First Pass Drilling Of Westside Target Area At Tombstone Property

VANCOUVER - Aztec Minerals Corp. reported on the first pass drilling at the Westside Target Area of the 2024 drilling program at the Tombstone Property in Southeastern Arizona.  

West Side Target First Pass Drilling Highlights: 1) TR24-13 intersected 33.5m of 22.05 gpt AgEq (0.11 gpt Au and 13.06 gpt Ag) and then 85.4m of 47.31 gpt AgEq (0.281 gpt Au and 24.79 gpt Ag) including 24.4m of 106.24 gpt AgEq (0.59 gpt Au and 59.16 gpt Ag). 2) TR24-8 intersected 6.1 m at 105.1 gpt AgEq (1.23 gpt Au and 7.0 gpt Ag) and then 21.3m at 38.75 gpt AgEq (0.35 gpt Au and 10.6 gpt Ag). 3) TR24-11 intersected 25.9m at 32.47 gpt AgEq (0.05 gpt Au and 28.56 gpt Ag).

The Westside target area’s first pass exploration drilling program has encountered oxide silver-gold mineralization in every drillhole to date, nearly doubling the area of drill demonstrated exploration potential from the Contention pit target area alone.  The geologic modeling for the Westside target area was successful with blind targeting and confirmed the historic reporting of underground mine workings as well as Aztec’s modeling.

Notably, TR24-13 in the Westside anticline demonstrates that anticlines in the target area can host significant oxide silver-gold mineralization, vertically in multiple zones, across the Bisbee sedimentary section without the immediate presence of Qfp intrusive dikes.  In addition, the presence of the historic Sulphuret stope was confirmed.  The mineralization and presence of the Arizona Queen anticline was confirmed TR24-08.

Drill holes TR24-11 and TR24-12 tested for the Westside Fissure, confirmed the historic reporting, and found widths of 16 to 25 meters of bulk tonnage grade oxide Silver-Gold mineralization surrounding the high-grade fissure.  The Westside target area exploration drilling results warrant additional drilling.

An important discovery from the Westside target area was the change in precious metal Tenor (the proportions/ratios for metals to each other) to more silver enriched compared to the Contention open pit target area being more gold enriched.  The Westside area is more dominated by sedimentary rocks, less than 5% Qfp intrusive dikes by observed volumes, while the Contention area has ~10% Qfp intrusive dikes by observed volumes.

Recent exploration, and geologic modeling in 2024, identified the features that were drill tested for the first time.  The first pass drill results provide significant evidence for potential bulk mineable and underground mineralization in the area that was slated for open pit production in the early 1980s.