Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) is pleased to announce continued high-grade results from recent extension and scout drilling at its projects in Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso in West Africa.
Paul Weedon, Vice President of Exploration – West Africa, commented, “The exploration teams at Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire have continued to advance the exploration understanding of key structures and controls on mineralization in both the Sunbird and Galgouli projects with excellent results highlighting the potential for setting up several new targets and extensions to the known deposits at Séguéla and mineralization at Boussoura.” Mr. Weedon continued, “The company is looking forward to the continued growth from both projects as we head into the second half of the year, with Gabbro North and Sunbird emphasising the potential of Séguéla, and the continuing success of scout drilling at Boussoura in expanding the mineralized footprint.”
Séguéla drill highlights1 include:
Sunbird
Koula
Gabbro North
Boussoura drill highlights1 include:
Fofora Scout Drilling
Fofora Main Drilling
Galgouli Central
Galgouli Regional
Note:
Séguéla gold Project, Cote d’Ivoire
Exploration activities at the Séguéla gold Project (see Figure 1) have continued to advance the high-grade Koula deposit with step-out drilling intersecting a new zone of hanging wall mineralization as well as infilling the extension of the high-grade Koula structure. The combined 7,115-meter, 24-hole Hanging Wall (HW) and Main Zone program, which started in April 2021 is now completed. The significance of the results, including 28.8 g/t gold over 7 meters (refer to the Appendix, drill hole SGRD1217) and 19.8 g/t gold over 11 meters (refer to the Appendix, drill hole SGRD1209 and to Figure 2) and the proximity to the Stage Two Pit Shell are being evaluated. Mineralization remains open at depth on the main Koula structure while the hanging wall mineralization highlights the potential for additional structures at depth.
Depth extension drilling at Sunbird, as part of the recently completed 1,774 meter, 11-hole program which started in May 2021, has extended the mineralized envelope. Results including 17.2 g/t gold over 30 meters (refer to the Appendix, drill hole SGDD089) and 3.2 g/t gold over 28 metres (refer to the Appendix, drill hole SGDD088) highlight the depth potential with the deepest drilling less than 200 meters below surface (refer to Figure 3). In addition, Sunbird is demonstrating very similar structural and lithological controls to those identified at the Koula and Ancien deposits. Mineralization remains open at depth and along strike with more than 1 kilometer of mineralized strike drill tested to date.
Further high-grade results, including 23.0 g/t gold over 4 meters (refer to the Appendix, drill hole SGRC1236), have been returned from the 14-hole, 2,070-meter additional scout drilling program completed in August at Gabbro North (refer to Figure 4), following up from previous high-grade results intersected in the first scout drilling phase in the second quarter of 2021. Drilling only tested the southern zone of known mineralization with mineralization now delineated along a 300-meter strike and where it remains open along strike and at depth.
Figure 1. Séguéla deposits and satellite prospects
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Figure 2. Koula long section with recent assay results
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Figure 3. Sunbird long section with recent assay results
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Figure 4. Gabbro North long section with recent assay results
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Boussoura, Burkina Faso
Exploration activities at Boussoura where a 47-hole, 5,958-meter program since March 2021 has continued to advance Fofora Main where infill and extension drilling has increased the confidence in the structural controls of mineralization, with several additional high-grade intervals returned, including 9.9 g/t gold over 8 meters (refer to the Appendix, drill hole FFR272). Scout drilling at the adjacent vein corridors to the west continues to highlight the regional potential, with drilling on vein corridors VC4 and VC5 intersecting extensive zones of alteration and associated quartz veining and mineralization.
Further south at Galgouli, a 12-hole, 3,419-meter program depth extension drilling on the central zone testing the structural controls and concluded in July was successful in identifying extensions to the high-grade shoots at depth with results including 17.9 g/t gold over 5.4 meters (refer to the Appendix, drill hole GAL055). A 32-hole, 4,022-meter scout drilling program was also successful in identifying high-grade mineralization approximately 1 kilometer to the south and south-east of the central Galgouli zone, testing interpreted parallel structures (10.9 g/t gold over 2 meters; refer to the Appendix, drill hole RC098) and a possible regional scale cross-structure (22.2 g/t gold over 2 meters; refer to the Appendix, drill hole RC096). A total of 44 holes have been completed for a total of 7,444 meters since April 2021.
Figure 5. Boussoura Project location on Houndé Belt, Burkina Faso (Roxgold August 2021)
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Figure 6. Fofora plan view with recent results (All grades represent grams per tonne gold)
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Figure 7. Galgouli plan view with recent results for Galgouli Central and scout drilling (All grades represent grams per tonne gold)
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Quality Assurance & Quality Control
All drilling data completed by the Company utilized the following procedures and methodologies. All drilling was carried out under the supervision of the company’s personnel.
All RC drilling at Séguéla and Boussoura used a 5.25-inch face sampling pneumatic hammer with samples collected into 60-liter plastic bags. Samples were kept dry by maintaining enough air pressure to exclude groundwater inflow. If water ingress exceeded the air pressure, RC drilling was stopped, and drilling converted to diamond core tails. Once collected, RC samples were riffle split through a three-tier splitter to yield a 12.5% representative sample for submission to the analytical laboratory. The residual 87.5% sample were stored at the drill site until assay results were received and validated. Coarse reject samples for all mineralized samples corresponding to significant intervals are retained and stored on-site at the Company controlled core yard.
All DD drill holes at Séguéla and Boussoura were drilled with HQ sized diamond drill bits. The core was logged, marked up for sampling using standard lengths of one meter or to a geological boundary. Samples were then cut into equal halves using a diamond saw. One half of the core was left in the original core box and stored in a secure location at the Company core yard at the relevant project site (Séguéla or Boussoura). The other half was sampled, catalogued and placed into sealed bags and securely stored at the site until shipment.
All Séguéla RC and DD core samples were shipped to ALS Laboratories preparation laboratory in Yamoussoukro for preparation while all Boussoura samples were direct shipped to ALS Laboratories in Ouagadougou for preparation. Séguéla samples were shipped via commercial courier to ALS’s facility in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Routine gold analysis using a 50-gram charge and fire assay with an atomic absorption finish was completed for all Boussoura and Séguéla samples. Quality control procedures included the systematic insertion of blanks, duplicates and sample standards into the sample stream. In addition, the ALS laboratory inserted its own quality control samples.
Qualified Person
Paul Weedon, Vice President of Exploration – West Africa for Fortuna Silver Mines Inc., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, being a member of the Australian Institute for Geoscientists (Membership #6001). Mr. Weedon has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Weedon has verified the data disclosed, and the sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information or opinions contained herein by reviewing geochemical and geological databases and reviewing diamond drill core. There were no limitations to the verification process.
About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.
Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. is a Canadian precious metals mining company with four operating mines in Argentina, Burkina Faso, Mexico and Peru, and an advanced development project in Côte d’Ivoire. Sustainability is integral to all our operations and relationships. We produce gold and silver and generate shared value over the long-term for our shareholders and stakeholders through efficient production, environmental protection, and social responsibility.
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