Aztec Minerals drills 70.1 metres of 2.33 AuEq at Tombstone, Arizona
Aztec Minerals Corp. [AZT-TSXV; AZZTF-OTCQB] reported assay results for an additional four holes, TR21-11 to 14, from its now completed 2021 phase 2, 23-hole, 2,716-metre reverse circulation (RC) drill program on the Tombstone project, which covers most of the historic Tombstone silver mining district in southeastern Arizona.
The four holes were drilled on two fence patterns to step out to the south from prior drill fences reported previously in the north-central part of the Contention open pit. Every one of the four holes intersected near surface, oxidized gold-silver mineralization, and all four holes bottomed in mineralization.
Hole TR21-13 returned 1.8 g/t gold and 36.9 g/t silver (2.33 g/t gold equivalent (AuEq)) over 70.1 metres, including 6.08 metres of 2.93 g/t gold and 157 g/t silver (5.17 g/t AuEq) and 1.52 metres with visible gold in quartz veining grading 55.71 g/t gold and 176.1 g/t silver (58.22 g/t AuEq). The hole bottomed in mineralization grading 0.37 g/t AuEq when ground caving forced early termination of the hole.
Hole TR21-11 returned 1.2 g/t gold and 71.6 g/t silver (2.22 g/t AuEq) over 24.3 metres, and 0.17 g/t gold and 6 g/t silver (0.26 g/t AuEq) over 16.7 metres.
Hole TR21-12 returned 0.27 g/t gold and 20.9 g/t silver (0.56 g/t AuEq) over 7.6 metres.
Hole TR21-14 returned several intervals of low grade mineralization totaling 43 metres, including 0.32 g/t gold and 9.9 g/t silver (0.46 g/t AuEq) over 7.6 metres, and 0.09 g/t gold and 11.6 g/t silver (0.25 g/t AuEq) over 12.2 metres, but this hole was drilled steeply to the west so does not appear to have tested the down-dip potential of holes 21-10 and 11.
Simon Dyakowski, CEO, commented, “Our 2021 RC drill program has now been completed and the results continue to return strong grades over broad widths, confirming and expanding the historic gold and silver mineralized zones both along strike and down dip. Holes 21-11 to 14 confirm the geological continuity between the 2021 drill holes and 2020 and earlier historic USMX drill holes, and the mineralization remains open in all directions.
“Our 2020 and 2021 drill programs targeted the near-surface mineralization around and below the Contention pit for a substantial bulk tonnage, epithermal gold-silver vein deposit with open pit, heap leach potential, and results to date have clearly confirmed this potential. Once we have reported the remainder of the 2021 drill results, we will consider a Phase 3 core drill program to continue extending the near surface, oxidized gold-silver mineralization to depths of 150-200 metres, as well as some much deeper 500-750-metre holes to test for “Taylor” CRD polymetallic massive sulfide mineralization underlying the near surface epithermal mineralization.”