Western Metallica Announces Initial Drill Results from Its Nueva Celti Copper Project
WESTERN METALLICA ANNOUNCES INITIAL DRILL RESULTS FROM
ITS NUEVA CELTI COPPER PROJECT
TORONTO, ONTARIO – April 17, 2023 – Western Metallica Resources Corp. (TSXV: WMS)
(“Western Metallica” or the “Company”) is pleased to report on the results of the first hole drilled
at the Company’s 100% owned Nueva Celti Project, a past producing copper mine with significant
exploration potential, located in the southernmost region of Spain.
Nueva Celti is a highly prospective project that spans 1, 250 hectares with an additional 5,100
hectares in the process of being secured to the East of the known mineralization with the
application of the Retortillo investigation permit . The project is located in the Ossa Morena
geological province in Andalusia, positioned in a region where copper mineralization has been
recognized since ancient times. The Nueva Celti Project has now been prioritized by the Company
as a strategic exploration project due to the se initial results demonstrating comparability to th e
vast amounts of regional and historical data, as well as past production of commercial grade
copper with high quality infrastructure on and adjacent to the property.
Western Metallica recently launched a diamond drilling program aimed at validating the grades
and confirming the geology interpreted compiling the historical information from the ‘Asturiana de
Zinc’, Glencore, drilling program. Refer to Figure 2 for the location, and Table 2 for the details, of
the planned holes that will be executed across two different phases totaling approximately 3,000
metres. The drilling program will target the ore bodies below the historical mine level s with the
aim of proving the continuity of the ore bodies at depth for at least 400 metres, and for more than
400 metres on strike. Furthermore, the Company has planned the execution of both gravimetric
and magnetic ground geophysical surveys aimed at broadening the target area and immediately
generating further drill targets . The Company is financed to complete this program and a
substantially larger program with approximately CAD $4.7 million in the treasury.
The results from the first hole, NCDD001, have confirmed the presence of the ore bodies reported
by the ‘Asturian de Zinc’, Glencore drilling program, as well as intersected other shallower and
deeper mineralized zones (refer to Table 1) with total widths and grades comparable with the
historical results. The control on mineralization, mainly represented by a total >50% of
disseminated magnetite, pyrite and chalcopyrite, seems mainly lithological with the copper -
mineralized zone coinciding with layers of muscovite and biotite-schists locally fragmental (meta-
volcaniclastics) within an amphibolite unit (meta-volcanics).
HOLE From m To m Width (m) Cu % Zn % Pb % Ag g/t Au g/t
NCDD001
149.97 151.53 1.56 1.9 0.9 0.1 23.0 0.5
165.55 170.42 4.87 1.8 1.1 0.2 18.2 0.6
191.95 196.50 4.55 2.6 10.6 0.5
228.65 235.03 6.38 1.1 0.3 7.3 0.3
280.10 289.70 9.60 0.9 0.2 6.7 0.3
417.75 420.10 2.35 0.8 0.5 0.2 12.1 0.4
Table 1: Significant Results from Drill Hole NCDD001.
Figure 1: Nueva Celti cross section 100S containing hole NCDD001 from the current Western Metallica drilling
program. The position of the mine levels is also shown.
HOLE Phase Easting Northing Elevation Az DIP Planned
Depth (m)
Final
Depth (m)
NCDD001 1 293716 4176850 103 265 -55 450 448.80
NCDD002 1 293730 4176956 87 265 -50 400
1 293712 4177067 92 265 -50 300
2 293697 4177104 92 265 -50 300
2 293740 4177030 86 265 -45 315
2 293745 4176814 100 265 -45 340
2 293625 4176629 88 265 -50 200
2 293719 4177005 90 265 -45 300
2 293721 4176899 96 265 -45 325
Total metres 1st phase 1,150 448.80
Total metres 2nd phase 1,780
Table 2: Nueva Celti Project Drill Program Schedule
Figure 2: Nueva Celti 1st and 2nd phase drilling platform locations. Mise-A-La-Masse anomalies (1975 survey) on
background and position of mag anomalies (1975 survey)
Results of the second drill hole, NCDD002, localized 100 metres north of drill hole NCDD001, are
expected to be returned a t the beginning of May. Management’s initial impression is that
orebodies may anastomose giving origin to a single, wider, Cu-sulfide bearing body.
Western Metallica is in the process of securing the land covering the potential repetition toward
the East of the same-trending mineralization, with the application of the Retortillo investigation
permit covering 5,100 hectares. With the amalgamation of Nueva Celti and the Retortillo permit,
the prospective project could span over 6,300 hectares of combined exploration potential (refer
to Figure 3).
Figure 3: Location of the area under investigation on respect to the Nueva Celti and Retortillo (applied) Investigation
Permits.
Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Sample preparation and analyses will be conducted according to standard industry procedures.
Drill core samples are crushed, split and pulverized prior to analysis of Gold by fire assay and
Atomic Absorption and multi -elements by ICP -AES after four acid digestion. Analytical
performance is monitored by means of certified reference materials (CRMs), coa rse blanks,
coarse and pulp duplicate samples. Samples have been prepared in ALS Chemex preparation
lab in Seville, Spain and analyses have been completed in ALS Rosia Montana, Alba, Romania
(Fire Assays) and LAS Loughrea, Galway, Ireland (ICP).
Qualified Person
The technical and scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by
Mr. Giovanni Funaioli, Eur.Geol., Vice President Exploration of Western Metallica, who is a
“Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral
Projects. Mr. Giovanni Funaioli is an employee of the Company and is not considered
independent under NI 43-101.
About Western Metallica Resources Corp.
Western Metallica is an Ontario company with its head office in Toronto, Ontario, trading on the
TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) under symbol WMS. Western Metallica is in the business of
mineral resource exploration and development, its principal asset is its 100% owned Nueva Celti
Copper Property in the Ossa Morena belt in Andalu sia, Spain . Western Metallica also h olds
interests in three other Spanish gold projects in the “Navelgas Gold Belt” in Asturias , Spain
(Penedela, Valledor and Sierra Alta).
Further information of the Company can be found at: www.westernmetallica.com
For more information please contact:
Western Metallica Resources Corp.
Gregory Duras
Chief Executive Officer
Email: [email protected]
Investor Relations
Email: [email protected]
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the
TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
This press release contains statements that constitute “forward -statements.” Such forward
looking statements involve known an d unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ
materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
such forward-looking statements.
Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current
conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered
appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward -looking information are reasonable,
undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that
they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words “estimate”, “project”,
“belief”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect”, “plan”, “predict”, “may” or “should” and the negative of
these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify
forward-looking statements and information. The forward -looking statements and information in
this press release include information relating to the planned drill program and the development
of the Project and other mining projects and prospects thereof. Such statements and information
reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to
differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future
events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the
Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such
date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not
rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update
these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions,
or other factors, should change.