Vancouver, B.C., June 3, 2020. Northstar Gold Corp. (CSE: NSG) (“Northstar” or the “Company”), is pleased to report recently received assay results from a partially complete Phase I diamond drill program on the Company’s 100% owned Miller Gold Property, situated 18 km southeast of the town of Kirkland Lake and Kirkland Lake Gold’s SMC Macassa gold mine.
A total of 2,211m of the planned 3,000 m drill program was completed in 13 holes between February 22 and April 04, 2020 when operations were suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic complications and concerns. All drill core has been logged with samples assayed for gold by AGAT Laboratories in Mississauga, Ontario. Metallic screening was performed on 51 samples associated with core intervals hosting coarse visible gold or gold tellurides with higher grade FA-AA samples >7 g/t Au increasing by an average of 19%, indicating the presence of coarse gold.
The primary objective of the Phase I drill program was to further confirm and expand known near-surface, high grade gold/telluride mineralization and portions of a historic estimate within the Vein 1 Zone, to test for deeper gold/telluride mineralization associated with the central Allied Syenite and further define the near-surface Planet Syenite Zone where previous Northstar drilling returned 3.32 g/t Au over 11.55m in a shear zone hosting stockwork style quartz veining and visible gold. All objectives were partially achieved with the exception of the Planet Syenite drilling. Northstar is fully funded and positioning to resume Phase I drilling (up to 1,900 metres in 10 holes) at the Miller Gold Property in mid-June.
Phase I drill results are highlighted by:
- Hole MG20-34 intersected 18.01 grams per tonne (g/t) Au over 3.9 metres (m), including 100.0 g/t Au over 0.6m (VG); this confirms the high- grade nature of Vein 1 Zone, that it thickens and remains open at depth
- Hole MG20-37 intersected 2.31 g/t Au over 10.5m including 3.94 g/t Au over 2.48m and 14.5 g/t Au over 1.0m (VG) with visible gold in a broad intercept of Vein 1 along the Allied Syenite contact.
- Hole MG20-38 intersected 2.14 g/t Au over 11.6m, including 11.8 g/t Au over 1.0m, and 19.0 g/t Au over 0.5m (VG); this intercept is 50m above a previous intersection in drill hole MG15-20 of 14.1 g/t Au over 3.05m (including 40.5 g/t Au over 1.0m), strongly suggesting a subvertical orientation for this new intrusion-centred “Allied Zone” discovery.
Brian Fowler, President & CEO of Northstar Gold Crop., said, “Northstar knew the Miller Gold Property hosts significant high-grade gold-telluride mineralization that is stacked and flat-lying. We wanted to discover vertical gold veining that vertical structures suggested exist. We think we’ve just done that.”
Figure 1. Miller Gold Property Mineralized Zones, Historic Estimate and 2020 Drill Results Plan
Phase I Exploration to Resume June 15, 2020
Northstar is positioning to resume Phase I diamond drilling at the Miller Gold Property on or about June 15th, 2020. Drilling will follow up on the high-grade intercept in DDH MG20-34 in Vein 1, the new Allied Zone and Vein discoveries, as well as the Planet Syenite. Phase I exploration will also include a $350,000 integrated geophysics program that comprises 5 km2 of 3D IP, magnetic and gravity geophysical surveys. Saskatchewan based Dias Geophysical has been commissioned to mobilize to the Miller Property in early June and commence geophysical surveying utilizing a DIAS32 distributed array 3D IP system with CVR technology providing enhanced resolution and greater depth of investigation than conventional IP.
The Company is fully permitted and will conduct surface stripping in multiple areas of the Property where visible gold and gold tellurides have been observed, to provide for geological mapping and additional sampling. Surface stripping has proven to be highly effective in defining new mineralized zones on the Property as overburden is generally thin. This work will commence in mid-July upon completion of the Phase I drilling program.
Northstar has commissioned GoldSpot Discoveries Corp. to process the Company’s geophysical data and augment Northstar’s efforts to define deeper gold exploration drill targets on the Miller Gold Property. “GoldSpot is pleased to be assisting Northstar to evaluate current and future discovery potential and contribute our part to the exploration efforts of the Miller Gold Property,” stated Vincent Dubé-Bourgeois, Chief Executive Officer of GoldSpot. A 4,000 metre Phase II diamond drill program, scheduled to commence in late August, 2020, will test these exploration targets and follow up Phase I drill results.
Vein 1 Zone Intersected in 11 of 13 Drill Holes; Open Along Strike and Widens at Depth
Northstar intersected the Vein 1 zone in 11 of 13 drill holes and was successful in expanding the East-West strike extent in both directions. The best intersection on Vein 1 in DDH MG20-34 returned 18.01 g/t Au over 3.89m between 56.86m and 60.75m, including 100 g/t Au over 0.6m between 59.47m and 60.07m depth, with abundant visible gold (Table 1). Phase I drilling has confirmed Vein 1 Zone thickens at depth, remains open along strike and warrants additional drilling.
Figure 2. Vein 1 Longitudinal Section Looking North-Northeast
“Allied Zone” Discovery
The Allied Syenite was tested by drill holes MG20-36, 37 and 38, targeting subvertical ENE, NW and known shallow dipping mineralized zones. Vertical drill hole MG20-37 intersected 2.31 g/t Au over 10.5m from 91.97m to 102.47m, including 3.94 g/t Au over 2.48m from 91.97m to 94.45m and 14.5 g/t Au over 1.0m from 101.47m to 102.47m, with visible gold in a broad intercept of Vein 1 along the Allied Syenite contact.
This new Allied Zone was intersected 65 metres northwest of drill hole MG20-37 by the cross-cutting drill hole MG20-38, which intersected a continuous zone of dense quartz veining hosting visible gold, averaging 2.14 g/t Au over 11.63m, including 19.0 g/t Au over 0.54m from 232.14m and 232.68m and 11.8 g/t Au over 1.0m from 242.77m to 243.77m. This intercept is 50m above a previous intersection in DDH MG15-20 of 14.1 g/t Au over 3.05m, including 40.5 g/t Au over 1.0m, strongly suggesting a sub vertical orientation for this new discovery. The new Allied Zone is the first time an intrusion-hosted vertical gold feeder structure has been discovered at the Miller Gold Property, similar in style as vertical gold structures at Eldorado Gold’s Lamacque (Triangle) gold mine. Until recently, all historical drilling on the Miller Gold Property has been vertical in nature, essentially precluding the possibility of discovering vertical gold-bearing structures. Additional step out and inclined drilling of the Allied Zone is planned when Phase I drilling resumes later this month.
Figure 3. Allied Syenite and Allied Zone Plan Map
New Vein 2 Discovery
Drill hole MG20-38 also intersected a near surface vein in mafic volcanics east of the Allied Syenite that returned 6.59 g/t Au over 1.84m from 51.1m to 52.94m depth, including 12.1 g/t Au over 0.91m. This shallow zone is a postulated extension of a historic intercept of 3.07 g/t Au over 5.0m from 20m to 25m depth in DDH MG14-11 within the Allied Syenite, 120 m to the West. This new “Vein 2” discovery represents the first time that stacked lenses of sheeted quartz veining in the hanging wall of the Vein 1 zone have been found extending outside the boundary of the Allied Syenite within the mafic volcanics. A similar significant intercept of 13.4 g/t Au over 1.5m from 26m to 27.5m depth in DDH MG20-35 was made in the hanging wall of Vein 1 approximately 100m south of the Syenite contact, 215 m SSW of hole MG20-38, which possibly also represents “Vein 2”. The Vein 2 discovery highlights the near surface bulk tonnage potential of the Allied area where multiple shallow dipping parallel zones ranging between 20m and 120m depth from surface (DDH MG14-07 returned 1.04 g/t Au over 97.5m from 22m to 119.5m) appear to extend outwards in a halo around the Allied Syenite intrusion.
Figure 4. 3D Model of Allied Syenite and Vein 2 Looking Northwest
Miller Gold Property Phase I drill results are presented in Table 1 below:
Visible gold or tellurides* True width unknown where not stated**
Quality Control
Northstar has implemented a quality control program for its Miller Gold Property to ensure best practice in the sampling and analysis of the drill core, which includes the insertion of blanks, duplicates, and certified standards into the sample stream. NQ sized drill core is saw cut with half of the drill core sampled at intervals based on geological criteria including lithology, visual mineralization, and alteration. The remaining half of the core is stored on-site at Earlton, Ontario.
Drill core samples are submitted to AGAT Laboratories Timmins, Ontario facility for sample preparation and forwarding to AGAT Laboratories Mississauga Ontario for analyses. Gold analyses are obtained via industry standard fire assay with atomic absorption finish using 50 g aliquots. For samples returning greater than 10 g/t gold follow-up fire assay analysis with a gravimetric finish is completed. Based on initial fire assay gold indications as well as visual indication of mineralization and alteration, intervals are selected for re-assay by the screen metallic fire assay method. Samples are also analysed for 43 trace and major elements by ICP-OES following a four-acid digestion. AGAT Laboratories are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited (Lab No. 665) for the preparation and analyses performed on the Miller Gold samples.
Qualified Persons
The sampling and QA/QC program was undertaken by Company personnel under the direction of Mr. Gary Lustig, P.Geo., and Luc Harnois, P.Geo, the Geologist on site. A secure chain of custody is maintained in storing and transporting of all samples.
Trevor Boyd, PhD, P.Geo., a ‘Qualified Person’ (Q.P.) as defined under Canadian National Instrument NI 43-101, has prepared and reviewed technical aspects of this news release.
About the Miller Gold Property
The Miller Gold Property and the Kirkland Lake Gold camp share many important geological features such as similar rock types, gold telluride mineralogy, timing of mineralization and large-scale hydrothermal gold systems featuring multi-stage and long-lived alkalic magmatic gold deposition. This strongly suggests the gold mineralization in both regions is derived from a common gold enriched alkaline magmatic-hydrothermal reservoir at depth and channelled to surface by deep seated, interconnected structures such as the first order Catharine Fault zone. An important difference is the Miller Property, in addition to high-grade gold-telluride mineralization, has several near-surface broad, low-grade bulk-tonnage drill zones (Planet and Allied Syenites) and remains un-explored at depth.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Mr. Brian P. Fowler, P.Geo.
President, CEO and Director
(604) 617-8191
bfowler@northstargoldcorp.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, delays, and uncertainties not under the control of Northstar Goldcorp. which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Northstar Gold Corp to be materially different from the results, performance or expectation implied by these forward looking statements. By their nature, forward looking statements involve risk and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on factors that will or may occur in the future. Actual results may vary depending upon exploration activities, industry production, commodity demand and pricing, currency exchange rates, and, but not limited to, general economic factors.
