Adventus Zinc Corporation (TSX-V: ADZN) and Salazar Resources Limited (TSX-V: SRL) are pleased to announce the first drill holes from the 2018 infill drilling program on the El Domo volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit, which is part of the approximately 22,000 hectare Curipamba project located near Las Naves, Ecuador.

Highlights

• CURI-250 intersected 10.35 metres of 3.85% copper, 5.12 g/t gold, 10.34% zinc, 139.0 g/t silver, and 0.95% lead;
• CURI-252 intersected 5.01 metres of 1.62% copper, 8.77 g/t gold, 11.47% zinc, 357.9 g/t silver, and 2.68% lead; and
• CURI-253 intersected 0.68 metres of 0.84% copper, 13.90 g/t gold, 26.48% zinc, 298.0 g/t silver, and 1.87% lead.

El Domo Infill Drilling Results

Infill drilling is yielding intercepts of high-grade, gold-rich semi-massive to massive sulphide mineralization within the Whittle starter open-pit that was defined as part of the recent Mineral Resource update for the El Domo VMS deposit completed by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. (“RPA”). The Indicated Mineral Resources for El Domo totals 8.8 million tonnes grading 1.62% copper, 2.34 g/t gold, 2.42% zinc, 48 g/t silver, and 0.27% lead. The Inferred Mineral Resources for El Domo totals 2.6 million tonnes grading 1.29% copper, 1.09 g/t gold, 1.51% zinc, 29 g/t silver, and 0.14% lead (see January 31, 2018 news release). The National Instrument (“NI”) 43-101 Technical Report was authored by Independent Qualified Person Dr. Lars Weiershäuser, P.Geo., of RPA (based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. 

The infill drilling program commenced in early March 2018 with the objective of upgrading the confidence level of the Mineral Resource within the Whittle starter open-pit area by decreasing drill spacing, which will also generate material for a planned metallurgical program in the second half of 2018. One drill rig from the drilling contractor has been dedicated to this work program.  To date, drilling within the Whittle starter open-pit has successfully completed approximately 2,100 metres from a planned 7,500 metre work program that is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2018.  The current infill drill hole is being extended in order to more fully evaluate the favourable volcanic strata at depth below the El Domo VMS deposit. This drill hole will be the deepest at El Domo to date, and it is conceptualized to be used for downhole electromagnetic geophysical studies later in 2018.  An additional nine infill drill holes have been successfully completed with four drill holes having passed quality assurance and quality control (“QAQC”), and five drill holes with assays outstanding.

From the 2,100 metres successfully completed, seven drill holes have intersected either semi-massive or massive sulphide mineralization. The other two drill holes did not have any significant results because they were designed to refine the limits of VMS mineralization along the southern margin of the Whittle starter open-pit containing the 3D modelled massive sulphide zone. Overall, drilling results have confirmed the quality of the geological and structural modelling completed by RPA, notably the semi-massive to massive sulphide mineralization.

Drill hole CURI-250 intersected VMS mineralization from 71.65 to 82.00 metres for an approximate true thickness of 9.32 metres grading 3.85% copper, 5.12 g/t gold, 10.34% zinc, 139.0 g/t silver, and 0.95% lead.  A subset interval of the massive sulphide mineralization is of even higher grade from 72.41 to 76.08 metres, grading 6.47% copper, 12.30 g/t gold, 25.27% zinc, 335.4 g/t silver, and 2.37% lead.  It should be noted that the lower 2.73 metres of the intercept is structurally modified by a fault and gradually transitions into both mineralized and hydrothermally altered dacite volcaniclastic rocks that underlie El Domo.

The intercept in CURI-252 has an approximate true thickness of 4.51 metres and intersected VMS mineralization from 59.75 to 64.76 metres grading 1.62% copper, 8.77 g/t gold, 11.47% zinc, 357.9 g/t silver, and 2.68% lead.  The top contact of the VMS mineralization occurs across 1.29 metres of intercalated fine-grained volcaniclastic tuff-sized material and semi-massive sulphide mineralization that grades into massive sulphide mineralization.  A subset interval of the massive sulphide mineralization is of even higher grade from 61.04 to 62.65 metres, grading 1.74% copper, 17.40 g/t gold, 22.05% zinc, 523.0 g/t silver, and 5.97% lead.  The lower contact is faulted from 62.65 to 64.76 metres and gradually transitions into both mineralized and hydrothermally altered dacite volcaniclastic rocks.

CURI-253 was designed to test the thin southerly margin of the massive sulphide mineralization within the confines of the Whittle starter open-pit and it intersected an approximate true thickness of 0.61 metres from 59.52 to 60.20 metres grading 0.84% copper, 13.9 g/t gold, 26.48% zinc, 298.0 g/t silver, and 1.87% lead. In addition, it also intersected a low-grade stockwork within dacite volcaniclastic rocks from 68.58 to 75.29 metres.  Stockwork mineralization is quite common below El Domo, forming horizontal units that appear to be spatially associated with key fault structures and associated with autobreccia in the dacite volcanic rocks.

Drill holes CURI-255 and CURI-256 were designed to test the southerly limits of the known massive sulphide mineralization and further assess the pit wall geology. These drill holes both intersected favourable strata including both the grainstone, which is a resedimented volcaniclastic unit containing pebbles and cobbles of massive sulphide mineralization, and a fine-grained felsic volcaniclastic tuff-sized material known to occur directly above the massive sulphide mineralization; however, no semi-massive to massive sulphide minerals were intersected. CURI-256 did, however, intersect a low-grade stockwork zone within dacite volcaniclastic rocks from 108.52 to 119.21 metres that corresponds to other similar low-grade stockwork zones stratigraphically below El Domo such as above in drill hole CURI-253. These drill holes have also confirmed modelling done by RPA along the southern margin of the deposit and provide excellent geological control for future modelling studies.

Technical Information Quality Control & Quality Assurance

The Curipamba project work program is being managed and reviewed by Vice President Exploration, Jason Dunning, M.Sc., P.Geo., a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Salazar staff collect and process samples that are securely sealed and shipped to Bureau Veritas in Quito for sample preparation that includes crushing and milling to prepare pulps that are then split for shipment to their facility in Lima, Peru for analysis. All assay data have undergone internal validation of QAQC; noting there is an established sampling control program with blind insertion of assay blanks, certified industry standards and sample duplicates for the Curipamba project. A QAQC program is also in place at BV and includes insertion of blanks, standards and duplicate reanalysis of selected samples.  BV’s quality system complies with the requirements for the International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025: 1999. At BV, gold is analyzed by classical fire assay techniques with an ICP-AES finish, and both silver and base metals are analyzed by a 44-element aqua regia ICP-AES technique. Overlimit protocols are in place for gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc.

Qualified Person

The technical information of this news release has been reviewed and verified as accurate by Mr. Jason Dunning, M.Sc., P.Geo., Vice President Exploration for Adventus, a non-Independent Qualified Person, as defined by NI 43-101.

About Adventus

Adventus is a well-financed company focused on zinc-related exploration and project development globally. Its strategic shareholders include Altius Minerals Corporation, Greenstone Resources LP, and Resource Capital Funds; as well as other highly respected investors in the mining business. Adventus currently has large prospective land packages in both Ireland and Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is earning a 75% ownership interest in the Curipamba copper-gold-zinc project in Ecuador. In addition, Adventus has a country-wide exploration alliance with its partners in Ecuador, incorporating one project to date. Adventus is based in Toronto, Canada, and is listed on the TSX-V under the symbol ADZN.

About Salazar

Salazar is a publicly-listed mineral resource company engaged in the exploration and development of new highly prospective areas in Ecuador. Led by a senior Ecuadorian management team and most notably by its namesake Fredy Salazar, this team has been instrumental in other major discoveries throughout Ecuador, including Aurelian’s Fruta Del Norte discovery, Mozo Deposit, Ex Newmont’s Cangrejos Project and International Minerals Rio Blanco and Gaby Deposit. Being an Ecuadorian-based company gives the Company a strategic advantage enabling the Company to complete exploration at a rapid pace.  With an excellent property portfolio (6 projects – 33,383 hectares), good geopolitical positioning and a number of strategic corporate and financial partnerships, Salazar has positioned itself to be a strategic player in Ecuador.