Astra Exploration Inc. provided results from the remaining 18 of 30 completed drill holes at the Pampa Paciencia gold-silver project in northern Chile. Highlights: New results expand mineralization at the Paciencia Vein to over 300 metres where it remains open at depth and along strike; and Second zone at Paciencia Oeste Vein now defined over 200 metres where it remains open at depth and along strike. HOLE PPRC-22-36:  3.96 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 37.67 g/t silver over three metres downhole (mDH) within a broader zone of 0.92 g/t gold and 8.61 g/t silver over 31 mDH at the Paciencia vein.

HOLE PPRC-22-24: 5.53 g/t gold and 47.1 g/t silver over one metre and 2.78 g/t gold and 75.6 g/t silver over two mDH within a broader zone of 0.72 g/t gold and 19.38 g/t silver over 25 mDH at Paciencia Oeste vein. HOLE PPRC-22-28: 4.02 g/t gold and 26.9 g/t silver over two mDH within a broader zone of 1.45 g/t gold and 12.59 g/t silver over nine mDH at Paciencia Este vein. Drill Results Discussion: Pampa Paciencia is a 3,840 hectare road-access low-sulphidation epithermal (LSE) gold-silver project located within an active mining district less than 15 kilometers from two major mines (Sierra Gorda and Spence) and five kilometers from the Faride LSE mine.

Astra has completed property wide mapping and sampling, geophysical surveys, and localized trenching and in doing so, has defined a vein boulder field over approximately 75% of the project area. The veins do not outcrop as the majority of the project area is covered by a thin layer of gravels and caliche but the vein float can be used to identify areas of high prospectivity. Most drilling focused on the 1.4 km long Paciencia Vein system located in the North Zone, which is comprised of Paciencia Oeste, Paciencia, and Paciencia Este vein segments.

The Company previously reported results for 11 of 29 drill holes which were from the Paciencia Vein, and the holes reported herein are for the remaining 18 drill holes as follows: Paciencia Vein – 1 hole; Paciencia Oeste – 9 holes; Paciencia Este – 3 holes; Geophysical Targets – 2 holes; 15 Vein/Central Zone – 3 holes. The three vein segments along the Paciencia Vein System are separated by ENE-striking faults that were interpreted with geophysical magnetics and confirmed with trenching. Plan map and an integrated longitudinal section clearly show this continuous but segmented nature of the Paciencia Vein System, and the presence of two high grade mineralized shoots with similar behaviour (45° SE plunge) which are both open along strike and at depth.

Geochemical results show the variation in the  of Ag:Au ratios in the Paciencia Vein System, with an average Ag to Au ratio of 47 in the higher grade portions of the Paciencia Oeste vein, that decrease to 16 in Paciencia vein, and to 4 in Paciencia Este vein. Preliminary results for the two blind geophysical vein discoveries returned Ag:Au ratios of 61 and 2 in Geophysical targets 2 and 1, respectively. Company geologists believe this further demonstrates the potential for finding Au-rich veining in the eastern portion of this vein network and/or at depth.

Drilling at Geophysical targets 1 and 2 resulted in the discovery of two blind veins. Geophysical target 1 intercepted two parallel structures composed of a 1 meter Mn-rich quartz vein and 3 meters limonitic breccia with anomalous precious metals (2m @ 0.28 g/t Au equivalent). Geophysical target 2 intercepted a shallow 14 meters thick structure composed by a chalcedonic quartz vein and limonitic breccias reporting similar anomalous results  (5m @ 0.14 g/t Au equivalent).

Additional drilling will be required to find the hidden mineralized shoots that may be associated with these new vein discoveries. The remaining three holes in the Central Zone confirmed thin (up to 2m thick) chalcedonic vein and veinlet structures hosted in the Paleocene andesites which overlay the Cretaceous granitoids. Drill holes did not reach sufficient depth to intersect the more competent granitoid rock where thicker veins develop as indicated by field mapping.

These results indicate a shallow system elevation and deeper drilling is required to properly test the Central Zone targets.