Fortuna intersects 7.2 g/t Au over 31.5 meters at Kingfisher, Séguéla Mine, Côte d’Ivoire

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortuna Mining Corp. (NYSE: FSM | TSX: FVI) is pleased to provide an update on its exploration programs at the Séguéla Mine in Côte d’Ivoire.

Paul Weedon, Senior Vice President of Exploration at Fortuna, commented, “Exploration drilling at Kingfisher has moved to infilling and improving the resource confidence along the 1-kilometer strike length of the current resource pit, with several notable intersections including 7.2 g/t Au over an estimated true width of 31.5 meters in drill hole SGRC2278.” Mr. Weedon continued, “At the Sunbird deposit, deep exploration drilling testing the southern extent has continued to return excellent results, including 4.3 g/t Au over a true width of 23.1 meters from 733 meters in drill hole SGRD2215, representing the deepest intercept to date, with mineralization remaining open at depth and down plunge.”

Kingfisher deposit

Once the infill program and near exploration are successfully completed, we expect to migrate the Kingfisher resources into the Séguéla Mine Mineral Reserves in 2025.

Drilling highlights include:   

An additional 100 drill holes, totaling 10,978 meters of a planned 28,000-meter drilling program, have been completed at the Kingfisher deposit (see Figure 1) as part of the resource confidence infill program (see Figure 2). Drilling remains ongoing across the current pit-constrained Inferred Resource and will also extend to test the immediate margins, both at depth and along strike, where late 2024 drilling identified several promising intervals intersected after the initial resource estimate was completed (refer to Fortuna’s news release dated December 16, 2024).

The recent drilling has continued to highlight the widths and grade tenor intersected in the first drilling phase, supporting and refining the geological interpretation. Kingfisher remains open at depth for most of the drilled 2-kilometer strike length, with the deepest drilling testing to only approximately 250 meters below surface (refer to Figure 2).

Figure 1: Séguéla Mine deposit locations

Figure 2: Kingfisher deposit long-section - looking west

Sunbird deposit

Drilling has now extended mineralization approximately 700 meters to the south beyond the limit of the current underground Inferred Resource and some 600 meters below surface.

Drilling highlights include:

Results from a further 10 holes, totaling 5,120 meters of a planned 12,000-meter drilling program have been received, including an interval of 4.3 g/t Au over a true width of 23.1 meters from 733 meters in drill hole SGRD2215, which is the deepest intersection drilled at Séguéla (refer to Figure 3).

The last phase of the current program will step out above and below the current intersection to further refine the geometry and controls on the interpreted mineralized shoot during the second quarter of 2025.

Figure 3: Sunbird long section - looking west

Refer to Appendix 1 for full details of the drill holes and assay results for this drill program at the Séguéla Gold Mine.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA - QC)

All drilling data completed by the Company utilized the following procedures and methodologies. All drilling was carried out under the supervision of the Company’s personnel.

All reverse circulation (RC) drilling used a 5.25-inch face sampling pneumatic hammer with samples collected into 60-liter plastic bags. Samples were kept dry by maintaining enough air pressure to exclude groundwater inflow. If water ingress exceeded the air pressure, RC drilling was stopped, and drilling converted to diamond core tails. Once collected, RC samples were riffle split through a three-tier splitter to yield a 12.5 percent representative sample for submission to the analytical laboratory. The residual 87.5 percent samples were stored at the drill site until assay results were received and validated. Coarse reject samples for all mineralized samples corresponding to significant intervals are retained and stored on-site at the Company-controlled core yard.

All diamond drilling (DD) drill holes started with HQ sized diameter, before reducing to NQ diameter diamond drill bits on intersecting fresh rock. The core was logged, marked up for sampling using standard lengths of one meter or to a geological boundary. Samples were then cut into equal halves using a diamond saw. One half of the core was left in the original core box and stored in a secure location at the Company core yard at the project site. The other half was sampled, catalogued, and placed into sealed bags and securely stored at the site until shipment.

All RC and DD samples were transported to ALS’s preparation laboratory in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, before also being transported via commercial courier to ALS’s facility in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Routine gold analysis using a 50-gram charge and fire assay with an atomic absorption finish was completed for all samples. Quality control procedures included the systematic insertion of blanks, duplicates and sample standards into the sample stream. In addition, the ALS laboratory inserted its own quality control samples.

Qualified Person

Paul Weedon, Senior Vice President, Exploration for Fortuna Mining Corp., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 being a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (Membership #6001). Mr. Weedon has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Weedon has verified the data disclosed, including the sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information or opinions contained herein by reviewing geochemical and geological databases and reviewing diamond drill core. There were no limitations to the verification process.

About Fortuna Mining Corp.

Fortuna Mining Corp. is a Canadian precious metals mining company with four operating mines and exploration activities in Argentina, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mexico and Peru, as well as the Diamba Sud Gold Project located in Senegal. Sustainability is integral to all our operations and relationships. We produce gold and silver and generate shared value over the long-term for our stakeholders through efficient production, environmental protection, and social responsibility. For more information, please visit our website.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Jorge A. Ganoza
President, CEO, and Director
Fortuna Mining Corp.

Investor Relations:
Carlos Baca | info@fmcmail.com | fortunamining.com | X | LinkedIn | YouTube

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements which constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, “Forward-looking Statements”). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward-looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward-looking Statements. The Forward-looking Statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements about further extension potential at the Kingfisher and Sunbird deposits; statements that the Sunbird deposit continues to support underground mining potential; the Company’s expectations regarding drilling in the second quarter of 2025 to step out and above of the current interception to refine the geology and controls on the intercepted mineralized shoot at the Sunbird deposit; mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; expectations regarding additional drilling and exploration programs planned; the Company’s business strategy, plans and outlook; the merit of the Company’s mines and mineral properties; mineral resource and reserve estimates; timelines; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; expenditures; approvals and other matters. Often, but not always, these Forward-looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as “estimated”, “potential”, “open”, “future”, “assumed”, “projected”, “used”, “detailed”, “has been”, “gain”, “planned”, “reflecting”, “will”, “containing”, “remaining”, “to be”, or statements that events, “could” or “should” occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations. Forward-looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-looking Statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; changes in prices for gold, silver, and other metals; the timing and success of the Company’s proposed exploration programs; technological and operational hazards in Fortuna’s mining and mine development activities; risks inherent in mineral exploration; fluctuations in prices for energy, labor, materials, supplies and services; fluctuations in currencies; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, mineral resources, and metal recoveries; the Company’s ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; governmental and other approvals; political unrest or instability in countries where Fortuna is active; labor relations issues; as well as those factors discussed under “Risk Factors” in the Company's Annual Information Form for the financial year ended December 31, 2023. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking Statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to expectations regarding the results from the exploration programs conducted at the Company’s mineral properties including the Séguéla Mine; expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Company’s information derived from its exploration programs at the Company’s mineral properties; current mineral resource and reserve estimates; the presence and continuity of mineralization at the Company’s properties; that the Company’s activities will be in accordance with the Company’s public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained; that there will be no significant disruptions affecting operations and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward-looking Statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any Forward-looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that Forward-looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward-looking Statements.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Reserves and Resources

Reserve and resource estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for public disclosure by a Canadian company of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Unless otherwise indicated, all mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates contained in the technical disclosure have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves. Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and mineral reserve and resource information included in this news release may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies.

Appendix 1

Séguéla Mine drill program details of the drill holes and assay results for the Kingfisher and Sunbird deposits

Kingfisher deposit

Notes:

1. EOH: End of hole
2. Depths and widths reported to nearest significant decimal place
3. NSI: No significant intercepts
4. ETW: Estimated true width
5. RC: reverse circulation drilling | DD: diamond drilling tail | RCD: reverse circulation drilling with diamond tail

Sunbird deposit

Notes:

1. EOH: End of hole
2. Depths and widths reported to nearest significant decimal place
3. NSI: No significant intercepts
4. ETW: Estimated true width
5. RC: reverse circulation drilling | DD: diamond drilling tail | RCD: reverse circulation drilling with diamond tail

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