VANCOUVER, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Orex Minerals Inc. – (TSX-V: REX – OTCQX: ORMNF) ("Orex"), is pleased to announce that a first resource estimate for the Boleras Silver Deposit on the Sandra Escobar Project in Durango, Mexico, has been prepared by the consulting firm Mining Plus. The Sandra Escobar Project is being advanced by Orex under an option agreement with Canasil Resources Inc. – (TSX.V: CLZ) ("Canasil").

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At a "Base Case" of 45 g/t Ag cut-off, the Inferred Resource Estimate yields 9.8 million tonnes grading 106 g/t Ag for a total of 33.3 million ounces of silver.

Orex's President, Gary Cope says, "A first Resource Estimate is a major step in an exploration project. We have achieved this benchmark in less than a year from the start of diamond drilling and we believe that this initial resource is the first of many to come."

Mining Plus is a mining engineering consultancy, established in 2006, consisting of skilled experts specializing in mining engineering, geoscience and mining operation management.

The resource estimate is based on the results from diamond drilling up to and including drill hole SA-16-059 for a total of 7432 metres. The data cut off date was October 7, 2016 and the "Effective Date" for the Inferred Resource Estimate is October 25, 2016. The 45 g/t Ag cut-off was chosen as a robust base case with consideration to the current spot price of $17.50/oz Ag and production cost at Mexican mines with deposits of a similar scale with low strip ratios. The resource is not pit constrained as this is an initial resource and the deposit limits are not fully constrained.

Two discrete domain types were modelled; D1 – disseminated silver mineralization in a horizontal rhyolite crystal tuff, and D2 – disseminated and stockwork veinlet hosted silver mineralization crosscutting the horizontal tuff horizon. D1 is of average grade material and includes a top capping of values at 225 g/t Ag. D2 is of higher grade material and includes a top capping of values at 1,500 g/t Ag.

The block model was run at different block sizes of 5x5x3 metres and at 20x20x3 metres. Sub-blocking was used to model the D2 high grade domain. The Blended D1 and D2 model was regularized to a Block size of 10x10X6.  Grades were assigned to the blocks by the Ordinary Kriging (OK) method, which correlated well with the Inverse Distance Squared (ID²) method. The bulk density was estimated with ID² due to insufficient sample pairs for meaningful variography and OK estimation.

The following graph illustrates the "Grade – Tonnage Curves" which are nearly identical.

Orex expects that a detailed, National Instrument 43-101-compliant "Technical Report" on the Boleras Silver Deposit's resource estimate will be filed on its SEDAR profile within the next 45 days.

Silver mineralization is hosted in a rhyolite volcanic dome. An altered and highly permeable crystal lithic tuff unit contains disseminations of silver bearing minerals and domains with broadly spaced stockwork veinlets. The current working model has a porphyritic rhyolite unit, with andesite sills, as an impermeable cap, which may have focused mineralizing fluids into the host permeable volcaniclastic unit. 

Orex maintains a QA/QC sampling protocol for the diamond drilling program, including the insertion of commercial analytical standards and blank samples. Analytical testing has been performed by SGS Minerals Services and Bureau Veritas. Silver values are determined by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Multi-element analyses are also determined using a 4-acid digestion and ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry).

Sandra Escobar Silver-Gold Project, Durango, Mexico

Sandra Escobar is situated north of the town of Tepehuanes, Durango, in the heart of the "Mexican Silver Trend", midway between the mining districts of Tovar and Guanacevi and is 75 km west of Silver Standard's La Pitarrilla. This prolific trend hosts some of the world's largest silver camps and deposits, including Fresnillo, Guanajuato, La Pitarrilla, La Preciosa, Real de Angeles and Zacatecas.

The project consists of 6,333 hectares of mineral concessions and covers multiple mineralized epithermal quartz veins and breccia structures. These veins form a high level silver-gold-base metals system, hosted in andesitic and rhyolitic rocks, centered on a large rhyolite dome complex in the north and silver systems in smaller rhyolite dome complexes to the southeast. All within a large caldera complex. Intense alteration zones and fluid flooding in permeable formations indicates the presence of bulk tonnage targets. Excellent infrastructure exists in the Sandra Escobar area, including paved road access, electrical power, water and manpower from nearby communities.

The technical disclosures contained in this news release have been approved by Ben Whiting, P.Geo. and Dale Brittliffe, P.Geo., each being "Qualified Persons" as defined in NI 43-101 on behalf of Orex. Michael Collins, P.Geo. and Dr. Andrew Fowler, full time Mining Plus Consulting employees, have consented to applicable disclosure contained herein regarding the Mineral Resource estimate and Mr. Collins and Dr. Fowler are an "Independent Qualified Persons", within the meaning of NI 43-101, from Orex Minerals Inc., Canasil Resources Inc. and their subsidiary companies.

ABOUT OREX MINERALS INC.

Orex is a Canadian-based junior exploration company comprised of highly qualified mining professionals. Orex has several current projects: the Coneto Gold-Silver Project in Durango, Mexico, a joint venture with Fresnillo PLC, the Jumping Josephine Gold-Silver Project in British Columbia, Canada, plus this newest Sandra Escobar Silver Project in Durango, Mexico, with Canasil Resources Inc. 

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gary Cope
President

Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" with the meaning of applicable securities laws, including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes and the filing of a NI 43-101-compliant technical report within 45 days.

Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Orex, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology. These statements reflect Orex's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this news release and Orex undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

All such forward-looking statements and information are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by Orex's management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. These statements, however, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement; the failure of parties to contracts to perform as agreed; social or labor unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure and the failure of exploration programs or other studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued studies, development or operations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

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

SOURCE Orex Minerals Inc.