Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 2, 2023) - Defiance Silver Corp. (TSXV: DEF) (OTCQX: DNCVF) (FSE: D4E) (WKN: A1JQW5) ("Defiance" or the "Company") is pleased to share that new sampling of historic drill core has revealed previously unrecognized zones with high grade and wide widths within the San Acacio project area. Defiance geologists successfully used advances in our deposit and district knowledge to identify and target favourable structural positions and mineralization styles that were overlooked in historic sampling campaigns. Significant results are reported in holes SAD-15-05, SAD-15-06, SAD-15-07, SAD-15-08, SAD-17-14, SAD-17-15, and SAD-17-16; these holes were drilled during the 2015 and 2017 drilling campaigns. Notable silver mineralization over wide widths was encountered.
The company is encouraged by the success of this campaign, as it supports a growing resource on the Veta Grande vein system as well as validates the geological modeling and understanding of the mineral system potential. The company will continue to evaluate additional drill holes from the extensive district-wide drill core library.
Chris Wright, Chairman & CEO, commented: "Multiple years of technical analysis have outlined and confirmed that resource building targets exist in the hanging-wall and footwall of the main Veta Grande structure. Our team has diligently built a comprehensive geologic model that has led to the intersection of wide intervals and high-grade mineralization."
Highlights:
- SAD-17-14 - discovered wide widths of appreciable grades including 6.83m of 157 g/t AgEq (from 283.21 - 290.04m) including 2.30 m of 376 g/t AgEq (from 284.65 - 286.95m) with a high-grade sub interval of 1180.00 g/t Ag and 2.23 g/t Au or 1369 g/t AgEq (from 284.65 - 285.00m).
- SAD-17-15 - returned a significant interval of silver mineralization of 36.70m of 154.80 g/t Ag or 162 g/t AgEq (from 191.30 - 228.00m) when composited with the previously released results (See October 25th, 2017 News Release). Other notable results in this wide interval include 6.81m of 296 g/t AgEq (from 203.01 - 209.82m), including a high-grade sub-interval of 629 g/t AgEq over 2.82m (from 207.00 - 209.82m). A further wide sub-interval of 15.00m of 137.91 g/t Ag or 145 g/t AgEq was encountered from 213.00 - 228.00m.
- SAD-17-16 - encountered 2.31m of 202 g/t AgEq (from 219.40 - 221.71m) in the Veta Navidad zone.
- SAD-15-06 - returned 2.50m of 127 g/t AgEq (from 155.00 - 157.50m) in a hanging-wall (HW) veinlet-array splay zone.
- SAD-15-07 - intersected 1.12m of 267 g/t AgEq (from 156.35 - 157.47m), as well as a 3.77m interval of 123 g/t AgEq from 166.07 - 169.84m. The deeper intercept is located on the same structure as the reported intercept in SAD-15-06.
- SAD-15-08 - a 1.63m interval returned 165 g/t AgEq (from 97.65 - 99.28m) and a 1.54m interval of 212 g/t AgEq (from 131.15 - 132.69m) in the Veta Navidad zone.
Table 1: Select table of results
| Hole ID | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m) | Ag g/t | Au g/t | Pb % | Zn % | AgEq g/t | QAQC |
| SAD-15-05 | 98.00 | 99.00 | 1.00 | 98.30 | 0.10 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 107 | a |
| SAD-15-05 | 105.15 | 109.80 | 4.65 | 91.40 | 0.15 | 0.08 | 0.28 | 114 | a |
| Including | 105.15 | 106.00 | 0.85 | 307.52 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 319 | a |
| SAD-15-05 | 127.76 | 130.48 | 2.72 | 153.46 | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.13 | 161 | a |
| SAD-15-06 | 155.00 | 157.50 | 2.50 | 117.88 | 0.08 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 127 | a |
| SAD-15-07 | 156.35 | 157.47 | 1.12 | 235.00 | 0.30 | 0.07 | 0.16 | 267 | a |
| SAD-15-07 | 166.07 | 169.84 | 3.77 | 88.94 | 0.16 | 0.13 | 0.51 | 123 | a |
| Including | 169.00 | 169.84 | 0.84 | 283.08 | 0.26 | 0.12 | 0.52 | 324 | a |
| SAD-15-08 | 97.65 | 99.28 | 1.63 | 157.74 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 0.07 | 165 | a |
| SAD-15-08 | 131.15 | 132.69 | 1.54 | 200.74 | 0.10 | 0.02 | 0.09 | 212 | a |
| SAD-17-14 | 283.21 | 290.04 | 6.83 | 128.60 | 0.25 | 0.06 | 0.18 | 157 | a |
| Including | 284.65 | 286.95 | 2.30 | 318.78 | 0.59 | 0.08 | 0.22 | 376 | a |
| Including | 284.65 | 285.00 | 0.35 | 1180.00 | 2.23 | 0.07 | 0.18 | 1369 | a |
| SAD-17-15 | 191.30 | 228.00 | 36.70 | 154.80 | 0.02 | 0.06 | 0.14 | 162 | a,b |
| Including | 195.00 | 211.85 | 16.85 | 200.07 | 0.02 | 0.07 | 0.19 | 210 | a,b |
| Including | 203.01 | 209.82 | 6.81 | 279.32 | 0.03 | 0.12 | 0.32 | 296 | a |
| Including | 207.00 | 209.82 | 2.82 | 594.60 | 0.07 | 0.27 | 0.65 | 629 | a |
| Including | 208.44 | 209.82 | 1.38 | 854.00 | 0.06 | 0.28 | 0.27 | 876 | a |
| Including* | 209.82 | 213.00 | 3.18 | 285.04 | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.17 | 294 | b |
| Including | 213.00 | 228.00 | 15.00 | 137.91 | 0.02 | 0.07 | 0.11 | 145 | a, b |
| Including | 221.41 | 228.00 | 6.59 | 228.10 | 0.03 | 0.14 | 0.19 | 241 | b |
| Including | 225.00 | 228.00 | 3.00 | 435.00 | 0.06 | 0.28 | 0.37 | 460 | b |
| SAD-17-16 | 219.40 | 221.71 | 2.31 | 191.98 | 0.10 | 0.02 | 0.05 | 202 | a |
| Including | 219.40 | 219.75 | 0.35 | 810.00 | 0.44 | 0.07 | 0.10 | 851 | a |
Table 1 - Silver equivalent is calculated using the following formula: Silver-Equivalent AgEq g/t= (Au_ppm x 61.71492) + (Ag_ppm x 0.761168) + (Pb_% x 22.44413) + (Zn_% x 24.40404)/(0.761168). Metal price assumptions are Au: $1919.55, Ag: $23.67, Pb: $1.02 Zn: $1.10. A 30-day price average is used to determine USD metal prices, and 100% recovery has been assumed for all metals. At this stage of the project, reliable metallurgy has yet to be completed, and the reader is cautioned that 100% recoveries are never achieved. True thickness is assumed to be 50% -- 80% of downhole width. *previously reported intercept (See October 25th, 2017 News Release)
Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC):
a- 2023 sampling QAQC procedures discussed at the end of this news release.
b- 2015 and 2017 sampling QAQC procedures discussed at the end of this news release.
Figure 1: Overview Map of San Acacio Drill Holes Reported in this Release
Figure 1. Plan map of drilling at the San Acacio project. Drill holes reported in this release, which are historic holes with new assay results from unsampled intervals, are shown in yellow. Drill holes with pending (to be reported) results from recent drilling are shown in green. Coordinates are in UTM WGS84 Zone 13N.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2950/182594_efde9b87e4aae995_002full.jpg
Figure 2: Cross Section of Hole SAD-17-15
Figure 2. Cross-section of hole SAD-17-15, looking northwest. Results from the new assays of historic Defiance Silver drill core are highlighted in the red boxes.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
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Figure 3: Cross Section of Holes SAD-15-05 and SAD-15-06
Figure 3. Cross-section of holes SAD-15-05 and SAD-15-06, looking northwest. Results from the new assays of historic Defiance Silver drill core are highlighted in the red boxes. Recent Defiance drill holes are show on section, as well as a new hole, DDSA-23-69, with pending results.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2950/182594_efde9b87e4aae995_004full.jpg
Discussion of Results:
Re-logging and sampling of historic drill holes was designed to identify and subsequently sample mineralization that was not analyzed during previous drill campaigns. The updated geologic models and new assays confirm and expand upon the mineralized vein splays and veinlet zones that were identified during recent drilling campaigns. These zones of high-grade silver veinlets and stockwork zones are significant ongoing exploration targets and are actively being incorporated into the deposit model. Reported intervals were dominantly found in the hanging-wall (HW) of the main Veta Grande structure. The technical team believes that understanding the splays and veinlet zones as well as the structural controls on grade distribution are key to expanding the San Acacio resource.
The following drill holes are discussed in spatial order, beginning in the northwest (NW) and moving towards the southeast (SE). SAD-17-16, SAD-15-07, SAD-15-08, SAD-15-05, SAD-15-06 are part of the NW zone where significant HW grade is found in unassuming veinlet array zones. Holes SAD-17-14 and SAD-17-15, in the central to SE portion of the San Acacio resource area, begin to delineate vein splays, including the historically identified Veta Intermedio; grade is dominantly located in more formal HW structures and associated veinlet swarms. These learnings are being incorporated into the current grade and geologic model to guide future drilling at the project.
SAD-17-16 encountered 2.31m of 191.98 g/t Ag or 202 g/t Ageq (from 219.40 - 221.71m) in the Veta Navidad zone. The Veta Navidad zone is in the NW extent of the San Acacio resource area, and this style of mineralization has been encountered in nearby holes. Structural review and modelling are currently underway to define this zone, and future oriented core drilling is planned for this area.
SAD-15-07 and SAD-15-08 were drilled from the same pad. SAD-15-08 intersected the Veta Navidad zone high in the hole. During re-logging, additional mineralized veinlet zones in the HW and FW were noted and sampled. These intercepts returned 1.63m of 165 g/t AgEq from 97.65m, and 1.54m of 212 g/t AgEq from 131.15m. The central portion of the Veta Navidad zone in SAD-15-08 was previously reported (See October 25th, 2017 News Release). The new reported intervals in SAD-15-07 are from the recently identified mineralized HW veinlet splay zones. The shallower splay zone returned 1.12m of 267 g/t AgEq from 156.35m, while the lower zone returned 3.77m of 123 g/t AgEq from 166.07m. The new sampling expands the footprint of the mineralized zone in this location, and structural modelling is underway to incorporate this data into the resource model and design future drill targets.
SAD-15-05 and SAD-15-06, shown in the Figure 3 cross-section within this news release, were drilled from the same pad. Both holes intersected multiple HW veinlet-array splay zones, which continue to build the continuity of mineralized zones in the Veta Grande hanging wall. In this portion of the Veta Grande, three mineralized HW splays are known. SAD-15-06 previously reported intercepts on the main Veta Grande and the first splay above the Veta Grande (See October 25th, 2017 News Release). Recent sampling of additional splay zones has yielded further intercepts of interest, and oriented structural data collection and detailed geologic cross-sections continue to guide interpretation and modelling of these mineralized zones.
SAD-15-06 encountered 2.50m at 127 g/t AgEq from 155.00m, and SAD-15-05 returned 2.72m at 161 g/t AgEq from 127.76m; these two intercepts demonstrate down-dip continuity along the same HW splay (Fig 3). SAD-15-05 intersected two reportable intercepts on the third interpreted splay above the Veta Grande, including 4.65m of 114g AgEq from 105.15m.
SAD-17-14 encountered a high-grade zone in a hanging-wall vein splay above the historically identified Veta Intermedio, 6.83m of 157 g/t AgEq from 283.21m, which includes 0.35m of 1369 g/t AgEq from 284.65m. This intercept further demonstrates the high-grade potential of the HW vein splays in the central zone of the San Acacio resource area.
SAD-17-15 encountered wide widths of significant mineralization from the Veta Grande HW through to the Veta Intermedio HW zone (Figure 2). This hole intersected a well-mineralized shoot with historic workings, and the majority of the mineralized shoot remains in the ground. Re-logging and sampling suggest that high-grade silver is hosted in veinlet swarms and vein splays that were previously unrecognized. These observations and results will be incorporated into the geologic model and used for future drill targeting.
Wide widths of significant silver mineralization are outlined in SAD-17-15. This hole encountered 36.70m of 162 g/t AgEq from 191.30m, including 6.81m at 296 g/t AgEq from 203.01m. The mineralogy is dominantly primary silver, lead, and zinc sulfides (argentite-acanthite-galena-sphalerite) and quartz as gangue material. This mineralization style is representative of both the historically and currently mined material in the Ag-dominant epithermal vein systems of the Zacatecas district.
Table 2: Collar Information for Reported Drill Holes
