VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avrupa Minerals Ltd. (AVU:TSXV) (AVPMF:US OTC) (8AM:FRANKFURT)  is pleased to report on progress at the Sesmarias drilling program on the Alvalade license in the Pyrite Belt of south Portugal.  Drilling is now complete, with six holes drilled, totaling 2,498 meters.  The program continues to be highly successful, accomplishing goals of better technical understanding of the Sesmarias mineralizing system and significantly enlarging it.  Sampling of the drill core is ongoing, with full assay results expected by the end of February.

Visual Results

The drilling program successfully tested a new exploration model and concepts, with the following important results:

  • Provided a much higher degree of predictability in location of mineralization in the immediate Sesmarias Project area, as the new model was tested successfully in all six drill holes;  
  • Enlarged the “10” Lens from 300 meters strike length to at least 600 meters long, up to 400 meters wide, and 25 meters thick (SES026 and SES027);  
  • Discovered the footwall feeder zone stockwork for the “8” Lens (SES028);  
  • Intercepted the edge of the “2” Lens/Horizon (SES025 and SES030);  
  • Intercepted a stockwork-stringer sulfide zone above the “10” Lens, providing evidence for a new, fourth lens/horizon, noted for now, as the “26” Horizon (SES026);  
  • Showed that mineralization is open to the east up to the bounding fault;  
  • Showed that mineralization is open to the west up to the boundary of the Devonian-age Volcano-Sedimentary (VS) host rocks for mineralization and the overlying Tertiary-age gravels and semi-consolidated sediments.

This self-funded drilling program is the seventh phase of drilling to be completed by Avrupa Minerals on the Alvalade license.  In addition to further targets in the immediate Sesmarias Project area, additional future drilling is anticipated for the Sesmarias-Lousal-Monte da Bela Vista District, as well as in other Avrupa-generated target areas with related Pyrite Belt-style massive sulfide targets and mineralization.  The map below serves as a reminder to the potential for further discovery in the Pyrite Belt mineral system located along the Neves Corvo Trend of mineralization on the Alvalade license.

Figure 1.  Exploration areas prioritized along the Neves Corvo Trend (red-orange-yellow panels) on the Alvalade license is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...5d64e93095 .  Note that there are two former producing mines in the district, located at Lousal and Caveira.  Neves Corvo is located about 75 km south and southeast along the strike of the Neves Corvo Trend.

Technical Discussion

The recent work at the Sesmarias Project established a coherent picture of multiple, stacked lenses of massive sulfide mineralization, with at least one stockwork feeder zone. Some poorly defined faults exist which allow for the possibility of deeper targets, as well as potential, significant strike extension of the Sesmarias mineralization. 

The Sesmarias mineralization when combined with the existing potential of remaining massive sulfide mineralization at the nearby Lousal Mine (located less than six kilometers north of Sesmarias) and the Monte da Bela Vista stockwork mineralization (located a further two kilometers north of Lousal) makes the Sesmarias Project a key component in an evolving copper-zinc massive sulfide district on the Alvalade license.

Figure 2.  Plan view of Sesmarias Project drilling is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...68dce87dab .  AVU has drilled 30 holes into the target over a strike length of 1,500 meters.  Present understanding of the Sesmarias Mineral Zone suggests potential for further massive sulfide mineralization for at least an additional 800-1,000 meters north of SES008 and possibly 200-300 meters to the south of SES021.  Red shapes indicate map view location of known (to date) lenses and horizons, while the blue line represents the east side bounding fault.

Figure 3.  Schematic long section through the center axis of Sesmarias mineralization is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...108b66ba93 .

The success of the drilling program stemmed from “back-away” re-logging and re-interpretation of 38 Avrupa and pre-Avrupa historic drill holes in the Sesmarias Project area.  The objective of the re-logging campaign was to delineate mineralized target horizons in the general stratigraphy of the Volcano-Sedimentary (VS) section of rocks that host copper-zinc massive sulfide mineralization throughout the length of the Iberian Pyrite Belt in Portugal and Spain.  The re-logging campaign quickly established an increased strike length of the Sesmarias mineralized zone to at least 2.5 kilometers.

The “back-away” re-interpretation of Sesmarias stratigraphy, utilizing quick logging of the historic drill holes and 3D modeling of all the new data, allowed the Avrupa team to predict the robustness of the “10” Lens, first noted in SES010, then subsequently intersected in SES019, SES021, and SES022.  Present-phase drilling, SES026 intersected nearly 30 meters of visual massive sulfide mineralization.  SES027, drilled 300 meters north of SES026, intersected stockwork sulfide mineralization and mafic intrusive rocks at the target depth, indicating the possible end of “10” Lens in the south sector of the Sesmarias system.  For now, strike length of the “10” Lens, from SES021 to SES026 is 600 meters.  Following is a 3D view of the “10” Lens.

Figure 4.  Three-dimensional (3D) view of the “10” Horizon (solid red unit) at Sesmarias, SES021 on the south and SES027 on the north, is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...8a8a0de3c6 .  Previously, AVU interpreted the lens to be vertical, based on detailed, “close-up” logging of drill holes.  By re-logging the rock units/layers in a “back-away” package, or rock-unit mode, the AVU geological team established a more predictable, flat-lying stratigraphy that has enhanced the potential of large-scale mineralization at Sesmarias.  Re-interpretation of geological results in numerous pre-2018/19 drilling leads us to believe that some holes were collared on the wrong side of the bounding fault and under (or west of) the “10” Lens, thus missing the massive sulfide mineralization.

Furthermore, this “back-away” review of the core resulted in the determination that the overall orientation of the rock layers is far closer to horizontal than previously understood.  We found evidence of at least three, possibly four, potentially mineralized horizons hosting VMS-style copper-zinc sulfide mineralization.  Re-logging of 38 previous drill holes showed:

  • VS stratigraphy is not vertically oriented, but relatively horizontal, dipping 30 to 45 degrees to the east and plunging to the north.  
  • A generally north-northwest trending, steeply-oriented fault cuts stratigraphy and mineralization on the east side of the present Project area.  At this time, all known massive sulfide mineralization lies on the west side of the fault.  The east side is generally un-explored (with the exception of SES014 and several pre-Avrupa drill locations), yet remains a strong potential target area for further mineralization.  The location of the fault is now much better known after this campaign, though basically still un-mapped north of SES008, the northernmost Avrupa drill hole.  
  • Sesmarias mineralization is open to the north for a further 500 to 1,000 meters more than previously assumed.  Total strike length of potential target horizons now appears to reach +2.5 kilometers, an increase from 1.8 kilometers, as previously reported.  
  • Review of previous drilling that did not intersect massive sulfide mineralization at the south end of the Sesmarias target indicates that the holes were placed on the wrong side of the bounding fault (and directed west, or below, of the “10” lens mineralization), which had not been well-understood during earlier drilling campaigns.  Target to the south appears potentially open, but modified by faulting.

Avrupa Minerals Ltd. is a growth-oriented junior exploration and development company directed to discovery of mineral deposits, using a prospect generator model.  The Company holds one 100%-owned, self-funded flagship project, the Alvalade VMS Project.  Avrupa focuses its project generation work in politically stable and prospective regions of Europe, including Portugal, Kosovo, and Germany.

For additional information, contact Avrupa Minerals Ltd. at 1-604-687-3520 or visit our website at www.avrupaminerals.com .

On behalf of the Board,

“Paul W. Kuhn”

                                                Paul W. Kuhn, President & Director

This news release was prepared by Company management, who take full responsibility for its content.  Paul W. Kuhn, President and CEO of Avrupa Minerals, a Licensed Professional Geologist and a Registered Member of the Society of Mining Engineers, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators.  He has reviewed the technical disclosure in this release.  Mr. Kuhn, the QP, has not only reviewed, but prepared and supervised the preparation or approval of the scientific and technical content in the news release.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.