Tinka Resources drills 604 g/t silver over 7.1 metres at Ayawilca, Peru

Tinka Resources Ltd. [TK-TSXV, BVL; TKRFF-OTCQB] released results for four drill holes from the continuing resource expansion and exploration drill program at the 100%-owned Ayawilca zinc-silver-tin project in central Peru.

Highlights include a new intersection of high-grade silver mineralization from the “Silver Zone” in hole A23-220 located on the edge of the massive sulphide “Zinc Zone” at South Ayawilca. The Silver Zone has been reinterpreted with data from current and previous drill holes to have been emplaced along a northeast-trending sub-vertical fault bordering the massive sulphides. High-grade, structurally controlled, silver mineralization is confirmed along a strike length of approximately 250 metres, open along-strike in both directions and at depth.

Key Highlights – New “Silver Zone” drill hole intercepts: Hole A23-220 returned 29.5 metres at 182 g/t silver, 2.4% zinc and 0.8% lead from 289.65 metres depth, including 7.1 metres at 604 g/t silver, 2.7% zinc and 1.6% lead from 310.9 metres depth, including 0.65 metres at 2,565 g/t silver, 4.2% zinc and 5.7% lead from 313.7 metres depth.

The Silver Zone is interpreted as a northeast-trending structure on the edge of the Zinc Zone sulphides along a strike length of approximately 250 metres.

A follow-up drill hole targeting a 100-metre extension of the Silver Zone is in progress. Mineralization is associated with a low abundance of sulphide minerals including ‘ruby silvers’ with sphalerite and galena in a carbonate-rich vein matrix.

Hole A17-095 returned 8.7 metres at 135 g/t silver, 1.1% zinc and 0.6% lead from 307.3 metres depth.

Silver Zone intercepts previously released included Hole A17-072 that returned 11.5 metres at 781 g/t silver, 2.9% zinc and 2.3% lead from 294.5 metres depth, including 2.0 metres at 3,167 g/t silver, 5.6% zinc and 5.5% lead from 302.0 metres depth.

Hole A19-167 returned 29.6 metres at 152 g/t silver, 3.1% zinc and 0.4% lead from 412.7 metres depth in hole A19-167, including7.3 metres at 366 g/t silver, 4.9% zinc and 0.5% lead from 412.7 metres depth, including1.7 metres at 1,130 g/t silver, 14.5% zinc and 0.3% lead from 412.7 metres depth.

True thicknesses of the intercepts in the Silver Zone are estimated to be 65-75% of the downhole thicknesses.

Dr. Graham Carman, President and CEO, stated: “The Silver Zone intersection in hole A23-220 is important for the Ayawilca project as it highlights the potential for high-grade structurally-controlled silver mineralization hosted within a steeply-dipping northeast-trending fault on the edge of the massive sulphides at South Ayawilca that has seen limited past drilling. So far, silver mineralization is defined over 250 metres of the structure and remains open in both directions to the east and west. A follow-up drill hole is in progress, targeting a further 100-metre strike extension of the Silver Zone to the east as well as additional Zinc Zone mineralization.”

Dr. Carman continued: “Seven infill drill holes targeting high-grade Zinc Zone mineralization predominantly at West Ayawilca remain to be reported. The drill hole information is currently being compiled and we expect to have final results reported in May.”

A total of 11,350 metres have now been drilled for 33 drill holes in the 2022-23 resource definition drill program at Ayawilca, mostly at the West and South Ayawilca areas. Two holes at Central were drilled for the dual purposes of exploration and hydrological studies.

Four drill holes are interpreted to have intersected the Silver Zone along the 060 Fault within the favourable Pucara limestone host. These Silver Zone drill intersections include Hole A23-220 that returned 29.5 metres at 182 g/t silver, 2.4% zinc and 0.8% lead from 289.65 metres (including 7.1 m at 604 g/t Ag 2.7% Zn & 1.6% Pb from 310.9 metres (new drill hole).

True thicknesses of the Silver Zone intercepts are estimated to between 65-75% of the downhole thicknesses.

The Silver Zone mineralization has so far been identified along a 250 metres strike length of the northeast-trending structure. A follow-up hole to A23-220 is in progress to test a further 100-metre strike extension of the silver mineralization in hole A23-223.

Other new Zinc Zone drill results from South Ayawilca include Hole A23-218 that returned 66.85 metres at 6.4% zinc from 229.0 metres depth, including 11.9 metres at 11.4% zinc from 231.4 metres depth; and 7.1 metres at 14.8% zinc from 272.9 metres depth.

True thicknesses of the mineralized intercepts are estimated to be between 65-75% of the downhole thicknesses.

The Zinc Zone deposit has an estimated Indicated Mineral Resource of 19.0 Mt at 7.15% zinc, 16.8 g/t silver and 0.2% lead and Inferred Mineral Resource of 47.9 Mt at 5.4% zinc, 20.0 g/t silver and 0.4% lead. The Ayawilca Tin Zone has an estimated Inferred Mineral Resource of 8.4 Mt grading 1.0% tin. Tinka is currently completing an 11,500-metre resource definition drill program at West Ayawilca and South Ayawilca Zinc Zone.