Aztec Step-Out Drilling Extends Oxide Au/Ag Zone on Strike to +1km at Tombstone Project, Arizona; Drills 44.1m of 1.16 gpt Au and 77.7 gpt Ag (159.0 gpt AgEq) including 3.04 m of 7.5gpt Au & 465.5 gpt Ag (990.8 gpt AgEq)
Step-out drilling at Tombstone confirms 1km mineralized strike as Aztec scales 12,000-meter program to define bulk tonnage potential.
The news release dated January 27, 2026, reports step-out drilling results from the Tombstone project in Arizona. Key highlights include the extension of the oxide gold-silver zone to over 1 kilometer in strike length. Notable drill hole TR25-31 returned 44.1 meters of 1.161 gpt Au and 77.7 gpt Ag (159.0 gpt AgEq), including a high-grade interval of 3.04 meters at 7.5 gpt Au and 465.5 gpt Ag. The company also provided an operational update, noting that 45 RC holes have been completed in the 2025-2026 program, with results for 15 holes still pending. Additionally, a deep core hole (TC25-04) is currently at 714.3 meters, targeting a deep Carbonate Replacement Deposit (CRD) target.
The extension of the mineralized strike to over 1 kilometer is a material development for Aztec Minerals. This news provides the continuity required to build a significant tonnage model for the shallow oxide portion of the Tombstone project. - Grade Consistency: The grades in TR25-31 (1.16 gpt Au) are significantly higher than the average bulk-tonnage oxide grades seen in many Southwest US projects, which often hover between 0.4 and 0.7 gpt Au. - Resource Implications: Expanding the strike length while maintaining these widths (44.1m) suggests a growing volume of mineralized material that could eventually support a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). - Program Momentum: The recent expansion of the drill program to 12,000 meters (announced Jan 15, 2026) indicates management's high confidence in the data coming from the field. - Deep Target Potential: While the oxide results are the primary focus, the progress of TC25-04 to over 700 meters shows the company is actively testing the "blue sky" CRD thesis, which, if successful, would be a transformative event.
Aztec Minerals is a junior explorer focused on two primary assets: - Tombstone Project (Arizona): The flagship. A joint venture (Aztec 85%, Dragoon Resources 15%) focused on a historic silver-gold district. It hosts two targets: shallow, bulk-tonnage oxide gold-silver and deep, high-grade CRD (silver-lead-zinc-copper). - Cervantes Project (Mexico): 100% owned porphyry gold-copper discovery. Recent surface work has expanded the California zone footprint.