Fortuna drills 16.5 g/t gold over 6.3 meters at Séguéla and provides exploration update
Fortuna drills 16.5 g/t gold over 6.3 meters at Séguéla
and provides exploration update
Vancouver, December 9, 2021-- Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) is pleased to provide an
overview of its exploration programs in Latin America and West Africa.
Paul Weedon, Senior Vice President of Exploration, commented, " With 12 drill rigs turning across the
portfolio, t he steady pace of exploration across all our major properties continues to deliver very
encouraging results. ” Mr. Weedon continued, “ These include highlights such as 16.5 g/t gold over
6.3 meters from drill hole SGRC1366 from the growing Sunbird Prospect at Séguéla, and the 0.6 g/t gold
and 0.18% copper over an estimated true width of 68 meters from surface intersected in drill hole ARD046
adjacent to the Arizaro Project, through to one of the deepest holes drilled at Caylloma , drill h ole
ANIM087921, returning 93 g/t silver, 4.83 % lead and 7.81% zinc over an estimated true width of
20.48 meters from nearly 900 meters below surface and where it remains open.”
Séguéla gold Project, Côte d’Ivoire
Sunbird Prospect assay highlights include:
• SGRD1365: 9.4 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 7 meters from 197 meters
• SGRD1366: 17.5 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 6.3 meters from 205 meters
• SGRD1367: 14.8 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 1.4 meters from 214 meters and
52.2 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 1.4 meters from 242 meters
• SGRD1368: 3.4 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 3.5 meters from 269 meters
• SGRD1370: 8.0 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 8.4 meters from 241 meters
• SGRD1376: 6.5 g/t gold over an estimated true width of 10.5 meters from 143 meters
Exploration drilling at the Séguéla gold Project continues to advance the Sunbird Prospect with a recently
completed 13-hole, 3,059-meter program testing the continuity and tenor of mineralization at depth and
along strike to the south. Drilling at depth was designed to test projections of previous high-grade results
a further 100 to 150 meters down plunge in the central zone and help refin e the understanding of the
structural controls (refer to Fortuna news release dated September 7, 2021).
Drilling to the south extended drill defined mineralization a further 50 meters, helping refine the structural
controls, with this area remaining open along strike and down -plunge. The geometry and style of
mineralization is consistent with that seen at the Koula and Ancien deposits, located 1.5 kilometers and 5
kilometers to the north and south respectively , both of which are hosted in similar structural settings
within the same lithology package.
Geological logging of the drill core identified numerous intervals containing 5 to greater than 20 visible
gold specks of up to 2-millimeter diameter, with the characteristics of the mineralization consistent with
NYSE: FSM | TSX: FVI
www.fortunasilver.com NEWS RELEASE
- 2 -
previous drilling at Sunbird. Three of the six holes for which assays are pending, refer to Appendix 1, also
recorded between 5 and 10 visible gold specks in the mineralized intervals; refer to Figure 1.
Figure 1: Sunbird Prospect long-section looking west showing recent drilling results
The mineralization remains open at depth and further drilling is planned in 2022 to further define the
extent of the mineralization. Results received to date for this program are listed in Appendix 1.
Arizaro gold Project, Lindero Mine, Argentina
Central Zone assay highlights include:
• ARD45: 0.47 g/t Au and 0.16% Cu over an estimated true width of 73 meters from 44 meter
downhole
• ARD46: 0.61 g/t Au and 0.18% Cu over an estimated true width of 68 meters from surface; ended in
mineralization at 200-meter downhole
The Arizaro Project is located within the Lindero mining concession, 3.2 kilometers southeast of the
Lindero Mine. Previous exploration and drilling identified near surface porphyry -style gold -copper
mineralization hosted in magnetite and biotite-rich breccia zones and in associated stockwork veins with
two dominant structural trends (refer to Fortuna release dated February 14, 2019).
A 1,178-meter, 6-hole drilling program testing a reinterpretation of key mineralizing features across the
Central and SW Targets, located approximately 200 meters and 350 meters, respectively, to the west
south-west of the main Arizaro mineralization was completed in August . Two holes testing t he Central
Target successfully intersected extensive zones of biotite-rich brecciation and north-east trending sheeted
- 3 -
quartz veining with associated pyrite and visible copper mineralization. Subsequent logging of drill hole
ARD46 showed it was drilled ob lique to the interpreted dominant quartz vein orientation with the hole
ending in mineralization at 200 meters downhole for a true width of 68 meters; refer to Figure 2.
Figure 2: Arizaro Project plan view with selected highlights
Additional drilling and surface trenching is planned during December to further define the extent of the
mineralization. Results received to date for this program are listed in Appendix 2.
San Jose Mine, Mexico
Assay highlights include:
• SJOM1053 (VMZ): 290 g/t Ag and 2.00 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 1.5 meters
• SJOM1088 (Magdalena): 245 g/t Ag and 1.41 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 4.6 meters
• SJOM1091 (Magdalena): 506 g/t Ag and 2.61 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 1.7 meters
• SJOM1103 (San Ignacio): 209 g/t Ag and 1.47 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 1.1 meters
• SJOM1105 (Magdalena): 302 g/t Ag and 0.77 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 1.8 meters
including 1,010 g/t Ag over 0.5 meters
Step-out exploration drilling from underground platforms ahead of production at San Jose has continued
to define continuity of key mineralized structures, with 25,064 meters drilled in 5 9 holes since March
2021, targeting the Bonanza Hanging wall (Bhw), Trinidad Norte and Victoria mineralized zone (VMZ)
structures; refer to Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5. In addition to the underground drilling, testing of two
- 4 -
target zones to the north an d south of the mine was successful in identifying additional mineralized
structures with drilling continuing.
Development of underground drill platforms and associated infrastructure also continued with the
establishment of the first drill stations which w ill enable testing of the projected northern strike
extensions of the Trinidad system, including the untested down -dip projection of a surface silicified
outcrop.
Refer to Appendix 3 for details of the additional San Jose drill holes completed since March 2021.
Figure 3: Bonanza Hanging wall long-section looking west showing recent drilling results
- 5 -
Figure 4: Trinidad Norte long-section looking west showing recent drilling results
Figure 5: Victoria mineralized zone (VMZ) long-section looking west showing recent drilling results
- 6 -
Yaramoko Mine, Burkina Faso
Assay Highlights include:
• YRM-20-RC-109-036: 3.0 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 7.7 meters (Min Zone 2)
• YRM-20-RC-109-038: 11.2 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 2.8 meters (Min Zone 2)
• YRM-21-RC-109-053: 3.4 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 6.3 meters (Min Zone 1)
• YRM-21-RC-109-056: 4.2 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 4.9 meters (Min Zone 1)
• YRM-21-RC-109-058: 14.7 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 4.9 meters (Min Zone 1)
• YRM-21-RC-109-062: 3.8 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 4.9 meters (Min Zone 1)
Exploration drilling at Yaramoko has continued to advance the 109 Zone near surface prospect, located
approximately 1.5 kilometers north-west of the Yaramoko mill, with 108 RC holes completed during the
period April to October for a total of 8,201 meters. Drilling has targeted a 1-kilometer-long zone of sheared
mafic volcanics and associated quartz veining situated within the Yaramoko Shear Zone, which hosts the
55 Zone and Bagassi South Mines, with three discrete zones of mineralization identified ( refer to Figure
6: Min Zone 1, 2 and 3).
Figure 6: 109 Zone plan view with selected highlights
Results received to date for this program are listed in Appendix 4.
- 7 -
Caylloma Mine, Peru
Animas NE vein assay highlights include:
• ANIM086321: 60 g/t Ag, 5.51% Pb and 6.22% Zn over an estimated true width of 7.2 meters
• ANIM084321: 51 g/t Ag, 2.94% Pb and 5.23% Zn over an estimated true width of 5.8 meters
• ANIM084721: 106 g/t Ag, 2.34% Pb and 3.13% Zn over an estimated true width of 11.8 meters
• ANIM085521: 159 g/t Ag, 2.92% Pb and 1.44% Zn over an estimated true width of 6.1 meters
• ANIM087321: 76 g/t Ag, 4.35% Pb and 7.45% Zn over an estimated true width of 11.3 meters
• ANIM087921: 93 g/t Ag, 4.83% Pb and 7.81% Zn over an estimated true width of 20.5 meters
Exploration drilling at Caylloma continued throughout 2021 totaling 10,121 meters in 26 diamond drill
holes, testing the depth continuity of the greater than 3-kilometer-long Animas NE silver-polymetallic vein
system, and the strike potential further to the north-east beyond the intersection of the Nancy vein.
Further to previously reported successful step-out drilling results at the Animas NE vein (refer to Fortuna
news release dated February 14, 2019), drilling continues to intersect mineralized shoots up to 200 meters
beyond the current Resource boundary , extending known mineralization more than 900 meters below
surface along the 3 kilometer long Animas NE vein, where it remains open at depth and along strike
(Figures 7 and 8). Drilling has primarily focussed on extending Ore Shoots 3 and 4 at depth, as well as
testing for strike extension beyond the Nancy vein intersection and further north-east into the sediments
of the basement Yura Group. Full results for the 2021 drilling program are listed in Appendix 5.
Figure 7: Animas NE vein long-section showing recent results from Oreshoot 3 (view is looking northwest)
- 8 -
Figure 8: Animas NE vein long-section showing recent results from Oreshoot 4 (view is looking northwest)
Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA-QC)
Latin America
Following detailed geological and geotechnical logging, drill core samples are split on -site by diamond
sawing. One half of the core is submitted to the ALS Global Laboratory in Lima, Peru, for samples from the
Caylloma Mine, the ALS Global Laboratory in G uadalajara, Mexico, for samples from the San Jose Mine
and the ALS Global Laboratory in Mendoza, Argentina, for samples from the Arizaro Project. The remaining
half core is retained on -site for verification and reference purposes. Following preparation, th e samples
are assayed for gold and silver by standard fire assay methods and for silver and base metals by Inductively
Coupled Plasma and atomic absorption methods utilizing aqua regia digestion at the ALS Global
Laboratory in Lima, Peru, for samples from the Caylloma Mi ne and the Arizaro Project, and at the ALS
Global Laboratory in Vancouver, BC, Canada, for samples from the San Jose Mine. The QA -QC program
includes the blind insertion of certified reference standards and assay blanks at a frequency of
approximately 1 per 20 normal samples as well as the inclusion of duplicate samples for verification of
sampling and assay precision levels.
West Africa
All drilling data completed by the Company utilized the following procedures and methodologies. All
drilling was carried out under the supervision of the Company’s personnel.
All RC drilling at Séguéla used a 5.25 -inch face sampling pneumatic hammer with samples collected into
60-liter plastic bags. Samples were kept dry by maintaining enough air pressure to exclude groundwater
inflow. If water ingress exceeded the air pressure, RC drilling was stopped, and drilling converted to