Vancouver, Canada – March 12, 2019 - Aztec Minerals Corp. (AZT: TSX-V, OTCQB: AZZTF) reports positive bottle roll gold recoveries from metallurgical test-work conducted by Bureau Veritas on the California porphyry gold-copper drill core from the Cervantes property in Sonora, Mexico.

Drill core samples were grouped into 4 separate types of mineralization (domains), Oxide 1, Oxide 2, Mixed Oxide/Sulfide and Sulfide.  Highlights of the bottle roll gold recovery results are as follows:

• 85.1% recovery on 2.0mm material and 94.3% on 75 micron material in sample Oxide 1
• 87.7% recovery on 2.0mm material and 94.2% on 75 micron material in sample Oxide 2
• 77.9% recovery on 2.0mm material and 89.0% on 75 micron material in sample Mixed Oxide/Sulphide
• 51.2% recovery on 2.0mm material and 78.7% on 75 micron material in sample Sulphide

“We are pleased to report these very positive early stage metallurgical tests which indicate that the California oxide, mixed oxide/sulfide, and sulfide gold zones should be amenable to cyanide heap leach or agitated leach processing methods.  More detailed test-work is needed to draw any definitive conclusions but these results are a great start”, commented Joey Wilkins, President and CEO. 

The 4 domains were defined by mineralization type, gold grade, and depths to fit the possibility of a future open pit mining scenario. Testing was conducted for 240 hours, although good recoveries generally plateaued at 48 hours, and the tests showed low cyanide and lime consumption. Table 1 outlines the domain information breakdown of the crushed, 2.0mm drill core residual crushed samples:

Table 1. Bottle Roll Cyanide Leach Results, 2.0mm crush

By design, each domain sample was split into two groups before testing, so they could be reduced to 2.0mm and 75 microns. Results from the fine fraction in Table 2 below have excellent recoveries of 94.3 with Oxide 1, 94.2 with Oxide 2, Mixed Sulphide / Oxide at 89.0%, and the Sulphide at 78.7%. These preliminary and outstanding recoveries show all domains, particularly the Sulphide domain, may be leachable by cyanide heap leach or agitated leach processes.

Table 2: Bottle Roll Cyanide Leach Results, 75 micron grind

QP Disclosure: Drill core sample composites were prepared by Bureau Veritas’ Hermosillo, Sonora Laboratory and shipped to their Richmond, British Columbia, Canada lab for the cyanide leach testing. The samples were delivered to the prep lab in Hermosillo by the QP, Joey Wilkins, B.Sc., P.Geo. and President and CEO of Aztec Minerals Corp, who also supervised, designed, and authorized implementation of the program. The samples were split, combined, and homogenized in Hermosillo by Bureau Veritas under the direction of the QP, prior to shipping to Richmond, BC. Head grade samples were analyzed by methods Fire Assay for gold and MA200 for multi-elements in Richmond, BC and the bottle roll tests were also processed at the same Bureau Veritas laboratory. Joey Wilkins, the QP, reviewed and approved the results for this news release and for future technical use and/or disclosure.

About Aztec Minerals – Aztec is a mineral exploration company focused on the discovery of large deposits in the Americas. Our core asset is the prospective Cervantes porphyry gold-copper property in Sonora, Mexico, where the company can acquire 100%. Further information on the option to purchase can be found on our website. Our district-scale historic Tombstone properties hold both bulk tonnage epithermal gold-silver as well as CRD silver-lead-zinc deposits in Cochise County, Arizona. Aztec’s shares trade on the TSX-V stock exchange (symbol AZT) and on the OTCQB (symbol AZZTF).

Contact Information - For more information, please contact:
Neil MacRae, Vice President, Investor Relations
Tel: (604) 685-9770
Fax: (604) 685-9744
Email:  neil@aztecminerals.com
Website: www.aztecminerals.com

Neither the 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. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward?looking statements and information herein include but are not limited to statements regarding Aztec’s anticipated performance in 2018 and the future, including the exercise of the options on the Cervantes and Tombstone properties, the planned exploration activities, receipt of assay results from drilling, the completion of further drilling and exploration work, and the timing and results of various activities. The Company does not intend to, and does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.

Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Aztec and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, changes in national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and the United States; financial risks due to precious and base metals prices, operating or technical difficulties in mineral exploration, development and mining activities; risks and hazards of mineral exploration, development and mining; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and challenges to the Company’s title to properties.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the continued operation of the Company’s exploration operations, no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.