Aztec Minerals Identifies High-Priority CRD Targets at Tombstone Property
Vancouver, Canada -- March 20, 2025 -- NewsGenie -- Aztec Minerals Corp. (AZT: TSX-V, OTCQB: AZZTF) has announced that recent drilling and 3D data modeling at the Tombstone Property in Southeastern Arizona have led to an enhanced understanding of potential Carbonate Replacement Deposit (CRD) mineralization below the near-surface gold-silver oxide mineralization discovery zone.
Aztec has integrated recent drilling and 3D modeling exploration data with NSAMT geophysics data, producing several high-priority, drill-ready CRD targets at the property. The 2024 exploration program has strengthened the understanding of the district’s CRD potential and validated the 2020 geophysical NSAMT survey identification of anomalous conductivity as possible mineralization at depth in the southern portion of the project.
The Tombstone gold-silver district historically focused on mining shallow, oxidized silver-gold CRD-related deposits. The structural complex is the same Paleozoic limestone sequence that hosts the Taylor CRD zinc-silver-lead deposit of South32 and the Bisbee CRD and skarn copper-gold-zinc-silver-lead deposits.
Positive indications for deeper, underground CRD mineralization at Tombstone include:
- Widespread fracturing, alteration, and skarn development similar to Bisbee sediments.
- The Contention open pit mine centered along a strong fault structure with mineralized felsic dikes.
- Multistage mesothermal mineralization.
- Underground mining to over 300m depth.
- Historic drilling intersecting high-grade CRD mantos.
- The presence of manganese-silver rich mines indicative of distal mineralization to CRD deposits.
- Significant anomalies at depth identified by a natural source vector AMT geophysical study.
The construction of the Tombstone 3D model has been a successful tool in the targeting of the 2024 RC drilling program, such as the discovery hole TR24-13 on the Westside Anticline.
Drillhole TR24-16 encountered Bonanza grade Silver intersecting 7,269 gpt AgEq (233.7 opt AgEq – 3,669 gpt Ag, 44.7 gpt Au) over 1.52 m, within a zone of 569 gpt AgEq (18.3 opt AgEq – 290 gpt Ag, 3.48 gpt Au) over 25.8. TR24-16 cut across multiple fault structures of the Contention fault zone in the South Extension of the Contention pit and was surprisingly, extensively altered throughout its lower half by silicification and moderate to strong oxide mineralization.
TR24-13 discovered a new body of significant oxidized silver-gold mineralization away from the Contention pit mineralization in the Westside anticline consisting of 85.4 m of 47.3 gpt AgEq (0.281 gpt Au and 24.79 gpt Ag).
Figure 1: Tombstone Project map view of Aztec completed drillholes and pre collared drillholes (in red) with AMT anomalies (800 m depth)1
Figure 2: TR24-16 Cross Section
Figure 3: TR24-13 Cross Section
Aztec holds a 77.7% interest in the Tombstone Property Joint Venture. Future drilling is expected to focus on extensions of the shallow oxide mineralization and move deeper to test for larger, deeper lead-zinc-silver CRD targets along the Contention structure.
The Tombstone project is located 100 km southeast of Tucson, Arizona, and covers much of the historic Tombstone silver district. The historic silver production in the Tombstone district from 1878 to 1939 was estimated at 32 million ounces and 250,000 ounces of gold.
Aztec believes that the historic silver mines at Tombstone could be related to a much larger mesothermal system with CRD mineralization below the old mines.
Allen David Heyl, B.Sc., CPG., VP Exploration of Aztec, is the Qualified Person under NI43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release.
Simon Dyakowski, Chief Executive Officer of Aztec Minerals Corp.
Aztec is focused on two emerging discoveries in North America: The Cervantes project, a porphyry gold-copper discovery in Sonora, Mexico, and the Tombstone project, a gold-silver discovery with CRD potential in southern Arizona.