Astra Drills Multiple GOLD Intercepts Including 14.48 G/T GOLD over 3 Metres IN Maiden Drill Results at Pampa Paciencia Project, Chile
ASTRA DRILLS MULTIPLE GOLD INTERCEPTS INCLUDING 14.48 G/T GOLD OVER
3 METRES IN MAIDEN DRILL RESULTS AT PAMPA PACIENCIA PROJECT, CHILE
Vancouver, British Columbia – May 2, 2022 – Astra Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: ASTR) (“Astra” or the
“Company”) is pleased to provide results from the first 11 of 30 completed drill holes at the Pampa
Paciencia gold-silver project in northern Chile.
Drill Highlights
PPRC-22-12:
• 14.48 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 39.7 g/t silver over 3 metres downhole (mDH) within a
broader zone of 2.71 g/t gold and 10.8 g/t silver over 21 mDH
PPRC-22-13:
• 3.28 g/t gold and 58.3 g/t silver over 6 mDH within a broader zone of 1.6 g/t gold and 21.3 g/t
silver over 22 mDH
PPRC-22-14:
• 4.09 g/t gold and 45.22 g/t silver over 4 mDH within a broader zone of 1.39 g/t gold and 17.1
g/t silver over 17 mDH
Astra’s CEO, Brian Miller commented: “These first drill results in Astra’s brief history are exciting as
they define a wide shoot of mineralization near surface that is open along strike and to depth.
Company geologists interpret that these holes are only at the top of the gold rich zone with significant
room for expansion. The comp any’s maiden drill program has tested five target areas with veins
intercepted in 29 of 30 holes. Assays remain outstanding for 18 more drillholes at the project.”
Drill Results Discussion
Pampa Paciencia is a road-accessible, low-sulphidation epithermal (LSE) gold-silver project located
within an active mining district less than 15 kilometers from two major copper mines (Sierra Gorda
and Spence) and 5 kilometers from the Faride LSE mine (Figure 5).
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.
Reverse circulation drilling commenced on veins within the interpreted five km long North Zone vein
corridor (Figure 1). The holes reported herein targeted the Paciencia Vein within that corridor along
a strike length of 400 meters. All holes intercepted the vein, with several intercepting a sub parallel
footwall splay (Figure 2).
Figure 1: Location of drill holes at the Paciencia North Zone. White dots/traces are historical DD holes, and
blue dots/traces are 2022 Astra Exploration RC holes. Small black dots are vein floats >25cm in size.
Historical drill holes were widely spaced leaving significant strike and dip length to expand the
historical drill intercepts into larger bodies of mineralization. These first results strongly support this
interpretation with holes PPRC-22-12, PPRC-22-13 and PPRC22-14 expanding mineralization to the
east where it remains open along strike and at depth (Figure 3).
Drill assays are pending for the remaining 18 holes and are expected in May . The remaining drill
holes were completed as follows:
• One in the Paciencia Vein
• Ten in Paciencia Oeste
• Three in Paciencia Este
• Three in the Central Zone
• One in a North Zone geophysical target
Figure 2: Location of the reported RC drill holes (blue dots and traces) at the Paciencia vein. The red color
indicates the Paciencia vein defined by trenches, and the orange color represents the footwall parallel vein.
The Paciencia Vein consists of vein breccias, hydrothermal breccias, quartz stockworks and late
limonitic breccias with vein clasts that form a WNW -ESE oriented mineralized structure with a true
thickness of 10 to 20 metres. The vein has a general north-dip that gradually changes from 75° NNE
in the west portion of the vein, to 85 ° to subvertical in the east. The current geologic interpretation
has identified two to three main branches of the Paciencia Vein, with higher grades located in the
more vertical portion of the vein (Figure 4 and 3D Movie). To view the 3D movie, please click here.
Geochemical results (Table 1) confirm the gold-rich nature of the Paciencia Vein, with an average Ag
to Au ratio of 16 in the higher grade portions of the vein, and increasing to 48 when in the wider low
grade zones.
Figure 3: Longitudinal section of the Paciencia Vein. Triangles are previous trenches and drill holes, circles
are Astra’s Phase I drill program. Values in gold equivalent.
Exploration Program Discussion
A total of 2,981 metres of RC drilling were completed in thirty holes between February and March
2022 at Pampa Paciencia. These mostly concentrated on defining the strike and depth continuity of
the Paciencia Vein system in the North Zone (Figure 1). Three holes were drilled to test veins at
depth in the Central Zon e (Figure 1 – inset) and two holes tested geophysical targets in the North
Zone. A total of 1,233 samples, including blanks, duplicates and standards, were sampled and sent
to ALS lab in Santiago, Chile.
The drill program was completed for ~C$650,000 of al l-in costs highlighting the ability to complete
cost-effective exploration at low elevations in Chile.
Eleven historical holes had been drilled previously on the property and Astra’s geologists continued
with the numbering system, so holes PPRC -22-12 to PPRC-22-22 are the first 11 holes completed
by Astra Exploration.
Figure 4: Schematic cross section of the eastern vertical portion of the Paciencia Vein. Values in gold
equivalent. Blue label with white letters are historical results.
Table 1: Summary of the gold and Silver geochemical results from Phase I drilling program.
Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (ppm) Ag (ppm) Aueq_80 (ppm)
PPRC-22-12 53 74 21 2.71 10.78 2.85
including 63 71 8 6.84 23.57 7.14
and including 64 67 3 14.48 39.73 14.98
PPRC-22-13 113 135 22 1.33 21.29 1.60
including 114 125 11 2.54 37.41 3.01
and including 114 120 6 3.28 58.30 4.01
PPRC-22-14 53 70 17 1.39 17.11 1.61
including 1 53 55 2 1.82 14.70 2.01
including 2 64 68 4 4.09 45.22 4.66
Footwall vein 85 94 9 1.08 21.28 1.34
including 86 90 4 2.31 41.50 2.83
and including 87 89 2 3.63 57.00 4.35
PPRC-22-15 45 72 27 0.44 9.65 0.56
including 46 55 9 1.13 21.55 1.40
and including 51 54 3 2.67 53.57 3.34
PPRC-22-16 121 142 21 0.36 8.19 0.47
including 131 141 10 0.57 11.70 0.71
and including 1 131 133 2 0.80 14.50 0.98
and including 2 139 141 2 0.86 15.00 1.05
PPRC-22-17 47 52 5 0.88 13.20 1.05
including 48 50 2 1.55 21.50 1.82
PPRC-22-18 60 73 13 0.51 8.69 0.62
including 64 67 3 1.48 26.00 1.80
PPRC-22-19 51 80 29 0.19 2.14 0.22
including 1 60 64 4 0.57 3.50 0.61
and includiing 63 64 1 1.30 7.00 1.39
including 2 75 77 2 0.64 6.60 0.73
PPRC-22-20 79 102 23 0.12 4.09 0.18
including 1 79 81 2 0.49 4.50 0.55
including 2 99 101 2 0.33 24.00 0.64
PPRC-22-21 74 100 26 0.09 2.81 0.13
including 1 78 79 1 0.49 3.90 0.54
including 2 95 96 1 0.36 6.00 0.43
PPRC-22-22 83 105 22 0.20 5.09 0.26
including 1 91 92 1 0.72 3.00 0.76
including 2 96 98 2 0.68 15.00 0.87
Figure 5: Location of the Pampa Paciencia flagship project in the Paleocene Belt.
Sampling Procedures
Drill samples were sampled, bagged, and tagged by Astra´s geologists and then delivered to the
ALS sample preparation laboratory in Santiago. Samples were prepared with PREP 31B code, and
then analyzed with fire assay for gold (Au-AA24), acid digestion for silver (Ag-AA62), and multi
elements by ICP (ME-ICP61). Gold over-limits were analyzed by gravity method (Au-GRA22).
Qualified Person Statement
The technical data and information as disclosed in this report has been reviewed and approved by
Darcy Marud. 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.
About the Company
Astra Exploration Inc. is a n exploration company based out of Vancouver, BC. Astra is engaged in
the acquisition, exploration and development of epithermal gold -silver properties in Chile and is
building a portfolio of high -quality projects. Astra’s current focus is the development o f the Pampa
Paciencia Project . Additional information is available on the Comp any’s website at www.astra -
exploration.com
For further information please contact:
Brian Miller
Chief Executive Officer
Tel. 604.428.0939
Email: [email protected]
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