Advance Metals has extended the high-grade silver system at its 100%-owned Gavilanes Project in Mexico after drilling returned the highest individual silver assay from its program to date, alongside the strongest zinc-lead intersection encountered at the project.
Figure 1. Core from GV-26-008 from 66.8 to 67.2 m down hole, showing a highly altered breccia zone hosting silverrich sulfide mineralization. This interval returned 1.0 m at 4,120 g/t Ag, 5.7% Zn & 4.1% Pb from 66.7 m.
The latest result came from hole GV-26-008, drilled beneath previously identified high-grade mineralization at the Descubridora structure. The hole returned 4.6 meters at 945 grams per ton silver, 1.4% zinc and 1.0% lead from 66.7 meters, including 1.0 meter at 4,120 g/t silver, 5.7% zinc and 4.1% lead.
A deeper interval returned 12.0 meters at 21 g/t silver, 3.8% zinc and 3.7% lead from 98.5 meters, including 5.3 meters at 36 g/t silver, 7.7% zinc and 6.3% lead. Advance said the deeper interval represents the highest-grade zinc-lead intersection encountered at Gavilanes to date.
The result is significant because it both extends the known high-grade silver mineralization below hole GV-26-004 and adds stronger zinc-lead mineralization to the emerging polymetallic picture at Gavilanes. The mineralised system remains open at depth and to the southwest, while drilling is continuing to test further extensions.
Advance Managing Director and CEO Dr. Adam McKinnon said:
“At over 4,000 g/t silver, GV-26-008 returned the highest individual silver assay grade in Advance’s program to date and one of the best ever recorded at the project. The hole also returned the highest grade zinc-lead interval encountered at the Project to date, including 5.3 meters at 14% Zn+Pb - highlighting the potential for significant base metal credits as the mineralised footprint grows.”
“GV-26-008 has extended the high grade silver mineralization below GV_26-004, with the system remaining open at depth and to the southwest. With assays now returned from eight holes and further drilling underway, each new result is improving our understanding of the scale, geometry and metal distribution within the Gavilanes system.”
Gavilanes is located in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Occidental Volcanic Belt, 23 kilometers from First Majestic Silver’s San Dimas operation. The project covers more than 136 square kilometers across 11 concessions and currently hosts a Foreign Estimate of 2.83 million tons at 246 g/t silver equivalent, containing 22.4 million ounces of silver equivalent. The estimate is not compliant with the 2012 JORC Code and has not yet been classified as a Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve under that standard.
The latest drilling also strengthens evidence that Gavilanes contains more than a single silver-dominant zone. Previous holes returned copper, gold and silver mineralization at depth, while GV-26-008 has now added stronger zinc and lead grades to the system. Advance said further drilling and metallurgical test work will be required to analyze the continuity, geometry and recovery characteristics of the different mineralised zones.
Results from holes GV-26-005, GV-26-006 and GV-26-007 also identified gold-dominant mineralization south of the main high-grade silver drilling. Among the stronger results, GV-26-007 returned 2.4 meters at 2.0 g/t gold, 21 g/t silver, 1.2% zinc and 2.2% lead from 14.4 meters, as well as 6.0 meters at 1.4 g/t gold from 127.2 meters.
The latest assays add to a series of high-grade silver intersections from Advance’s maiden program, including 33.9 meters at 220 g/t silver in GV-26-001, 15.6 meters at 309 g/t silver in GV-26-003 and 13.2 meters at 311 g/t silver in GV-26-004.
Metallurgical test work is now underway on both silver-dominant and polymetallic samples to assess potential recoveries of silver, gold, copper, zinc and lead. The results are intended to provide further information on the metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization ahead of the planned maiden JORC Mineral Resource.
Drilling is continuing, with assays pending from GV-26-009, which is testing further westerly extensions of the high-grade system. Advance also plans to continue testing the Descubridora structure, commence drilling at additional priority targets including San Nicolas, complete metallurgical work and incorporate the results into a maiden JORC Mineral Resource targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.