Aztec Minerals Corp. announced that it has received assay results from three drill holes of its 2023 core drilling program at the Tombstone project in the historic Tombstone silver mining district in southeastern Arizona. Aztec holds a 75% interest in the Tombstone Property Joint Venture, which includes most of the original patented mining claims in the district as well as some recently acquired properties.

The three drill holes are part of a recently completed 7-hole program that was drilled in a fan-grid pattern over the length of the Contention open pit. Multiple underground mine workings were intersected in all the drill holes. High grade silver and gold was encountered in TC23-05 within a zone of oxidized, altered siltstones and sandstones and Qfp dike at a shallow depth between 19.8 m and 55.8 m. TC23-05 intersected a shallow, broad, oxidized zone of 36.0 m averaging 2.82 gpt Au and 176.64 gpt Ag (5.02 gpt AuEq), including 6.45 gpt Au & 408.47 gpt Ag (11.55 gpt AuEq) over a 15.5 m width.

The drill hole intersected several high grade silver zones of 1.52 m of 1,694 gpt Ag, 1.52 m of 380 gpt Ag, 1. 52 m of 226 gpt Ag, 1.53 m 1470 gpt Ag as well as 1.52 m of 53.5 gpt Au. Gold equivalence (AuEq) was calculated using an 80:1 silver:gold ratio. The vertical drillhole TC23-05, along with TC23-04, was collared at the bottom of the main Contention pit, near the former underground mine's second level.

It also intercepted four different levels of mine workings and it is interpreted that the Blue limestone target was intercepted with a mineralized zone near the end of the drillhole. Hole TC23-03 was collared inside the central portion of the main Contention Pit, on the western side and drilled under the pit to its eastern side. The collar was located near to the east of the now closed, main Contention four compartment shaft that reached more than 1,000 feet deep for ten levels.

TC23-03 encountered 62.5 m of 0.47 gpt Au and 24.05 gpt Ag (0.77 gpt AuEq) in oxidized, altered siltstones and sandstones and Qfp dike with mine workings. Hole TC23-04 was collared adjacent to TC23-05 near the east foot of the Contention pit and encountered 35.0 m of 0.12 gpt Au and 19.14 gpt Ag (0.36 gpt AuEq) in oxidized, altered siltstones and sandstones and Qfp dike with multiple mine workings. Drill Hole TC23-02, which was collared approximately 80 m southwest of the previously reported hole TC23-01 was initially drilled to a depth of 27 m, before difficult drilling conditions resulted in a temporary abandonment of the drill hole in mid-March.

The drill hole was then re-entered in late April and was successfully extended to a total depth of 139 m. This hole crossed several workings, and samples have been shipped for analysis, and are expected to be reported within the next 3 weeks, along with results from holes TC23-06 and TC23-07.