MONTREAL, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aya Gold & Silver Inc. (TSX: AYA; OTCQX: AYASF) (“Aya” or the “Corporation”) is pleased to announce new high-grade drill exploration results from its 2024 - 2025 program at Boumadine in the Kingdom of Morocco. Today's results extend the Tizi mineralized trend by 200 meters, confirming high-grade continuity along the Boumadine Main Trend and revealing new mineralized structures within the Boumadine regional permits.

Highlights ¹

• High-Grade Intercepts on the Boumadine Main Trend:
  • BOU-DD24-440 intercepted 334 grams per tonne (“g/t”) silver equivalent (“AgEq”) over 16.8 meters (“m”) (1.39 g/t gold (“Au”), 98 g/t silver (“Ag”), 3.2% zinc (“Zn”), 1.8% lead (“Pb”) and 0.02% copper (“Cu”) including 4.1m at 476 g/t AgEq and 293 g/t AgEq over 17.8m (0.55 g/t Au, 74 g/t Ag, 5.3% Zn, 1.5% Pb and 0.1% Cu) including 4.1m at 649 g/t AgEq
  • BOU-DD24-450 intercepted 349 g/t AgEq over 10.6m (3.76 g/t Au, 35 g/t Ag, 0.1% Zn, 0.1% Pb and 0.2% Cu) including 6.6m at 512 g/t AgEq
• Silver Rich East-West Veins:
  • BOU-DD24-392 intercepted 1,123 g/t Ag and 5.32% Pb over 1.7m
  • BOU-MP24-015 intercepted 774 g/t Ag over 1.2m
• Extension of Tizi Strike Length to 2.2 Kilometers (“km”):
  • BOU-MP24-010 intercepted 371 g/t AgEq over 1.0m (4.01 g/t Au, 20 g/t Ag, 0.9% Zn, 0.6% Pb and 0.03% Cu) and 208 g/t AgEq over 2.0m (0.91 g/t Au, 44 g/t Ag, 2.5% Zn, 1.0% Pb and 0.1% Cu)
• Identification of Several Regional Targets from Mapping and Grab Sampling:
  • Identification of multiple new targets including five regional targets over 20 km of potential strike, which will be tested in the coming months.
  • Cu values from grab sample up to 34.5%
  • Ag values from grabs up to 210 g/t

1. All intersections are in core lengths. Ag equivalent is based on a silver price of US$24/oz with a process recovery of 89%, a gold price of US$2,200/oz with a process recovery of 85%, a zinc price of US$1.20/lb with a process recovery of 72%, a lead price of US$1.00/lb with a process recovery of 85%, and a copper price of US$4.00/lb with a process recovery of 75% resulting in the following ratios: 1g/t Au: 77.9 g/t Ag; 1% Cu: 85.4 g/t Ag; 1% Pb: 24.2 g/t Ag; and 1% Zn: 24.6 g/t Ag.

"We are excited about today’s high-grade drill results, particularly BOU-DD24-440 and BOU-DD24-450, which confirm the continuity of the Boumadine Main Zone. The northern extension of the Tizi Zone further highlights the strong resource growth potential," said Benoit La Salle, President & CEO . "Additionally, positive mapping and grab sampling results have identified several promising drill targets to the south as well as to the east, reinforcing Boumadine’s exceptional district-scale potential. We have identified over 20km of potential strike and look forward to advancing these targets in the coming months."

Table 1 – Significant Intercepts from Boumadine Drill Exploration Program (Core Lengths)

* True width remains undetermined at this stage; all values are uncut.

** Ag equivalent is based on a silver price of US$24/oz with a process recovery of 89%, a gold price of US$2,200/oz with a process recovery of 85%, a zinc price of US$1.20/lb with a process recovery of 72%, a lead price of US$1.00/lb with a process recovery of 85%, and a copper price of US$4.00/lb with a process recovery of 75% resulting in the following ratios: 1g/t Au: 77.9 g/t Ag; 1% Cu: 85.4 g/t Ag; 1% Pb: 24.2 g/t Ag; and 1% Zn: 24.6 g/t Ag

Figure 1 - Boumadine Property Surface Plan with Apparent Conductivity at 175Hz and 2025 Drill Holes

2025 Exploration Results

This year, 117 diamond drill holes (“DDH”) totaling 46,207m have been completed at Boumadine (Figure 1 and Appendix 2). Drilling was conducted on strike along the Main Trend (North Zones), Tizi and North-East Zones as well as on some east-west structures. The majority of results have been received for drill holes up to BOU-DD24-466 (Table 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, and Appendix 1).

Results received during the first quarter of 2025, including hole BOU-DD24-440 and BOU-DD24-450 confirm the high-grade continuity of the Main Trend, which remains open in all directions. Today’s results, with BOU-MP24-010 and BOU-MP24-012, also confirm the continuity of the Tizi Zone and extend Tizi mineralization to 2.2km. The Tizi Zone also remains open in all directions.

Hole BOU-DD24-92 returned high-grade silver results including 1,123 g/t Ag over 1.7m in an east-west structure.

The main mineralization generally measures 1m to 4m wide (locally reaching over a 10m width) N340-oriented massive sulphide lenses/veins sharply dipping eastward (> 70°). The massive sulphide veins (>80%) are mainly composed of pyrite, with variable proportions of sphalerite, galena, and chalcopyrite. Tizi and Imariren share the same characteristics except for their N000 orientation.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 shows the advance of the regional mapping and prospecting. Many high-grade grab sample results, principally in Cu, Ag and Pb, along with major fault corridor helped define five principal target areas that will need to be drill tested in the coming months.

Figure 2 – Surface Plan of North & Tizi Zones with New DDH Results

Figure 3 – Surface Plan of South Zone with New DDH Results

Figure 4 – Surface Map of Boumadine Property with Simplified Geology and Ag Grab Samples

Figure 5 – Surface Map of Boumadine Property with Simplified Geology and Cu Grab Samples

Figure 6 – Surface Map of Boumadine Property with Simplified Geology and Pb Grab Samples

Next Steps

Significant upside potential exists to expand the Boumadine Main Trend, which currently extends 5.4km and remains open in all directions. Currently, the Corporation has mobilized 11 drill rigs to complete the 100,000m to 140,000m drilling program. Half of the drilling will focus along the Main Trend and Tizi to continue extending the known mineralization trend along strike and at depth and to infill known areas advancing the project towards a preliminary economic assessment, which is targeted for 2026. The remaining 50% will focus on greenfield exploration designed to test geological hypotheses and drill targets generated from the past three years of work. The results from ongoing geology work will determine additional development work.

Technical Information

Aya has implemented a quality control program to comply with best practices in sampling and analysis of drill core. Drill core samples were transported in sealed bags for analysis at Afrilab laboratory in Marrakech. Standards of different grades and blanks were inserted every 20 samples in addition to the standards, blanks and pulp duplicate inserted by Afrilab.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this press release have been reviewed by David Lalonde, B. Sc, Vice-President Exploration, Qualified Person, for accuracy and compliance with National Instrument 43-101.

About Aya Gold & Silver Inc.

Aya Gold & Silver Inc. is a rapidly growing, Canada-based silver producer with operations in the Kingdom of Morocco.

The only TSX-listed pure silver mining company, Aya operates the high-grade Zgounder Silver Mine and is exploring its properties along the prospective South-Atlas Fault, several of which have hosted past-producing mines and historical resources. Aya’s Moroccan mining assets are complemented by its Tijirit Gold Project in Mauritania, which is being developed by Mx2 Mining, a new spinout gold-growth company.

Aya’s management team maximizes shareholder value by anchoring sustainability at the heart of its production, resource, governance, and financial growth plans.

For additional information, please visit Aya’s website at www.ayagoldsilver.com or contact:

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”), which reflects management's expectations regarding Aya’s future growth and business prospects (including the timing and development of new deposits and the success of exploration activities) and other opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as “confirm”, “targets”, “confirming”, “potential”, “promising”, “advancing”, “expand”, “belief”, and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “will”, or are “likely” to be taken, occur or be achieved, have been used to identify such forward-looking information. Specific forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements and information with respect to the exploration and development potential of Boumadine and the advancement of and success of the exploration program at Boumadine , and timing for the release of the Company's disclosure in connection with the foregoing. Although the forward-looking information contained in this press release reflect management's current beliefs based upon information currently available to management and based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, Aya cannot be certain that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions, opinions and analysis made by management in light of its experience, current conditions, and its expectations of future developments that management believe to be reasonable and relevant but that may prove to be incorrect. These assumptions include, among other things, the ability to obtain any requisite governmental approvals, the accuracy of Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource Estimates (including, but not limited to, ore tonnage and ore grade estimates), silver price, exchange rates, fuel and energy costs, future economic conditions, anticipated future estimates of free cash flow, and courses of action. Aya cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements.

The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including government approvals and permitting, changes in economic conditions, changes in the worldwide price of silver and other key inputs, changes in mine plans (including, but not limited to, throughput and recoveries being affected by metallurgical characteristics) and other factors, such as project execution delays, many of which are beyond the control of Aya, as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in Aya's 2023 Annual Information Form dated March 28, 2024, and in other filings of Aya with securities and regulatory authorities which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca . Furthermore, Aya’s corporate update of May 28, 2020 regarding the materiality of its assets as well as to studies regarding non-material assets remains applicable as at the date hereof. Aya does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs, and opinions change. Nothing in this document should be construed as either an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy or sell Aya securities. All references to Aya include its subsidiaries unless the context requires otherwise.

Appendix 1 – Full Drill Results from Boumadine (core lengths)

* True width remains undetermined at this stage; all values are uncut.

** Ag equivalent is based on a silver price of US$24/oz with a process recovery of 89%, a gold price of US$2,200/oz with a process recovery of 85%, a zinc price of US$1.20/lb with a process recovery of 72%, a lead price of US$1.00/lb with a process recovery of 85%, and a copper price of US$4.00/lb with a process recovery of 75% resulting in the following ratios: 1g/t Au: 77.9 g/t Ag; 1% Cu: 85.4 g/t Ag; 1% Pb: 24.2 g/t Ag; and 1% Zn: 24.6 g/t Ag .

Appendix 2 – New Drillhole Coordinates of 2024 and 2025 Boumadine Exploration Program (completed holes)

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/45d7175e-e3f9-400f-a42a-c4ec1dc25d02
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/92a19331-24df-4b43-88a9-573ccbb722a2
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a67a632d-c41e-4b80-b49f-805cb9d13aa5
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f75551ca-3a4e-410a-8ffd-89f01a0a000c
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/98a31060-7101-4aaa-9c92-b54890aa1134
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/72e3fe09-e196-4bd4-80c3-d1fbaa946b5e