Los Gatos is interpreted as an intermediate sulfidation epithermal vein.

Veins in the Cerro Los Gatos deposit show textures and gangue mineralogy (local chalcedony and calcite, and quartz-replaced lattice texture calcite) that indicate a relatively high-level hydrothermal system in the boiling environment. Breccia with clasts of vein quartz indicates a protracted hydrothermal system during multiple faulting events.

Mineralization at Cerro Los Gatos is characterized by silver, lead, zinc, and copper sulfides and their corresponding oxides, along with fluorite, manganese, barite, and traces of gold associated with quartz and calcite veins.

The veins vary in orientation from West-Northwest to Northwest to North-Northwest and vary in thickness from 20 cm to 30 m in the mine operation. Study of the veins in hand specimens and thin sections suggest they are epithermal in origin and are likely of intermediate sulfidation composition.

The Los Gatos District hosts a series of quartz, quartz-calcite, and calcite veins in at least fifteen separate vein systems that are exposed along a strike length of approximately 30 km and an outcrop belt width of approximately 5 km.

The veins containing silver, lead and zinc at Los Gatos are hosted primarily by the Andesite rocks immediately above the contact with the dacitic lithic tuff. Vein thickness is variable. Figure 7.7 shows an isometric view of the dacite lithic tuff unit (pink) which ma ........

CLG is a developed and operating underground mine that uses mechanized equipment to extract mineralized material containing the metals silver, lead, zinc and gold. A fleet of rubber-tired mining equipment is used to develop tunnels in waste rock, prepare stopes for production and mine mineralized material. Blasted ore is loaded and hauled by diesel-powered trucks to a surface stockpile area from where it is re-handled by front-end loader (FEL) into the crusher and transported to the processing plant by conveyor. The main access decline connects the surface portal to the Northwest and Central internal ramps at the 1420 Level. The mining methods used at CLG are two bulk stoping methods, transverse longhole, and longitudinal longhole, as well as a more selective overhand cut-and-fill mining method. Development occurs in the decline ramp to access deeper reserves and on levels and sublevels for stope development. Mine services are extended with development headings. There are five ventilation shafts providing fresh air into the mine and exhausting foul air, in addition to the decline. Two more ventilation raises are in the Mine Plan to provide fresh air to the SE Zone. The water table is near the surface at CLG, and much effort has been expended to understand the source of the water and develop a plan to lower the table and remove the hot waters from the mine. Wells have been drilled from surface and underground and pumps installed to draw down the water table by pumping wate ........

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