VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - June 6, 2016) - Avrupa Minerals Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:AVU)(FRANKFURT:8AM) is pleased to report progress on its exploration projects available for joint venture in southern Portugal. The Company is currently directing its efforts to form new exploration JV's on these projects, all of which have drill-ready targets:

• Alvito - This license contains a large iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) target in the Ossa Morena Zone, the mineral district sandwiched between the Iberian Pyrite Belt to the south and the Montemor orogenic gold district to the north.

• Marateca - The license covers at least 12 copper- and zinc-bearing massive sulfide targets in the Pyrite Belt on the northerly extensions of the same trends that host the giant Neves Corvo and Aljustrel mines in Portugal and the Rio Tinto, Aguas Tenidas, and Las Cruces mines in Spain.

• Mertola - This license contains copper- and zinc-bearing São Domingos massive sulfide deposit mined in the 19^th and 20^th centuries in the prolific Iberian Pyrite Belt of southern Portugal.

Alvito

The main target on the Alvito license is the Alcaçovas iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) prospect. Soil sampling, geological mapping, prospecting at and around old workings, and short-hole drilling (in lieu of trenching) have delineated an initial IOCG footprint of 2 x 4 kilometers in size. Further groundwork in the area is likely to increase the size of the target area, though the present size of the known IOCG alteration and mineralization footprint at Alcaçovas is already similar to that of the Candelaria deposit in Chile, presently being mined by TSX-listed Lundin Mining. 

To view Figure 1, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Figure1603.pdf

To view Figure 2, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Figure2603.pdf

There are other targets on the Alvito license. Recent follow-up soil sampling at the Romeira gossan target, located 18 km east of Alcaçovas, shows a developing copper-lead-zinc target, presently over 500 meters long, 100 meters wide, and open on both ends. Soil sampling is continuing in order to better develop the target. Outcropping limonitic gossan is present, and is apparently the source of the soil anomalism.

In addition, soil sampling at the Agua de Peixe carbonate-hosted massive sulfide target, located 2 km southwest of Romeira, has shown an open-ended zone of possible lead-zinc-silver mineralization over 350 meters in strike length. Historic scout drilling in the area suggests the presence of base metal and silver mineralization. There is also potential for nearby precious metal-bearing vein mineralization in the Agua de Peixe district. Two sub-parallel quartz veins, up to 10-15 meters wide, and outcropping over 2 kilometers in length, have been investigated, to date, only in a preliminary manner.

Marateca

The Pego do Altar gossan zone in the southeast corner of the license is a drill-ready target located in the São Domingos mineral trend of the Portuguese Pyrite Belt, and approximately 50 kilometers north of the Sesmarias massive sulfide discovery. The host rocks at Pego do Altar are similar to those at Sesmarias, and Avrupa's geological targeting vectors indicate strong drill target possibilities. The gossan zone outcrops over a length of one kilometer, carries elevated copper, lead, and zinc rock sample anomalism, as well as leached rock textures, suggesting potential for mineralization down dip from the surface exposures.

To view Figure 3, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Figure3603.pdf

Previously, in 2011-12, the Company drilled a series of exploratory holes in the Serrinha target area, located 15 kilometers northwest of Pego do Altar. Best results at Serrinha hill, itself, included +30 meter intercepts of strongly altered volcanic rocks in the same package of rocks that hosts mineralization in the other Pyrite Belt deposits. The Company sampled the sequence of altered rocks, and sludge samples in zones of poor recovery from twinned Serrinha hill drill holes ran 263 ppm silver over 11.3 meters in SE-011 and 17.7 ppm silver over 33 meters in SE-011A (first reported August 23, 2011). It is likely the Serrinha holes intersected a strong zone of stockwork quartz-pyrite mineralization hosted by strongly altered felsic volcanic rocks.

Two other holes were drilled in 2011-12 at the São Martinho and Volta targets on the west and south flanks, respectively, of Serrinha hill. Drilling problems caused abandonment of both holes short of geophysical and geological targets.

In addition to re-working the targets at Serrinha, first-pass geological mapping, anomalous soil geochemistry, and basic mineral prospecting have highlighted obvious geological targets at other exposures of Pyrite Belt VS rocks within the Marateca license area. The three main mineral trends in the Pyrite Belt of Portugal cross through the Marateca license, allowing for over 50 kilometers total length of exploration potential.

To view Figure 4, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Figure4603.pdf

Mertola

The Mertola license is the least explored by Avrupa geologists. Even so, commencement of re-logging of historic core from the Chança prospect, located in the northeast corner of the license immediately adjacent to the border with Spain, has already brought to light one potential drilling target between historic copper-zinc mineralized drill holes. Both drill holes, spaced over 1,000 meters apart, contain visible stockwork and semi-massive sulfide mineralization over intercept lengths of 30-40 meters. Re-interpretation of the geology in these holes and others in the same area indicates that previous drilling, for the most part, appears not to have reached the proper target rocks, leaving significant space between the mineralized holes for more massive sulfide potential.

The historic São Domingos Mine, located just six kilometers southwest of the Chança prospect, has been mined intermittently since Roman times. Modern summary reports, though not 43-101 compliant, estimate that previous operators mined approximately 25 million tonnes of massive sulfide averaging in excess of 1% from only one lens. Subsequent exploration did not uncover further mineralization, even though it is usual to find multiple sulfide lenses at a single mine in the Pyrite Belt. Further re-interpretation of the geology and structure, as the Company has done in other parts of the Pyrite Belt, via field mapping, re-logging of historic drill core, and review of all the other available historic data is expected to lead to new drill targets in the São Domingos-Chança areas.

Most of the rest of the license has only be reviewed in a cursory, first-pass manner, but Avrupa geologists have already identified a number of obvious target areas where altered and weakly mineralized VS rocks outcrop.

To view Figure 5, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Figure5603.pdf

More detailed technical information concerning these licenses can be found on the Avrupa website at the following link: http://www.avrupaminerals.com/available_for_jv/.

Avrupa Minerals Ltd. is a growth-oriented junior exploration and development company focused on discovery, using a prospect generator model, of valuable mineral deposits in politically stable and prospective regions of Europe, including Portugal, Kosovo, and Germany.

The Company currently holds nine exploration licenses in three European countries, including six in Portugal covering 3,821 km², two in Kosovo covering 47 km², and one in Germany covering 307 km². Avrupa has three joint ventures, two in Portugal and one in Kosovo:

• The Alvalade JV, with Colt Resources, covering one license in the Iberian Pyrite Belt of southern Portugal, for Cu-rich massive sulfide deposits;

• The Covas JV, with Blackheath Resources, covering one license in northern Portugal, for intrusion-related W deposits; and

• Avrupa's partner at the Slivovo Gold Project in Kosovo is presently advancing the Project by funding and operating a pre-feasibility study.

Avrupa is currently upgrading precious and base metal targets to JV-ready status in a variety of districts on their other licenses, with the idea of attracting potential partners to project-specific and/or regional exploration programs. 

On behalf of the Board,

Paul W. Kuhn, President & Director

This news release was prepared by Company management, who take full responsibility for its content. Paul W. Kuhn, President and CEO of Avrupa Minerals, a Licensed Professional Geologist and a Registered Member of the Society of Mining Engineers, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators. He has reviewed the technical disclosure in this release. Mr. Kuhn, the QP, has not only reviewed, but prepared and supervised the preparation or approval of the scientific and technical content in the news release.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture NExchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.