Fuerte Metals Hits at Step-out Holes at the Los Ingleses Vein, Intercepts 12.1 g/t AuEq over 1.1 m, 8.9 g/t AuEq over 1.2 m and 6.0 g/t AuEq over 2.8 m at its Cristina Project in Chihuahua, Mexico
Fuerte Metals Hits at Step-out Holes at the Los
Ingleses Vein, Intercepts 12.1 g/t AuEq over 1.1
m, 8.9 g/t AuEq over 1.2 m and 6.0 g/t AuEq
over 2.8 m at its Cristina Project in Chihuahua,
Mexico
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 25, 2024) - Fuerte Metals Corporation
(TSXV: FMT) (OTCQB: FUEMF) ("
Fuerte
" or the "
Company
") is pleased to report results from the
most recent five holes of a diamond drilling program at its wholly-owned Cristina precious metals project
in southwestern Chihuahua State, Mexico.
Fuerte has now reported twenty-five holes totalling 6,976.5 metres of drilling as part of a 40-50 hole,
21,000 metre drill program. The Cristina project consists of multiple outcropping quartz veins that are
frequently greater than 10 metres in width and extend for at least a five-kilometre strike length. Four
parallel mineralized vein zones have been mapped and sampled to date, with most of the existing
mineral resource estimate at Cristina contained within only one of the vein zones, the Guadalupe vein
(Figures 1 and 2). These latest results are widely spaced, expansion holes from a new vein area called
the Los Ingleses vein system, approximately 2 km to the north of the Guadalupe vein system, drilled to
identify higher grade trends within this vein. These intercepts are in the range of one kilometre lower in
elevation from the surface of the Guadalupe vein which hosts the bulk of the current resource.
Drilling Highlights
Highlights of the holes reported here, all from the Los Ingleses vein system, include:
12.1 g/t AuEq over 1.1 m
estimated true width (3.4 g/t Au, 150 g/t Ag, 4.80% Zn, 8.49% Pb and
0.21% Cu) in hole
ACD24-245
8.9 g/t AuEq over 1.2 m
estimate true width (8.6 g/t Au, 21 g/t Ag, and 0.12% Pb) in hole
ACD24-
242
This 1.2 m wide intercept occurs within a broader mineralized zone measuring 1.7 g/t AuEq
over 10.5 m estimated true width (1.4 g/t Au, 19 g/t Ag, and 0.10% Pb).
6.0 g/t AuEq over 2.8 m
estimated true width (1.2 g/t Au, 88 g/t Ag, 5.02% Zn, 1.47 % Pb, 0.24%
Cu), also in hole
ACD24-242
Tim Warman, Atacama's CEO, commented: "These wide-spaced, expansion holes at Los Ingleses
confirm the presence of high-grade mineralization on the eastern edge of the planned grid drilling,
indicating the start of another high-grade shoot plunging to the east. This is an excellent start for
expansion on a second vein system. More drilling will be required to extend the mineralization and add to
the overall resource along the identified plunge."
The current 21,000 m drilling program at Cristina is expected to continue through the winter and wrap up
in the first half of 2025 and will be followed by a new mineral resource estimate based on underground
mining expected in Q3 2025.
Geology and Context of Results
All five holes reported here were drilled over an approximately 160 m strike length and 100 metres
vertical spacing in three cross sections on the Los Ingleses vein system:
ACD24-241 identified two high-grade intercepts near the base of the hole, as seen on section A-
A' (Figures 2 & 3). This hole is the shallow eastern-most hole drilled to cross the vein 100 metres
below the surface and shows good grade open to the east. Surface samples also showed good
grades above these drill hole intercepts.
ACD24-242 cut a zone of shallow, high-grade mineralization (8.9 g/t AuEq over 1.2 m est. true
width) and extended the two high-grade veins another 100 metres further down dip beneath
ACD24-241, as seen on section A-A' (Figures 2 & 3). These multiple vein intercepts indicate a
potential vertical continuity of over 200 metres of high-grade, are wider at depth and open for
expansion.
ACD24-243 and 244 show a wide low-grade zone near the surface and extend the high-grade
zones seen in holes 241 and 242 approximately 160 m to the west along strike, as seen in the plan
view maps and section B-B' (Figures 2 & 4). The high-grade intercepts indicate a potential vertical
continuity from surface sampling of nearly 150 metres and with drill holes ACD24-241 and ACD24-
242 define a shallow plunge direction to the east, similar to what has been identified in the
Guadalupe veins.
ACD24-245 is a shallow hole half-way between the two sections cut by the first four holes and
encountered several high-grade, near surface vein intercepts, and demonstrated shallow wide
lower grade vein continuity between the section on the west side as seen on the plan view maps
and section C-C' (Figures 2 & 5). Hole ACD24-246 on this section is awaiting assays and will help
confirm the plunge direction of the high-grade zone.
The twenty-five holes completed to date have successfully defined a series of continuous higher-grade
zones extending over several hundred vertical metres within the main Guadalupe vein, and now within the
parallel Los Ingleses vein system. These higher-grade zones remain open along strike and at depth.
The Cristina deposit is an epithermal to mesothermal vein system where the mineralization is
predominantly gold and silver, with lesser base metal values. At least four known parallel vein zones
trend east-west to northeast-southwest and are hosted in an andesitic volcanic sequence which forms
part of the Lower Volcanic Sequence of the Sierra Madre Occidental range. The andesites are
intercalated locally with dacitic intrusions and related lava flows and breccias, and the sequence is in turn
cut by andesitic and hornblende-plagioclase porphyry following fault trends. In some areas the veins are
covered by post-mineral rhyolite of the Upper Volcanic Sequence.
Figure 1- Known vein systems and existing drill holes at the Cristina Project
. Resource pit in
Figures 1 through 8 is based on the National Instrument 43-101 compliant report titled "Technical Report
on the Mineral Resource for the Cristina Project" prepared for TCP1 Corporation and Atacama Copper
Corporation by Independent Mining Consultants Inc., with an effective date of January 1, 2023, and issue
date of December 1, 2023.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7505/231168_5bceb4a12407c8dc_001full.jpg
Figure 2 - Location of drill holes and cross-sections from the current release, Los Ingleses vein
system.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7505/231168_5bceb4a12407c8dc_002full.jpg
Figure 3 - Cross-section A-A' through the Los Ingleses vein system with hole ACD24-242
intercepting a higher-grade zone close to surface, as well as two mineralized veins further
downhole.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7505/231168_5bceb4a12407c8dc_003full.jpg
Figure 4 - Cross-section B-B' through the Los Ingleses vein system showing multiple, near-
surface high-grade vein intercepts.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7505/231168_5bceb4a12407c8dc_004full.jpg
Figure 6 - Cross-section C-C' through the Los Ingleses vein system with several strong
mineralized vein intercepts in the near-surface portion of the vein system.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7505/231168_5bceb4a12407c8dc_005full.jpg
Table 1: Detailed Drill Results
Drill Hole
From
(m)
To
(m)
Drill
length
(m)
Est. True
width
(m)
Au
g/t
Ag
g/t
Zn
%
Pb
%
Cu
%
AuEq
g/t
Vein
System
ACD24-
241
268.2
269.0
0.8
0.7
2.2
44.8
4.91
0.42
0.28
6.02
Los
Ingleses
and
298.1
298.9
0.8
0.7
2.3
134.0
8.82
1.43
0.11
9.59
Los
Ingleses
ACD24-
242
7.5
19.9
12.4
10.5
1.4
19.0
0.00
0.10
0.00
1.72
Los
Ingleses
incl.
18.4
19.9
1.5
1.2
8.6
21.3
0.00
0.12
0.00
8.91
Los
Ingleses
and
239.7
240.2
0.5
0.4
8.2
39.3
1.31
1.08
0.08
9.91
Los
Ingleses
and
297.3
300.7
3.4
2.8
1.2
87.9
5.02
1.47
0.24
6.01
Los
Ingleses
incl.
298.9
299.5
0.6
0.5
2.0
323.0
17.95
5.86
0.94
19.71
Los
Ingleses
and
327.7
329.5
1.8
1.5
1.6
54.3
3.53
1.63
0.16
5.11
Los
Ingleses
ACD24-
243
124.0
124.5
0.5
0.4
0.8
91.9
10.70
1.40
0.17
8.56
Los
Ingleses
and
166.2
166.7
0.5
0.4
2.9
69.8
1.89
0.53
0.07
5.20
Los
Ingleses
and
178.8
183.0
4.2
3.7
1.2
6.5
0.18
0.09
0.04
1.48
Los
Ingleses
and
196.5
202.7
6.2
5.5
0.2
14.5
0.79
0.31
0.13
1.14
Los
Ingleses
and
246.0
247.5
1.5
1.3
0.6
52.0
4.50
1.29
0.14
4.43
Los
Ingleses
ACD24-
244
145.7
146.2
0.5
0.4
0.5
138.0
5.81
1.08
0.09
6.04
Los
Ingleses
and
205.9
206.5
0.6
0.5
2.4
81.9
3.90
2.26
0.18
6.75
Los
Ingleses
and
238.2
242.7
4.5
3.3
1.0
60.9
2.31
0.74
0.20
3.69
Los
Ingleses
and
247.4
251.0
3.6
2.6
1.6
9.6
1.43
0.39
0.08
2.72
Los
Ingleses
ACD24-
245
165.3
166.5
1.2
1.1
3.4
150.0
4.80
8.49
0.21
12.13
Los
Ingleses
and
179.5
203.4
23.8
21.0
0.2
8.4
0.58
0.20
0.04
0.79
Los
Ingleses
incl.
200.0
200.9
0.8
0.7
0.4
99.0
4.67
1.73
0.26
5.27
Los
Ingleses
Gold equivalent formula: AuEq = Au + 0.014*Ag + 0.532*Zn + 0.379*Pb + 1.525*Cu (recoveries were assumed to be 100%). Metal Prices used:
$1700/oz Au, $23.61/oz Ag, $1.32/lb Zn, $0.94/lb Pb and $3.78/lb Cu.
The goal of targeting the higher-grade zones within the main Guadalupe Vein, as well as other high-
grade veins in the area, is to both increase the size and the grade of the resource and demonstrate the
underground resource potential at Cristina. The current, primarily open-pit mineral resource estimate
comprises:
Indicated resources of 17.5 Mt at 0.51 g/t gold, 33.8 g/t silver, 0.47% zinc, 0.19% lead and 0.04%
copper (1.33 g/t AuEq grade), for a contained 752,000 gold-equivalent ounces.
Inferred resources of 19.0 Mt at 0.51 g/t gold, 27.5 g/t silver, 0.50% zinc, 0.19% lead and 0.05%
copper (1.27 g/t AuEq grade), for a contained 777,000 gold-equivalent ounces.
Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.
Quality Assurance and Quality Control Procedures
Drill core at the Cristina project is predominately HQ size with a diameter of 63.5 mm. Drill core samples
are generally 1.50 m long along the core axis with allowance for shorter or longer intervals if required to
suit geological constraints. After logging intervals are identified to be sampled, the core is cut and one
half is submitted for assay. Sample QA/QC measures include unmarked certified reference materials,
blanks, and field duplicates are inserted into the sample sequence and make up approximately 5% of
the samples submitted to the laboratory for each drill hole. Samples are transported to lab facilities in
Durango or Hermosillo Mexico, for sample preparation. Sample analysis is carried out by ALS Labs,
with fire assay, including over limits fire assay re-analysis, and multi-element analysis completed in North
Vancouver, Canada. Drill core sample preparation includes fine crushing of the sample to at least 70%
passing less than 2 mm, sample splitting using a riffle splitter, and pulverizing a 250-gram split to at least
85% passing 75 microns. Gold in diamond drill core is analyzed by fire assay and atomic absorption
spectroscopy of a 30 g sample (Au-AA25). Multi-element chemistry is analyzed by 4-Acid digestion of a
0.25-gram sample split (ME-ICP61) with detection by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer
for a full suite of elements. Gold assay technique Au-AA25 has an upper detection limit of 100 ppm. Any