Aztec Minerals Corp. has announced an expansion of its drilling program at the Tombstone Property in southeastern Arizona, increasing the planned total from 7,500 meters to a minimum of 8,500 meters. The program, which now includes 7,000 meters of reverse circulation drilling and at least 1,500 meters of core drilling, is expected to extend into the first quarter of 2026. To date, the 2025 campaign has completed 34 RC drill holes and 5,960 meters of RC drilling, with 21 holes currently awaiting geochemical analysis at the Bureau Veritas laboratory.
The expansion matters because it represents a significant commitment to exploring what Aztec believes could be a much larger mineralized system beneath the historic Tombstone silver district. The company's primary target is shallow, bulk-tonnage, potentially heap-leachable, mesothermal gold-silver oxide mineralization adjacent to and below the previously mined Contention pit. Historical production in the district from 1878 to 1939 was substantial, with estimates of 32 million ounces of silver and 250,000 ounces of gold, as documented in Michael N. Greeley's 1984 report, "A Brief History and Review of Ore Grades and Production in the Tombstone Mining District with Emphasis on the Contention Mine Area."
Aztec has identified several large, conductive bodies underneath the historic district through natural-source audio-frequency magneto-telluric surveys, as detailed in the Zonge International report "AMT Survey, Tombstone Project, Cochise County, AZ, Data Acquisition and Processing Report" from May 18, 2020. The core drilling has resumed, advancing to 465 meters total depth in drillhole TC25-03, with plans to test deeper targets, including those under the Bisbee formation. The Bisbee is underlain by approximately two kilometers of Paleozoic carbonate formations similar to those hosting the 110 MT Hermosa-Taylor zinc-lead-silver deposit operated by South32, located 60 kilometers southwest, as referenced in the M3 Engineering and Technology Corp. "Hermosa Project N.I. 43-101F1 Pre-Feasibility Study" from January 2014.
The implications of this expanded drilling are significant for the mining industry and local economy. Successful results could lead to the discovery of new mineral resources in a well-established district with existing infrastructure, including road access, water, and power. For investors and stakeholders, the program's extension into 2026 indicates ongoing confidence in the project's potential, despite current delays in analytical turnaround times. Aztec has been advised that sample backlogs at the Bureau Veritas laboratory are expected to improve with recent staff additions and equipment repairs, with additional results anticipated within the next 30 days.
Quality assurance and quality control protocols are in place, with samples analyzed by Bureau Veritas, an independent laboratory, using methods such as FA430 and MA300 for gold. The QAQC program includes certified blanks, standards, and duplicates, with samples shipped to the Bureau Veritas Minerals laboratory in Hermosillo, Mexico. Aztec holds an 85.0% interest in the Tombstone Property Joint Venture, which covers much of the original patented mining claims. The project's location, 100 kilometers southeast of Tucson, and its historical significance make it a focal point for exploration, with potential impacts on job creation and resource development in the region if mineralization is confirmed at scale.
