest that the pipe on the whole could extend to a depth of 700 m. No detailed records exist of the first discovery of mineralization at Tres Marias. The Tres Marias Mine was opened in 1949 by a local group and early development included a single shaft, sunk to a depth of 123 m, and shipments of several hundreds of tonnes of oxidized, high-grade lead, ore to a smelter in Chihuahua. Various shipments of zinc carbonates were sent to Villareal in Monterrey. Exploitation continued at a small scale until 1950. The Property was acquired by Eagle Picher Co. in 1952 and up to 1963 completed additional exploration (including diamond drilling) and produced approximately 70,000 tons of oxidized ore (sent to the company’s Henryetta Oklahoma Smelter) and a further 20,000 tons of sulphides from 1965 to closure in 1970. The ore averaged 24% Zn, 2.5% Pb, and 400g/t Ge. Eagle Picher also constructed a 50 ton mill on the property. Fresnillo (1971 to 1973) drilled 18 diamond drill holes (2066.5 m). The property was also exploited by Zinc National S. A. whom, from 1987 to 1992, produced and treated at its Monterrey Refinery around 35,000 tons of oxide ore averaging 30 to 40 % zinc. Minera Kennecott de Mexico S. A. (subsidiary of Kennecott) acquired Tres Marias in October 1993. Kennecott completed an extensive exploration effort including: 1) regional mapping 1:10,000 covering 9.0 by 8.0 km area, 2) rock geochemical sampling of the main structures, 3) detailed surface mapping (1:2000) of the Tres Marias Mine area, 4) mine detailed mapping 1:500 scale on the 4th, 5th, and 6th levels, 5) CSAMT and magnetics along 7 lines totaling 7.5 kms. 

Tombstone 2000 Sampling Program:
TSO completed a surface sampling program on the Tres Marias Project in 2000. A total of 35 samples were collected concentrated in the areas of known mineralization. No access was available to the main underground workings although they appeared to be in good condition.Economically significant results were returned from outcrops at the Tres Marias Zone, dump samples from material adjacent the Main Shaft, adit located 100 m north of the main shaft, and the La Blanca Zone.  Several mineralized outcrops exist in the area of the Main Workings. The best exposure is provided by an open adit approximately 100 m north
of the main shaft. Ten samples were collected in and around the adit average 15.7% Zn.  Results of outcrops adjacent the Tres Maria Zone include 8.4% and 23.3% Zn. Eleven samples collected from the Tres Marias dumps average 25.1% Zn with six samples >30% Zn. A total of 15 samples returned greater than 100 ppm Ge and eight samples >2.5% Pb. Sampling completed at the La Blanca Zone returned results ranging up to 3.9% Zn.One significant observation is that the mineralized structure exposed in the adit can be traced along an open raise 10 m vertically above the adit where it is exposed in outcrop as a low grade (0.5% Zn), thin, discontinuous iron and zinc oxide filled fracture. Future exploration must be mindful that significant mineralization may be blind or evidenced by weak zones on surface. 

2001 Underground Program:
The following are the highlights of the property visit to the Tres Marias Project completed between February 23 and March 3, 2001. High Tech Mineral’s geologist Dave Hackman - Chief Geologist, and mining engineer Manuel Rizzoli, accompanied by G. Smith of Tombstone, completed the visit. Significant aspects of the 2001 visit included; 1) inspection of the underground workings, 2) the collection of mineral and ore specimens for thin and polished section studies, 3) collection of 125 kilograms of mineralized material for subsequent metallurgical work, and 4) construction of fences to comply with environmental requirements. One of the principal goals of the visits was to inspect the main underground workings. In general the workings are in good condition and only a moderate amount of work is required before underground sampling and mapping could be completed. Access was gained to all levels #1 through #6. In particular the shaft is in excellent condition. Very few areas show any evidence of caving (where present always associated with faults) and the workings were dry with the exception of a few faults that had a trace amount of water seeping in. The vast majority of timbers are in good to excellent condition. Some new supports or replacing of timbers is required, additionally some ladders will have to be upgraded. Several hand specimens were collected for thin and polished section work to more accurately determine where the germanium occurs. Approximately 125 kilograms of mineralized material were collected for future metallurgical testing. Several ore types are represented including; massive sulphide (sphalerite and minor galena with traces of pyrite and arsenopyrite), sulphide breccia (similar sulphide suite but with 25-50% gangue of calcite and limestone), massive hemimorphite, massive smithsonite, and mixed smithsonite and hemimorphite. 

2001 Plans:
A three year extension to the exploration permits was received in December of 2000. High Tech is currently preparing detailed exploration plans and budgets. The upcoming phase will consist of underground surveying, mapping, and sampling aimed at confirming the grade and location of near-term exploitable mineralization. The second phase will consist of upgrading the underground access for the collection of a bulk sample.

Tombstone Exploration's WWWinfo 25Mar02