Astra Provides Exploration Update, Outlines New Drill-Ready Copper Porphyry Target at Pampa Paciencia district, Chile
ASTRA EXPLORATION INC. (TSX-V: ASTR, OTCQB: ATEPF, FSE: S3I)
NEWS RELEASE
Astra Provides Exploration Update, Outlines New Drill-Ready Copper Porphyry Target at
Pampa Paciencia district, Chile
Vancouver, British Columbia – August 1, 2023 – Astra Exploration Inc. (TSX -V: ASTR, OTCQB:
ATEPF, FSE: S3I) (“Astra” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide an update of its exploration
operations in northern Chile.
Highlights:
• The defining of a drill -ready copper porphyry target consisting of a large, coherent
chargeability high corridor coincident with intrusion-related hydrothermal tourmaline breccias
at surface
• On-time advancement of the Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA) required for next
phase of drilling at Pampa Paciencia gold-silver targets with drill permit expected in Q4, 2023
• Fluid inclusion and petrography studies further confirm preservation of the epithermal boiling
zone across the entire strike of the Paciencia Vein System, from 50 to 250 metres deep
CEO Brian Miller commented:
“Over the past several months Astra geologists have defined a new copper porphyry drill target at
Dominador, and further vetted the quality of gold-silver epithermal drill targets at Pampa Paciencia.
The large scale and intensity of the integrated geological , geochemical , and geophysical target
represents a compelling porphyry target in one of the world’s most significant porphyry copper
districts, especially given its close proximity to the Spence and Sierra Gorda copper mines.
Dominador is a standalone project and can be quickly permitted and drilled in the coming months.”
Dominador Porphyry Copper Target
Astra geologists have defined a north-south striking corridor of 1.7 km x 500 m which is considered
highly prospective for porphyry copper systems of the type known at the nearby giant Spence and
Sierra Gorda mines.
Astra has mapped and assayed surface samples of intrusion-hosted tourmaline-cemented
hydrothermal breccias from the Dominador area northeast of Pampa Paciencia (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Location of Pampa Paciencia district and Dominador project areas in northern Chile , approximately
15km from Spence and Sierra Gorda mines.
The Dominador corridor (a combination of the tourmaline breccia outcrops with tourmaline, silicic
and argillic alteration) marks the contact of a large diorite to granodiorite intrusion in the east with
granite to granodiorites to the west (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Dominador geological (A) and alteration (B) maps.
The Dominador tourmaline breccia (Figure 3) shares characteristics with the multi -phase breccia
complex that hosts the nearby Sierra Gorda mine, being characterized by open space fill tourmaline
cement mineralized by late hydrothermal fluids. The breccia locally contains clasts of porphyry style
quartz veinlets and late silicification and oxide material that could be related with late hydrothermal
activity hosted in the tourmaline breccia.
Figure 3: Tourmaline breccia samples from Dominador, including mineralized clasts (left), injected by silica
(middle) and with interstitial oxides (right).
The Dominador corridor coincides with the western edge of a large, coherent chargeability high
geophysical anomaly defined by reconnaissance IP and follow up pole-dipole IP (Figure 4). Previous
explorers completed minor drilling prior to the IP survey , and available data indicates drilling
intersected a multi-phase intrusive complex overprinted by the breccia and sericite -pyrite alteration
with low level copper. These holes were mostly shallow and not directed towards or intercepting the
easternmost geophysical anomaly.
The coincidence of the Dominador corridor w ith the IP chargeability anomaly is encouraging and
well-known porphyry sulphide zoning models provide excellent tools for defining vectors to copper -
bearing (chalcopyrite and/or bornite) sulphide zones within the overall larger pyritic dominated
corridor.
Figure 4: Dominador Target geophysics: A) Plan map of reconnaissance IP. B) Pole-Dipole IP section in the
southern part of Dominador corridor.
Pampa Paciencia – Exploration Update
The advancement of the EIA continues on schedule and is expected to conclude in Q4 of this year,
at which time the Company will receive its permit to continue drilling at the Pampa Paciencia gold-
silver project. Astra is currently in the process of responding to questions from the Superintendency
of Environment (SMA) and expects to have its answers submitted this week. Management expects
there will be one more round of questions from SMA, to which the Company will have until October
7 to respond. To date, no objections to the permit have been raised by authoriti es or local
stakeholders.
The Company mobilized equipment and personnel to the project area during the week of March 19th
to initiate a field program consisting of trenching, soil sampling, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and
mapping with the goal of defining new veins beneath surface subcrop (See March 28 news release.)
At Impaciencia Oeste, trenching with heavy equipment (Figure 5) reached a maximum depth of
approximately four metres but failed to reach bedrock or vein and the operations were terminate d.
Company geologists believe it is likely that a vein exists below the bottom of the trenching and drilling
will be more cost efficient and effective at locating veins.
Figure 5: Trench traces in yellow at Impaciencia (left) and segments completed to a depth of approximately
four metres at 1A and 1B (center) and photo of alluvium-caliche profile (right).
The Paciencia Vein System is a succession of four events with a multi -episodic evolution. Two
hydrothermal and tectono-hydrothermal, one tectonic and one supergene event were identified and
can be summarized in a paragenetic sequence (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Schematic model of vein infill at the Paciencia Vein System.
Event 1 is composed of two stages: QBC (Colloform banded quartz) formed by quartz and banded
silica veinlets and BxQ (Quartz breccia) formed by at least two tectonic-hydrothermal breccia pulses
with siliceous cement.
Event 2 is composed of two stages : BPA (Bladed calcite & adularia bands) is formed by four
successive collofor m-crustiform banded and breccia textures composed by recrystallized silica,
chalcedony and carbonate pulses accompanied by platy calcite, amethyst, adularia, and sul phides
related to dark ginguro bands (Figure 7). BxSi (Siliceous breccia) is a t ectonic and hydrothermal
breccia with siliceous cement and disseminated sulphides.
Event 2 is the main mineralizing event for the Paciencia Vein System. Sulphides (Figure 8) are mainly
pyrite and marcasite, with zinc, copper, and lead sulphides. The presence of free gold grains (25 to
50 microns) within the oxidized parts of the veins suggests that this metal is most likely associated
with pyrite in the primary zones of the deposit. Highest gold grades were recorded in close
association with this BPA pulse; however, the BxQ and BxSi events are also important contributors
of gold.
Figure 7: Examples of BPA stage from Pampa Paciencia Vein System.
Figure 8: Ore minerals at the BPA stage from Pampa Paciencia Vein System.
Event 3 or BLIM (limonitic breccia) stage represents a post-mineral tectonic breccia with quartz vein
and/or host rock clasts in a limonitic matrix.
Event 4 or OxMn Veinlet (Mn oxide veinlets) stage is a late event formed by an open network of
supergene manganese oxides and gypsum filling veinlets or cavities within the vein system. Mn -
oxides may correspond to supergene replacements of previous manganese -rich minerals such a s
manganocalcite, rhodochrosite or another manganese-bearing gangue mineral.
Fluid inclusion studies of different grades and depths (50 m to 250 m below surface) of the
mineralizing pulse show an average salinity of 4% NaCla eq., and a temperature of 227 .1°C which
is consistent with a low sul phidation epithermal system. Coexisting gas and liquid bubble indicate
boiling processes, compatible with the presence of platy -calcite, colloform banding and adularia in
the same event. The positive correlation of temperature and salinity in the fluid inclusions indicates
mixing of hydrothermal fluids in addition to boiling as precipitation mechanisms.
About Pampa Paciencia
Pampa Paciencia is a road-accessible low sulphidation epithermal (“LSE”) gold-silver project located
within an active mining district less than 15 kilometres from two major mines (Sierra Gorda and
Spence) and about five kilometres from the Faride LSE mine.
Astra has completed drilling, mapping, and sampling, geophysical surveys, and localized trenching,
at the Pampa Paciencia Project, and in doing so has confirmed the discovery of a large, gold-silver
epithermal vein system and defined a vein boulder (float) 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.
About the Company
Astra Exploration Inc. is an exploration company based out of Vancouver, BC. Astra i s 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 of the Pampa
Paciencia District.
Qualified Person
The technical data and information as disclosed in this news release 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.
For further information please contact:
Brian Miller
Chief Executive Officer
Tel. 604.428.0939
Email: [email protected]
OR
Nikki McEachnie
Manager of Investor Relations, Marketing & Business Development
Tel: 416.209.4940
Email: [email protected]
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TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby and/or geologically similar properties is not
necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company’s properties.
This news release may contain certain “For ward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the
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