Azucar updates on intended resumption of activities at the El Cobre Project, Mexico

 

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Azucar Minerals Ltd. ("Azucar" or the "Company") (TSX-V: AMZ; OTCQX: AXDDF) is pleased to provide an update and announce final results from drilling conducted earlier this year at the Primo target of the El Cobre porphyry copper-gold project in Veracruz State, Mexico.

The Company has recently received approval from the Mexican health authority to resume operations and is currently preparing its facilities and implementing the health protocols required to enable a safe return to work. Upon return to work, the Company plans to deepen hole EC-20-108 which was stopped due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The mineralisation intersected at the bottom of the hole at the time drilling was suspended is interpreted to be potentially adjacent to or above the target area based on geophysics.

The Primo target is a new discovery initially announced in 2019 (see Azucar news release of October 16^th, 2019) based on the intersection in hole EC-19-086 of (from 718.00 to 918.00) 200.00 metres returning 0.40 g/t gold and 0.24% copper Including 86.50 metres of 0.70 g/t gold and 0.42% copper which included 55.60 metres of 0.94 g/t gold and 0.56% copper.

The Company has also been working towards announcing an initial resource estimate for the Norte Zone of the property.

A plan diagram for the drilling results reported today is provided with this news release and highlights include the following intervals:

Hole EC-20-107  Primo Target, 030 Az, -70 dip
From 279.50 to 303.25m, 23.75 metres @ 0.22 g/t gold and 0.08% copper

Hole EC-20-108  Primo Target, 335 Az, -60 dip
From 156.80 to 165.30m, 8.50 metres @ 0.71 g/t gold and 0.24% copper
From 808.00 to 931.50m, 123.50 metres @ 0.14 g/t gold and 0.14% copper

J. Duane Poliquin, Chairman of Azucar commented, “We continue to push on with our comprehensive two year intensive drill program at the El Cobre project. The drill program has identified multiple zones of porphyry mineralisation within a large area of hydrothermal alteration. The footprint of the system is very large and future work will be focused on searching for the core feeder zones of this large system.”

About the El Cobre Project

The El Cobre Project has a total area of approximately 7,000 hectares and is located adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, about 75 kilometres northwest of the major port city of Veracruz, Mexico in an area of excellent infrastructure. The project is situated 200 metres above sea level with extensive road access and is located less than 10 kilometres from a power plant, highway, gas line and other major infrastructure. Major power lines cross the property area.

The five copper-gold porphyry zones within the El Cobre Project are known as NORTE, VILLA RICA, EL PORVENIR ENCINAL and SUEGRO, and are defined by distinct Cu-Au soil anomalies, discrete, positive magnetic features and a large IP chargeability anomaly. The largest zone is the VILLA RICA ZONE which has only seen limited initial exploration drilling. An overview of drilling to date in the various zones is provided below.

NORTE ZONE: All five holes drilled in the Norte Zone prior to 2016 intersected porphyry-style mineralisation. Hole 08-CBCN-022, one of the deepest holes drilled at Norte in 2008, returned values of 0.14% Cu with 0.19 g/t Au over 259 m and 08-CBCN-19 intersected 41.15 metres averaging 0.42 g/t gold and 0.27% copper to the end of the hole at 187.45 metres. Drilling at the Norte Zone in 2016 and 2017 resulted in the highest grade intersections to date at the El Cobre project, including 114.60 metres grading 1.33 g/t Au and 0.48% Cu (Hole EC-17-018, see press release of April 5, 2017), 80.50 metres grading 1.34 g/t Au and 0.46% Cu (Hole EC-16-012, see press release of October 24, 2016), 70.45 metres grading 2.32 g/t Au and 0.59% Cu (Hole EC-17-026, see press release of July 25, 2017), and 534.90 metres grading 0.90 g/t Au and 0.30% Cu (Hole EC-17-029, see press release of August 15, 2017). Since the Norte Zone discovery, Azucar has been carrying out a systematic drill campaign to define this target. The Norte drillhole database is available on the Company website at www.azucarminerals.com.

VILLA RICA ZONE: The Villa Rica Zone is a roughly 2.5 kilometre by 1 kilometre area of hydrothermal alteration defined also by a strong north-northwest trending magnetic-chargeability high and associated copper-gold soil geochemical anomalies. Past mapping and sampling defined several areas of exposed porphyry mineralisation within the Villa Rica zone, including the Raya Tembrillo target and the Naranjo target, both at the north end of the Villa Rica zone. Initial drilling in 2017 on the Raya Tembrillo target intersected two styles of mineralisation; hypogene copper-gold porphyry mineralisation (115.00 metres of 0.57 g/t gold and 0.27% copper, see press release of November 28, 2017) and near surface exotic enriched copper mineralisation with an apparent tabular distribution (94.00 metres of 1.36% copper; see press release of December 13, 2017). The Primo target area, first announced on October 16, 2019, is also considered to be part of the Villa Rica zone, and is located approximately 1km from Raya Tembrillo.

EL PORVENIR ZONE: Drilling has demonstrated that the system persists at least to 400 m depth. Significant copper and gold grades were intersected such as 0.16% Cu and 0.39 g/t Au over 290 m in hole DDH04CB1. In addition, hole EC-13-004 intersected 0.23% Cu and 0.36 g/t Au over 106 m, to a depth of 504 m, again indicating potentially significant mineralisation at depth. Results from minimal drilling in 2017 include hole EC-17-040 which intersected 108.00 metres grading 0.88 g/t Au and 0.29% Cu, and hole EC-17-044 which intersected 40.25 metres grading 0.50 g/t Au and 0.25% Cu.

ENCINAL ZONE: Hole CB5 intersected a highly altered breccia pipe containing fragments of stockwork veining and porphyry mineralisation across which 18.28 metres returned 1.42 g/t Au and 0.10% Cu. The breccia pipe occurs in a large alteration zone, IP chargeability high and magnetics low which has not been tested to depth. On June 19, 2017 Azucar announced that a new area of exposed stockwork quartz veining and gold mineralisation had been identified in the Encinal Zone. On June 29, 2017 Azucar announced the results of initial drilling on this exposed stockwork (Hole EC-17-025) which returned results including 34.47 metres grading 0.73 g/t Au and 0.20% Cu.

SUEGRO ZONE: Recent 2019 drilling has identified a new porphyry centre between the El Porvenir and Encinal Zones. The Suegro Zone is located approximately 250 metres south of the Porvenir Zone, within a large area of alteration associated with more subdued magnetics, and low zinc and manganese in soil.   The Suegro mineralisation intersected in the drilling to date is associated with an altered (locally intense phyllic alteration overprinting potassic) intrusive. Intercepts to date include 28.20 m of 0.54 g/t Au and 0.17% Cu (hole EC-19-064; see press release of March 19, 2019).

More information on El Cobre is available on the Azucar website at http://www.azucarminerals.com.

Mr. Norm Dircks, P.Geo., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. The porphyry mineralisation reported in this news release is associated with broad areas of alteration and stockwork veining. True widths cannot be determined at this time. The analyses reported were carried out at ALS Chemex Laboratories of North Vancouver using industry standard analytical techniques. For gold, samples are first analysed by fire assay and atomic absorption spectroscopy (“AAS”). Samples that return values greater than 10 g/t gold using this technique are then re-analysed by fire assay but with a gravimetric finish. For copper, samples are first analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (“ICP-AES”), with four acid digestion. Samples that return values greater than 10000 g/t copper using this technique are then re-analysed by HF-HNO3-HCLO4 digestion with HCL leach and ICP-AES finish.  Blanks, field duplicates and certified standards were inserted into the sample stream as part of Azucar’s quality assurance and control program which complies with National Instrument 43-101 requirements. A NI 43-101 compliant technical report on the El Cobre project entitled, "Technical Report on the El Cobre Property” was filed in May 2015 and can be obtained from www.sedar.com.

About Azucar

Azucar is an exploration company with a mandate to thoroughly explore the El Cobre project in Veracruz, Mexico, which covers multiple gold-rich porphyry targets, as demonstrated by recent drilling. Azucar is permitted and funded for drilling in 2020. Azucar holds a 100% interest in the El Cobre project, subject to net smelter returns (“NSR”) royalty interests, assuming production from the property exceeds 10,001 tonnes per day of ore, totaling 2.25% which can be reduced to 2.0% though the payment of US$3.0 million.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

“Morgan Poliquin”
Morgan J. Poliquin, Ph.D., P.Eng.
President, CEO and Director
Azucar Minerals Ltd.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within it, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, other than as required pursuant to applicable securities laws.

Contact Information:

Azucar Minerals Ltd.
Tel. 604.689.7644
Email: info@azucarminerals.com
http://www.azucarminerals.com/

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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