Zacatecas Silver Provides Update at El Cristo, Zacatecas Property

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zacatecas Silver Corp. (“Zacatecas Silver” or the “Company”, ZAC:TSX Venture; ZCTSF: OTC Markets; 7TV: Frankfurt) is pleased to announce that the Company has completed additional field work at its Zacatecas Property. This has included a detailed petrographic review of the previous diamond drill core at El Cristo.

The El Cristo vein system is the NW strike extension of the prolific and well known Veta Grande vein system, which has reported, but unverified, historical production of 200 Moz AgEq. The El Cristo vein system has a strike length of over 3 km on the Company’s property and comprises multiple veins formed within a dilation jog that is up to 650 m wide (Figure 1).

Previously, the Company targeted the near surface depth extension of relatively small areas of the very extensive EL Cristo vein system. The program consisted of 28 scout drill holes designed to test the near surface depth extension of select veins over at least 2 km of strike extension. Silver-base metal mineralization was intercepted in 22 out of 28 drilled holes — consistent with the veins being the strike NW extension of the Veta Grande system (see news release dated August 30, 2022).

The Company’s petrographic study has confirmed that most holes intercepted oxidized vein material — meaning the upper parts of the veins where downward percolating rainwater has resulted in breakdown of primary sulphide minerals to iron oxides and secondary silver-lead-zinc minerals. The depth of oxide-sulphide transition is irregular but appears to extend between 70 to 110 m from surface. Typically, there is a leaching of metal content in oxidized veins.

Deeper intercepts in unoxidized sulphidic veins reported higher silver equivalent grades. For example, hole CRI-2022-022 intercepted 0.65 m of quartz sulphide vein which assayed 829 g/t Ag Eq (565 g/t Ag, 1.2 g/t Au, 2.7 % Zn and 1.3 % Pb) from 55.15 meters in hole (see news release dated August 30, 2023).

Based on the recent petrographic work, the Company will be applying for drill pad permits in the three areas highlighted green in Figure 1, in order to test the deeper parts of the veins beneath the current level of oxidation. Grade appears to be increasing at depth and these targets are believed to represent low risk high reward targets. The EL Cristo vein system is open in all directions and is a very large and significant exploration target. Drill permitting is expected to take between 6 to 8 weeks.