Astra Extends High-Grade Mineralization and Defines Regional Targets for Follow-up 10,000-20,000 Metre Program at La Manchuria
ASTRA EXPLORATION INC. (TSX-V: ASTR, OTCQX: ATEPF, FSE: S3I)
NEWS RELEASE
Astra Extends High-Grade Mineralization and Defines Regional Targets for
Follow-up 10,000-20,000 Metre Program at La Manchuria
Highlights:
• 3 metres grading 4.34 g/t gold and 363.7 g/t silver in a 50 metre step-out at the new
Basalto Zone, remains open
• 8 metres grading 3.12 g/t gold and 10.3 g/t silver in a 200 metre northwest step -out in
Manchuria Hill Eastern Zone, remains open to the northwest
• Manchuria Hill Target remains open with larger 10,000-20,000 metre drill program planned
to define the Manchuria Hill size potential and test regional targets
• Regional targets show Manchuria Hill Target to be part of a larger epithermal system with
multiple undrilled targets includ ing La Pampa Zone, 3km north east, with 1.8 g/t gold in
vein float samples.
• La Manchuria claim group has been expanded from ~5,600 hectares to ~39,000 hectares
by staking open adjacent claim blocks
Vancouver, British Columbia – September 17, 2026 – Astra Exploration Inc. (TSX -V: ASTR,
OTCQX: ATEPF, FSE: S3I) (“Astra” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the second and
final batch of assays consisting of eight DDH holes from the Phase II I drill program at the La
Manchuria Gold and Silver Project in Santa Cruz, Argentina. CEO, Brian Miller gives a quick video
summarization of this news release – click here to watch the video.
Astra’s CEO, Brian Miller commented:
“Drilling at the Manchuria Hill Target continues to step out and hit high grade gold and silver
intercepts which remain open. Stepping out to define the full extent of the Manchuria Hill Target
will be a focus of our follow -up drill program planned for Q4, 2026. Beyond Manchuria Hill, a
compilation of geological and geophysical datasets have defined five priority drill targets over a 4
by 4 kilometre footprint that shows the Manchuria Hill Target to be a piece of a much larger
epithermal system. The planned drill program of 10,000 -20,000 metres will be split between
expansion drilling and regional exploration to unlock the size potential of the Manchuria District
as quickly as possible. Combined with a planned drill program on our Don Mario project in Chile,
Astra’s strong treasury of C$12.5M supports our significant, fully -funded, discovery drilling
programs over the coming months.”
Program Details
A total of 16 drill holes were completed between April and June 2026 totaling 5,176 metres (see
June 30, 202 6 news release, “ Astra Provides Exploration Update and Receives Independent
Analyst Coverage From ATB Cormark Capital Markets”). The drill program focused on testing the
depth (200-300 metres vertical) extension of the Main and Eastern Zones and expanding the
near-surface footprint of the system with shallow (<200 metres vertical) drill holes. Deeper drilling
has not returned favorable vein widths due to a poor host lithology, but step-out holes continue to
deliver strong grades and widths which remain open in all four cardinal directions.
Drill Results and Discussion
The group of eight drill holes reported herein were focused on expanding the west (Basalto Zone),
north (Main and Eastern Zones), and east (Road Zone) areas of the near surface mineralization
at the Manchuria Hill Target (Figure 1). These shallow holes consist of 50-to-200-metre step-outs
which extend the system to the west, north and east . Mineralization remains open in all four
cardinal directions (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Phase III holes at Manchuria Hill drilled to date with assays for the second group of eight holes highlighted in
green. Best results are shown as disseminated (light blue) and high-grade (red). All values are in g/t.
District Scale Potential
The Manchuria Hill Target has been the focus of Astra’s exploration of the Manchuria Project.
While completing the current drill program, the Company has been advancing regional targets to
be drill ready discovery opportunities.
The company has undertaken detailed field mapping and sampling, doubled the size of its
modelled and interpreted geophysical datasets and has added 33,400 additional hectares of
prospective area by staking open ground.
Figure 2: Regional targets at La Manchuria. Upper -left: magnetic images showing favourable de-magnetized target
areas. Lower-left: Resistivity plan map showing structures proven to host veins at Manchuria Hill. Right: Geology map
with regional targets labelled in pink.
La Pampa: Zone of outcropping quartz veins and float samples hosted in rhyolitic tuffs with
surface sampling returning up to 1.8 g/t gold.
Breccia: Large 2 x 3-kilometer zone of high-level epithermal clay alteration and quartz
veinlets in a felsic pyroclastic sequence overlying the main host rhyolitic tuffs .
Strong p athfinder geochemical anomalies in rock chip and soil samples along
strike from Manchuria Hill. Target is to test boiling zone at depth.
Floats: Abundant vein float on surface but covered by younger volcanic deposits.
Solo: Quartz veins and veinlets within high level epithermal clay alteration hosted in the
felsic pyroclastic sequence overlying the rhyolitic tuffs.
Creek: Magnetic anomaly like the La Manchuria Main zone in an area covered by younger
volcanic and surface deposits.
Drill Results Table
Table 1: Assays from the final eight holes of Phase III drilling at La Manchuria using cutoff grade of 0.3 g/t AuEq. Ag:Au
ratio of 60 using $ 3,600 Au and $ 60 Ag. Recoveries of 9 4% for Au and 85% for Ag is an average based on three
regional mine operations1 and are reflected in AuEq and AgEq values above. Table shows results greater than 0.3 g/t
AuEq. Estimated true widths are approximately 85% of widths reported herein.
Hole From (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AuEq AgEq
LMD-149 24 2 0.06 29.8 0.48 28.71
LMD-149 42 10 0.41 7.2 0.49 29.49
LMD-149 81.5 1 2.14 14.9 2.22 133.36
LMD-149 84 2 0.95 109.9 2.45 147.00
LMD-149 104 8 3.12 10.3 3.08 184.51
including 104 2 10.63 23.9 10.33 619.85
LMD-149 114 1 0.44 58.9 1.25 74.88
LMD-149 128 1.4 1.21 8.0 1.25 75.04
LMD-149 170 1 0.70 2.2 0.69 41.35
LMD-150 67 2 0.38 18.9 0.62 37.50
LMD-150 95.5 1 0.48 4.3 0.51 30.73
LMD-150 105 3 4.34 363.7 9.23 553.77
including 106 1 10.97 619.8 19.09 1145.54
LMD-150 116 1 1.32 30.6 1.67 100.46
LMD-150 191 1 1.47 4.7 1.45 86.90
LMD-150 204 2 0.60 3.2 0.61 36.56
0.00
LMD-151 40 2 0.46 106.5 1.94 116.50
LMD-151 74 2 0.45 42.9 1.03 61.56
LMD-151 79.5 1 0.38 10.0 0.50 29.93
LMD-151 109 1 0.84 19.7 1.07 64.12
LMD-151 134 2 2.76 13.7 2.79 167.31
LMD-151 138 6 1.46 7.6 1.48 88.83
LMD-151 156 2 0.16 39.7 0.71 42.77
LMD-151 180 2 2.24 2.6 2.14 128.55
0.00
LMD-152 44 2 0.16 45.5 0.79 47.70
LMD-153
LMD-154 108.5 0.8 0.40 150.2 2.50 150.21
LMD-155 22 2 0.19 18.9 0.45 26.78
LMD-155 43 2 0.45 6.8 0.52 31.16
LMD-155 90 1 0.46 28.2 0.83 49.91
LMD-155 105 2 1.08 64.1 1.92 115.40
LMD-156 15 1.5 0.07 27.5 0.46 27.32
LMD-156 32 2 0.93 3.5 0.92 55.43
LMD-156 67 2 0.84 75.9 1.86 111.89
LMD-156 73 2 0.24 31.5 0.67 40.31
LMD-156 93.5 2 0.40 18.3 0.63 37.83
LMD-156 116 2 0.67 34.4 1.11 66.86
LMD-156 120.75 1.25 0.42 15.7 0.62 37.03
LMD-156 130 1.25 0.50 14.3 0.67 40.36
No significant values
Sampling Procedures
Drill samples consisted of HQ core which were split in half, sampled, bagged, and tagged by
Astra´s geological team and then delivered to the Alex Stewart International Argentina laboratory
in Mendoza. Drill samples were prepared with P5 code and then analyzed with fire assay for gold
(Au4-50) and multi-elements by ICP (ICP-AR 39). Silver (>100 g/t) and gold (>50 g/t) high-grade
values were analyzed by gravity method (Ag4A -50 & Au4A-50). A total of 1 52 Blanks and 152
standards (2 different Au and Ag grade ranges) were used as QAQC for the group of 2,893
samples.
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 80% owned La Manchuria gold-silver project in Santa Cruz, Argentina, over which Astra
has an option to acquire 90% interest from Patagonia Gold Corp, 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 Don Mario (renamed from 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 La Coipa, Refugio,
and Salares Norte deposit s in the same belt. The Maricunga belt is one of the most endowed
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]
Katrina Damouni
Corporate Development
Tel. 604.428.0939
Email: [email protected]
References:
1 Sources:
Steinmann, Michael, March 2006
Manantial-Espejo Project Canadian Standard NI 43-101, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Prepared for Minera Triton Argentina, S.A.
https://panamericansilver.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Manantial-Espejo-Technical-
Report.pdf
Goldcorp – Third Quarter Report, September 30, 2017
https://s24.q4cdn.com/382246808/files/doc_financials/mda/2017/MD-A-FS-2017Q3-Website.pdf
AngloGoldAshanti – Technical Report Summary, Cerro Vanguardia, A Life of Mine Summary
Report, December 31, 2021
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1067428/000162828022007855/a2021_-
xcerroxvanguardia.htm
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