Aztec Minerals: Expanding the Contention Zone and Discovering the Westside Zone at the Tombstone Project

Aztec Minerals Corp. (AZT: TSX-V, OTCQB: AZZTF) has recently announced the results of its 2024 exploration drill program at the Tombstone Project in Arizona, revealing multiple, new, shallow, thick, and high-grade gold-silver intercepts. These discoveries have significantly expanded the Contention Zone and led to the first pass discovery in the Westside Zone. The company's exploration efforts have demonstrated the potential for a larger mineralized system at the Tombstone Property, increasing its overall value.

The 2024 drill program targeted shallow zones associated with recently completed surface exploration and 3D geological modeling, prospective for wide oxide gold-silver mineralization. The program completed 17 RC drill holes (3,100m) of Contention area step out targets and Westside Area first pass targets. The results from the first 8 holes announced have returned strong grades of both gold and silver over broad widths, further expanding the shallow oxide mineralized zone, which is still open.

The Westside Zone, located near historic mining areas, has nearly doubled the area of drill-demonstrated exploration potential compared to the Contention pit target area alone. This expansion suggests that there is a larger mineralized system present at the Tombstone Property, which increases the overall potential of the project. The Westside Zone drilling results have validated Aztec's geological exploration model, as the mineralization encountered in the Westside anticline is consistent with the company's geologic modeling and blind targeting. This confirmation increases confidence in the accuracy of the geological model and its ability to guide future exploration efforts.

The Westside Zone drilling results, particularly the high-grade intercepts in hole TR24-13, indicate the potential for further high-grade discoveries within the Tombstone Property. This potential encourages Aztec to continue exploring the property for similar high-grade zones. The company plans to conduct systematic grid drilling in the Westside Zone later in 2025 to further define the extent and grade of the mineralization. Additionally, Aztec will expand drilling to the Southern Extension of the Contention Pit Zone, where hole TR24-16 intersected bonanza-grade silver mineralization. The company will continue to explore the Tombstone Property for additional high-grade zones, utilizing the successful geological modeling and exploration techniques employed in the Westside and Contention Zones.

In conclusion, Aztec Minerals' 2024 exploration drill program at the Tombstone Project has yielded significant results, expanding the Contention Zone and discovering the Westside Zone. These discoveries have expanded the known mineralized footprint and demonstrated the potential for additional high-grade mineralization. Aztec's exploration strategy and future drilling plans have been influenced by these findings, focusing on systematic grid drilling in the Westside Zone, expanding drilling to the Southern Extension, and continuing to explore the property for additional high-grade zones.