Western Metallica Resources Corp. Announces Program at the Nueva Celti Copper Project and Update to Penedela Drilling
WESTERN METALLICA RESOURCES CORP. ANNOUNCES PROGRAM
AT THE NUEVA CELTI COPPER PROJECT AND UPDATE TO
PENEDELA DRILLING
TORONTO, ONTARIO – January 12, 2023 – Western Metallica Resources Corp. (TSXV: WMS)
(“Western Metallica” or the “ Company”) is pleased to report on updates from the Company’s
various mineral projects in Spain, primarily results from the recently completed Penedela Project
drill program and plans for the launch of a preliminary exploration program at the Company’s
100% owned copper project, Nueva Celti. Nueva Celti is a strategic and priority exploration project
due to the amount of regional and historic data, as well as past production at commercial grades
of 5% copper with infrastructure on and adjacent to the property, making it a prime long -term
project and key asset which has the potential to be advanced towards a significant copper and
base metal resource for the Company.
The recently completed Penedela drill program involved a step out along trend from previous
targets with the aim of testing underexplored regions of the property , and incorporated detailed
mapping, rock sampling and the drilling. The Penedela Project underwent a cumulative total of
2,236 metres drilled across 12 holes from period 2020-2022, to a maximum depth of 335.6 metres,
with the Penedela zone drilled approximately 130 metres vertical from surface and a total of ~500
metres on-strike. The program was generally aimed at testing the control on mineralization by the
NS structure, with the exception of IB029 located on the southern edge of the project, that was
drilled with a 350 azimuth. The ongoing modelling is focused on wireframing two different
mineralized bodies that run parallel, constituting the Penedela zone: one hanging wall skarnoid,
continuous, and lower grade body, and another footwall one represented by a zone of quartz -
galena-arsenopyrite veining.
The four main targets of the Penedela program re-start underwent a cumulative 1,411 metres of
drilling which confirmed the mineralization within the Penedela system , still open toward South
and North as well as the width of the main Penedela zone that still remains to be defined as
summarized below (refer to Figure 1):
• Target 1 - Penedela Structure: drill holes IB025 and IB026 to verify the Penedela body
extension. Hole IB030 twinned an historical hole aimed at better defining two mineralized
domains being currently wireframed, and confirmed a wider mineralized zone expanding
inside the quartzite far from the contact with the slates . The on going relogging and
resampling exercise of hole IB019 (2020 program hole) and IB026 seems to point out that
the mineralization remains open at -depth. IB019, that returned significant results of 11
metres at 0.7 g/t Au and 3 metres at 1.8 g/t Au , was drilled down to 115.7 metres ending
in Qz-As veining, and exhibits a wider zone of potential mineralization ~100 metres below
surface.
• Target 2 - Saddle-Reef: drill holes IB024 and IB028 targeted the possible control by the
anticline hinge. Hole IB028 was drilled to a total depth of 197.1 metres, aimed to potentially
intersect the hinge of the regional San Martin anticline approaching the eastern limb of the
fold, as this sector of the Penedela property remain ed untested and recent field work
indicated a folding style characterized by a ‘short wave -length’ chevron structure similar
to other similar systems worldwide.
• Target 3 - NS feeding zone: drill hole IB027 targeted a possible feeder of the Penedela
system, as pointed out by high Au -grade returned from surface rock sample s. 3D
interpretation inferred the presence of a NS fault as a possible structure feeding the
system which assumes a conceptual massive quartz vein traditionally coined ‘saddle reef
structure’. Hole IB027 was drilled to a total depth of 150.2 metres and intercepted a couple
of silicified zones with fine-disseminated arsenopyrite and pyrite prospectively indicat ing
NS Fault systems dipping eastward.
• Target 4 - San Martin Anticline Extension: drill hole IB029 target ed the southern
extension of the San Martin anticline hinge as well as the EW-trending vein system
observed, on the northern side of the river , to crosscu t the Penedela structure . The
possibility of saddle -reef mineralization was initially tested by IB029 (on the southern
sector of the property), which indicated results of 0.75 metres at 5.53 g/t Au, 0.45 metres
at 0.37 g/t Au and 0.55 metres at 0.50 g/t Au, within a wide interval between 71.2 and 87.4
metres, returned from EW-trending veining. Here the gold grades resulted more erratic
than the NS -trending veining characteriz ing the Penedela zone. A sulphide-matrix
hydrothermal breccia intercepted at 222.35 metres returned 3.30 metres at 0.36 g/t Au,
0.2% Cu as well as quartz -arsenopyrite-pyrite veining , located at the breccia footwall ,
returned 0.95 metres at 5.21 g/t Au from 231.5 metres. Hole IB029 reached a total depth
of 335.6 metres proving the presence of a skarnoid-type alteration, also marked by 20-30
metres wide pyrrhotite -in envelop , resulted from the metasomatism of felspathic
sandstone layers interbedded within the Los Cabos quartzite.
Figure 1: Penedela Project Target Regions
Penedela remains a project of importance for the Company, being positioned in the prolific Iberian
Peninsula, formed by multiple gold mineralizing events and hosting two of the largest currently
known deposits in the area.
As previously announced, the Company’s Sierra Alta Project, in the same region, will undergo a
targeted drill program aimed to validate historical work and specifically intended to validate a
jasperoidal breccia that returned encouraging results. The Company has launched a first stage
1,000 metre, 5-hole, diamond drilling program in Q1-2023 at Sierra Alta, where land access has
been granted , refer to press release dated December 6, 2022. The Company expects initial
channel sampling results conducted across a 4-kilometre strike length testing the Montefurado-
La Freita trend, with drilling at Sierra Alta to commence Q1-2023.
Gregory Duras, CEO and Director of Western Metallica Resources commented, “The Company
is satisfied having demonstrated the extension of mineralization at Penedela and intends as next
steps to further understand the potential of its other assets, in order to prioritize the allocation of
its capital to continue its goal of developing a maiden resource. The Company has approximately
CAD$5.3 million in cash as at the end of December 2022, to continue to advance its projects.”
NUEVA CELTI INAUGURAL PROGRAM
Nueva Celti, the Company’s 100%-owned copper project is located in the Ossa Morena geological
province in Andalusia, a project that spans 1,500 hectares with historic copper mineralization and
production grades reported over 5% copper , positioned in a region where copper mineralization
has been recognized since ancient times. Nueva Celti was the location of historic production of
copper and other metals until 1918, with an underground mine that was developed across two
shafts to ~130 metres depth, along one vein, which was then optioned out by Asturiana de Zinc
SA. (“Asturiana de Zinc”) , which then carried out an encouraging drill exploration campaign .
Western Metallica is currently reviewing and compiling historical data including the review of 19-
diamond drillholes executed by Asturiana de Zinc , and intends to conduct geophysical test s
across the structure to generate immediate drill targets , including the acquisition of typical
recognition, low-cost, self-potential data acquisition across the “historical” IP anomalies which
effectively detects the target structure s, in combination with simple lithological and structural
context that in VMS environments provides robust information. The Company intends to conduct
data interpretation, validation and scout drilling as next steps at Nueva Celti, including the coding
of all historical drillhole information from the 1970’s programs to generate a working 3D model in
support of the next step drilling plan and target generation during Q1-2023.
Figure 2: Nueva Celti historical drilling sites (Asturiana de Zinc, Glencore) with location of the self-potential stations.
Mise-A-La-Masse anomalies (1975 survey) on background and position of mag anomalies (1075 survey)
Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Sample preparation and analyses are 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), coarse 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 a n Ontario registered company with its head office in Toronto, Ontario,
trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) under the symbol WMS. Western Metallica is in
the business of mineral resource exploration and development, its principal asset is its 100%
owned Penedela Gold Property in the “Navelgas Gold Belt” in Asturias, Spain. Western Metallica
also has an interest in two other Spanish gold projects in the “Navelgas Gold Belt” in Asturias
(Valledor and Sierra Alta) and one project located in Andalucia (Nueva Celti).
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
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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 and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements, or devel opments 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 an d 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
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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 Penedela 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
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these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions,
or other factors, should change.