Ero Copper Corp. indirectly holds approximately 97.6% of the voting shares of NX Gold S.A. (“NX Gold”) through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ero Gold Corp., incorporated under the BCABC. NX Gold holds a 100% interest in the NX Gold Mine.
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Summary:
Gold and silver mineralization at the Xavantina Operations can be characterized as a shear-zone hosted, sulphide-rich, laminated quartz vein. Economic mineralization on the property, to date, has been hosted within the northeast trending Araés shear zone that cross-cuts the deformed and metamorphosed volcano-sedimentary sequence of the Proterozoic Cuiabá Group and is generally associated with felsic dikes.
Economic gold and silver mineralization at the Xavantina Operations is structurally controlled within the Araés shear zone. Gold and silver are currently mined from a major sulphide-rich, laminated quartz vein dipping approximately 40 degrees to the north-northwest and striking to the west-southwest – the Santo Antonio vein. Prior to the second half of 2019, mining activities occurred in the Brás and Buracão veins, located to the east and west of Santo Antonio, respectively. Vein dimensions are variable throughout the deposit, with an average thickness of 4 meters. Local occurrences of up to 10 meters in vein thickness are common, particularly within the Brás and lower levels of the Santo Antônio veins. The Matinha vein plunges in the same direction as the Santo Antônio vein. Mineralization encountered to date at Matinha is similar to that of the Santo Antônio vein and the economic quartz veins that have been previously mined on the property. Additional work is ongoing to further evaluate continuity of grade and thickness of Matinha and further extend mineralization through exploration drilling. Where gold and silver grades are found in economic concentrations, quartz veins typically contain approximately 2 to 15 percent total sulphide represented mostly by pyrite and galena, as well as minor chalcopyrite, bornite, pyrrhotite, and sphalerite. Higher gold and silver grades are generally associated with galena, chalcopyrite, bornite, and sphalerite.
The known extent of gold mineralization at the Xavantina Operations, both historic and current, is structurally controlled and hosted in four major sulphide-rich quartz veins/bodies, from west to east: Buracão, Santo Antônio, Brás and Matinha. The veins are hosted in strongly deformed metamorphosed sedimentary rock units and diorite that trend generally to the northeast. The veins exhibit a typical laminated pattern parallel with the vein contacts. The laminations are characterized by alternating quartz bands and foliated host rocks indicative of multiple pulses of mineralized fluids during formation.
The Buracão vein is located on the western portion of the mining concession and includes a primary laminated vein measuring 100 meters in length and dipping 45 degrees to the northwest in the upper portion of the mine and 70 meters in length dipping 40 degrees to the northwest in the lower portion of the mine. The Brás vein is located to the east of the Buracão vein and includes a primary laminated vein measuring 220 meters in strike length in the upper part of the mine and 50 meters in strike length in the lower levels of the mine. The Santo Antônio vein is located between the Brás and Buracão veins and currently extends over 300 meters in strike length. The Matinha vein is located east of the Brás, Santo Antônio and Buracão veins and currently extends over 130 meters in strike length. Continued drill-testing of extensions of the Santo Antônio and Matinha veins is planned for 2023 focused on identifying extensions along strike and to depth. To date, the mineralogical characterization of all of the veins containing economic values of gold and silver at the Xavantina Operations are the same.