Fortuna Silver (TSX:FVI) has released details and results from its exploration program at multiple sites, including the Séguéla Mine in Côte d’Ivoire, the Yaramoko Mine in Burkina Faso, and the Baborigame Project in Mexico. In the Sunbird Deposit, infill drilling has been conducted to expand geological confidence, with 47 holes drilled that total 11,075 meters of a larger 15,126-meter program. This expansion is due to consistently positive results, up from the initially planned 9,500 meters. The drilling identified high-grade mineralization near the pit optimization limit, including significant intersections in drill holes SGRD1580 and SGRD1281. The findings will be utilized in an updated Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimate, planned for release in the fourth quarter of 2023. Further drilling to investigate the depth potential of the southerly plunging high-grade shoots is scheduled for the latter half of 2023.

Paul Weedon, Senior Vice President of Exploration at Fortuna, commented in a press release: “Infill drilling at the Sunbird Deposit to upgrade geologic confidence has concluded, with the next phase of estimation, optimization, and design having commenced as part of reserve development and expected life-of-mine extension for the Séguéla Mine. With this underway, the focus has returned to generating new anomalies and testing prospects, with positive near surface results at Barana emphasising the regional potential; such as drill hole SGRD1647 intersecting 90.9 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 1.8 meters. Recent drilling of Zone 55 at the Yaramoko Mine has identified high grade mineralization extending at least 130 meters beyond the current resource envelope to the west, confirmed by recent mine development in the area, with intervals such as 32.8 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 3.1 meters in drill hole YRM-23-GCDD-203.

“In addition to the encouraging results from West Africa, first pass drilling to test geological concepts at our Baborigame Project in Mexico was successful in testing several vein arrays, intersecting multiple mineralized zones such as 2.7 g/t Au and 155 g/t Ag over an estimated true width of 4.04 meters in drill hole BAB-22-004.”

At the Barana and Badior prospects, a total of 30 holes equaling 3,907 meters have been drilled. The objective was to examine the strike extent and continuity of mineralization and to enhance understanding of the structures associated with mineralization controls. More drilling is expected later in the year.

The Yaramoko Mine saw the completion of a 29-hole drilling program, amounting to 7,011 meters, testing various extents of high-grade extensions. Positive results have led to an expectation for an updated Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimate for Yaramoko before year’s end. Drilling also revealed new high-grade mineralization beyond the 2022 Mineral Resource boundary and will continue to test depth potential in the second half of the year.

Additional drilling to the east has also discovered the Zone 55 mineralized structure beyond the previous limits, with promising results, including drill hole GCDD-224’s return of 8.9 g/t Au. Further exploration is planned for later in 2023.

At  the Baborigame Project in Mexico, 14 diamond drill holes across two phases totaling 3,902 meters were carried out as part of an evaluation. Located in southwestern Chihuahua, the exploration focused on key structural zones. Of the 14 drill holes, 10 returned positive exploration findings and further exploration is planned for the second half of 2023.

Highlights from the results are as follows:

Séguéla Mine, Cote d’Ivoire

Sunbird Deposit drilling highlights:

• SGRD1586: 12.7 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 18.9 meters from 147 meters
• SGRD1580: 22.2 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 2.1 meters from 115 meters and 7.5 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 23.8 meters from 128 meters
• SGRD1615: 16.2 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 8.4 meters from 270 meters
• SGRD1585: 28.7 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 2.8 meters from 151 meters
• SGRD1599: 4.7 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 13.3 meters from 81 meters
• SGRD1281: 10.7 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 5.6 meters from 199 meters (re-entered hole)

Barana and Badior drilling highlights:

• SGRD1647: 90.9 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 1.8 meters from 43 meters (Barana)
• SGRD1634: 1.4 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 8.1 meters from 77 meters (Barana)
• SGRD1641: 2.4 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 5.4 meters from 67 meters (Barana)
• SGRD1623: 4.9 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 12.6 meters from 110 meters (Badior)

Zone 55 drilling highlights:

• YRM-22-GCDD-184: 9.6 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 5.5 meters from 254.10 meters
• YRM-23-GCDD-203: 32.8 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 3.1 meters from 287.90 meters
• YRM-23-GCDD-205: 13.2 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 4.6 meters from 302.28 meters
• YRM-23-GCDD-224: 8.9 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 8.2 meters from 120.95 meters
• YRM-23-GCDD-227: 8.8 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 8.6 meters from 140.10 meters

Baborigame drilling highlights:

• BAB-22-004: 2.7 g/t Au and 155 g/t Ag over an estimated true width of 4.04 meters from 192.00 meters
• BAB-23-010: 3.3 g/t Au and 538 g/t Ag over an estimated true width of 1.20 meters from 191.00 meters
• BAB-23-009: 2.4 g/t Au and 314 g/t Ag over an estimated true width of 2.04 meters from 188.15 meters