VANCOUVER, May 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Orex Minerals Inc. – (TSX-V: REX) ("Orex"), is pleased to announce that the Phase-II diamond drilling program is complete on the Sandra Escobar Project in Durango, Mexico. Assays for eight more drill holes are now available. These include holes SA-16-031 to SA-16-038 in the southeastern region of the project. The Sandra Escobar Project is being advanced by Orex under an option agreement with Canasil Resources Inc. – (TSX.V: CLZ) ("Canasil").

Highlight for this batch of holes is SA-16-038 in a step-out hole, 350 metres west of the Main Zone, which yielded 46 metres core length (26 m true thickness) grading 156 g/t silver, starting from surface. Within this is a sub-interval of 8 metres (4.5 m true thickness) grading 282 g/t silver.

Two test reconnaissance holes, SA-16-037 and 038, were drilled in the Burro Zone, 350 metres west of the Main Zone, both of which yielded good silver grades. These are the first two holes in the Burro Zone. One test reconnaissance hole, SA-16-036, was drilled in a step-out hole, 500 metres south of the Main Zone, which yielded anomalous silver values.

Five of the eight holes, SA-16-031 to 035, are in the eastern portion of the Main Zone. While these limit the eastern extension, the Main Zone is still open to the south and west. 

Orex's President, Gary Cope says, "We are very pleased with the new results from step-out drilling, particularly in the Burro Zone. Silver mineralization starts right from surface and is of similar style and thickness. The next phase of drilling will include more holes in this zone."

Kluane Drilling Ltd. provides the drilling services utilizing an environmentally low-impact KD-1000 man-portable diamond drill rig.

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

True thicknesses are estimated based on structural and stratigraphic interpretations. A map showing the locations of the drill holes and sample cross sections are available on the Orex website.

Orex maintains a QA/QC sampling protocol for the diamond drilling program, including the insertion of commercial analytical standards and blank samples. Analytical testing is performed by SGS Mineral 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 6,976 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. 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.

Dale Brittliffe, P.Geo., and Ben Whiting, P.Geo., are Qualified Persons, as defined in NI 43-101, and take responsibility for the technical disclosure contained within this news release.

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

This News Release may contain forward-looking statements 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, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements and Orex undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

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 release.

SOURCE Orex Minerals Inc.