Astra Drills 1.4m Grading 35.3g/t Gold and 8,356 g/t Silver At La Manchuria Project, Santa Cruz, Argentina
ASTRA EXPLORATION INC. (TSX-V: ASTR, OTCQB: ATEPF, FSE: S3I)
NEWS RELEASE
Astra Drills 1.4m Grading 35.3g/t Gold and 8,356 g/t Silver At La Manchuria
Project, Santa Cruz, Argentina
Highlights
• LM-108A: 4.4m grading 11.8g/t gold and 2,781g/t silver (39.6g/t AuEq) including
▪ 1.4m grading 35.3g/t gold and 8,356g/t silver (118.9g/t AuEq)
• LM-109: 2.5m grading 5.52g/t gold and 25g/t silver (5.77g/t AuEq)
• LM-105: 2.0m grading 6.56g/t gold and 489g/t silver (11.74g/t AuEq)
• Confirmed extension of key mineralized structures
• Results are open to depth and along strike
• Additional assay results expected to be received this month
• Estimated true widths are 85% of widths reported in this news release
Vancouver, British Columbia – June 10, 2025 – Astra Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: ASTR, OTCQB:
ATEPF, FSE: S3I) (“Astra Exploration” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the initial results
of the Compan y’s maiden drill program at the La Manchuria Project, located in the prolific
Deseado Massif of Santa Cruz, Argentina.
Astra’s CEO, Brian Miller commented:
“These first results are an impressive start to Astra’s drilling at La Manchuria. Our drilling to date
has been successful in intersecting new quartz vein structures outside the limits of past drilling ,
thus confirming our geologic model and interpretation.
When we optioned the project last year, a shallow resource was already defined. Our team of
experts interpreted the high-grade veins to have potential for extension along strike and at depth;
further, that there are more veins in a larger vein field than has been drilled previously.
The initial results have proved both to be true, with bonanza grade gold and silver intercepts that
are open to depth in LMD -108A and hole LMD-105 hitting three new veins approximately 150m
to the southwest of previous drilling. More results from further step -outs in June are pending,
notably including overlimit assays from hole 107A which confirmed continuity of important
southeast striking structures underneath the post-mineral breccia unit. We have adequate funds
and are already planning for an additional round of drilling to follow up these results.”
Drilling Program
Astra’s Phase I drill program at La Manchuria consists of 11 diamond drill holes (DDH), totaling
2,468 m, designed to test four different zones of the Manchuria hill ( see May 21, 2025 news
release). Today’s results are from the initial deeper drilling in the main zone and step -out vein
targets to the southwest as seen in Figure 1 below. Assays for four holes are reported in today’s
release (Table 1) and the remaining seven holes have assay results pending.
Drilling by previous operators has focused on shallow drilling and defined a small historic open
pit resource1. A detailed review of these veins by Astra Exploration geologists suggested these
had the potential to be open at depth, along strike and for the broader vein field to be larger than
the current drilled footprint.
Figure 1: Plan map of initial Phase I drill results on four holes (105, 106, 108A, & 109) at La Manchuria. Gold and
silver results are in grams per tonne (g/t).
Drilling Results and Discussion
Table 1: Assays from four holes at La Manchuria. Ag:Au ratio (AuEq) is 100:1.
Drilling by Astra at La Manchuria commence d at hole number LM D-105 to follow the naming
convention used by previous operators.
Drill hole LMD-105 was designed to explore for new veins southwest of the Main Zone. The hole
successfully intersected a group of three previously unknown veins, all of which returned shallow,
high-grade mineralized intervals. These zones remain open at de pth, indicating strong potential
for further exploration:
• 2 m with 11.74 grams per tonne (g/t) AuEq (Gold Equivalent) at 6.4 m depth in a blind
vein that was not mapped previously
• 0.5 m with 16.36 g/t AuEq at 44 m depth, vein represented at surface with anomalous
silver channel samples on quartz veinlets
Hole From (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AuEq (g/t)
LMD-105 6.4 5 3.07 206.24 5.13
including 6.4 2 6.86 488.51 11.74
& including 6.4 1 10.17 893.81 19.11
LMD-105 44 0.5 16.22 14.20 16.36
LMD-105 104.5 1.5 3.19 4.00 3.23
including 105.5 0.5 8.39 8.80 8.48
LMD-106
LMD-107A
LMD-108A 68 4 1.12 30.10 1.42
LMD-108A 124.6 4.4 11.83 2,780.80 39.64
including 124.6 1.4 35.34 8,356.24 118.90
& including 124.6 0.65 70.62 15,550.67 226.13
LMD-108A 144 1 1.76 12.50 1.89
LMD-108A 152 2 0.50 105.60 1.56
LMD-108A 167 1 1.43 884.57 10.28
LMD-108A 174 2 0.24 84.00 1.08
LMD-108A 212 1.5 0.70 91.50 1.62
LMD-109 28 2 1.06 24.60 1.31
LMD-109 58 8 0.82 29.80 1.12
including 60 2 1.68 37.50 2.06
LMD-109 127.5 5.5 1.89 23.14 2.12
LMD-109 145 2 0.72 34.14 1.06
LMD-109 154 4 3.74 81.45 4.55
including 154 1 12.23 20.40 12.43
LMD-109 161.5 2.5 5.52 25.40 5.77
including 161.5 0.5 19.40 60.20 20.00
LMD-109 182.4 0.5 1.87 5.40 1.92
No significant values
Overlimit and QAQC pending
• 0.5 m with 8.48 g/t AuEq at 105.5 m depth, vein represented at surface with a historical
trench reporting 3.2 g/t Au and 88 g/t Ag in a 10 m interval
Drill holes LMD-106 intersected veining but returned no significant results.
Drill holes LMD-108A and LMD-109 were designed to test a portion of the Main Zone at depth. In
addition to successfully intersecting the targeted zone, both holes also encountered new, parallel
vein systems located to the east. Notably, all identified veins remain open at depth and at the right
lithology (rhyolitic tuffs), highlighting strong potential for further mineralization.
Drill hole LMD-108A (Figure 2) returned one of the highest-grade intercepts to date on the project,
with 4.4 m grading 44.6 g/t AuEq at a downhole depth of 124.6 m. This high -grade interval
includes a 1.4 m wide quartz-sulfide vein containing bonanza grades of 35.3 g/t Au and 8,356 g/t
Ag (118.9 g/t AuEq) . This vein is located just 100 m below surface and has been named the
Argentum vein. Importantly, this hole shows that the Argentum vein is not isolated —another
quartz-sulfide vein, 1 m thick and grading 10.28 g/t AuEq, was intercepted at 167 m downhole
depth, and several smaller veins and veinlets reported anomalous precious metals.
Figure 2: Schematic cross section through the Main zone at La Manchuria showing hole LMD-108A drill results.
Drill hole LMD-109 extended mineralization east of the Main Zone, identifying a series of new,
parallel veins and veinlets. At least four distinct mineralized structures were defined in this area ,
with two high-grade intervals standing out:
• 4 m with 4.55g/t AuEq at 154 m downhole depth
• 2.5 m with 5.77g/t AuEq at 161.5 m downhole depth
Table 2: Coordinates (Gauss Krugger: belt 2) for 11 DDH holes and downhole depth. Coordinates and depth are in
metres.
Next Steps
Assay results remain outstanding for seven holes from the Phase I program. They target an
extension to the southeast of the Main Zone beneath post mineral cover and step -outs to the
northwest and southeast of the Main Zone.
The Company is currently making plans to quickly follow up with a Phase II drill program. Astra
has approximately $2 million in its treasury and is funded to restart drilling at La Manchuria.
HOLE X Y Z DEPTH
LMD-105 2432548 4665870 689.3 152
LMD-106 2432742 4665841 673.4 260
LMD-107A 2432851 4665968 671.0 221
LMD-108A 2432758 4666224 700.9 215
LMD-109 2432704 4666310 688.2 221
LMD-110 2432993 4665930 667.3 369
LMD-111 2432882 4666120 704.9 230
LMD-112 2432976 4666267 732.4 164
LMD-113 2432488 4666174 680.7 149
LMD-114 2433340 4666068 702.3 161
LMD-115 2433145 4665966 676.4 326
Figure 3: Location map of the La Manchuria project in the Deseado Massif of Santa Cruz, Argentina.
About the Company
Astra Exploration Inc. is a precious metals exploration company based out of Vancouver, BC that
is actively building a portfolio of high -quality projects in some of the most important mining
jurisdictions in Latin America.
The La Manchuria gold -silver project in Santa Cruz, Argentina , over which Astra has an
option to acquire 90% interest, is a high-grade gold and silver low sulphidation epithermal (LSE)
deposit located in the prolific Deseado Massif which hosts multiple world -class LSE precious
metals deposits including Cerro Vanguardia and Cerro Negro, Santa Cruz, Argentina.
The 100% owned Pampa Paciencia gold and silver project in northern Chile is located in the
Paleocene mineral province in proximity to such major operating mines as Spence and Sierra
Gorda. The project shares several important geological similarities to other Paleocene LSE gold-
silver deposits including Faride and El Peñón.
The 100% owned Cerro Bayo project in northern Chile is located in the Maricunga belt
approximately 20 km from the Refugio Mine. The project hosts a high sulphidation epithermal
(HSE) +/- porphyry gold system with similarities to the Salares Norte deposit to the north in the
same belt. The Maricunga belt is one of the most en dowed regions in the world for gold and
copper deposits.
Qualified Person
The technical data and information as disclosed in this news release has been reviewed and
approved by Darcy Marud, who is an Independent Director of Astra . Mr. Marud is a Practicing
Member of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario and is a qualified person as
defined under the terms of National Instrument 43 -101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral
Projects.
For further information please contact:
Brian Miller
Chief Executive Officer
Tel. 604.428.0939
Email: [email protected]
References:
1 Source: Stubens, T. and Gowans, R., September 27, 2019.
Updated Technical Report on the Mineral Resources of the La Manchuria Project Santa Cruz
Province, Argentina
https://www.sedarplus.ca/csa-
party/records/document.html?id=6bc2df299100dda4b4142a8fc3458ea9e378a7ef5b24922fa490
ce964833e1b0
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