Mining
Thursday, May 30th, 2024 4:44 pm EDT
Key Points
- Discovery of New Gold Zone (West Rim): Troilus Gold Corp. has discovered a new gold zone named the West Rim zone, located within 200 meters west of the north reserve pit shell at its Troilus project in Quebec, Canada. This discovery, part of an ongoing 25,000m drilling campaign, yielded significant assay results, including 1.37 g/t AuEq over 11 m within a broader intersection of 0.74 g/t AuEq over 32 m, demonstrating the prospectivity and opportunity for further exploration and delineation of mineralization in the region.
- Assay Results from Zone X22: The company reported assay results from Zone X22, showcasing promising mineralization at depth. Hole X22-24-080 intercepted 10.27 g/t AuEq over 1 m and 0.83 g/t AuEq over 30 m, including a high-grade intersection of 13.85 g/t AuEq over 1 m at 550 m depth. These results extend mineralization past 500 meters depth, supporting the potential for underground development and emphasizing the ongoing success of systematic exploration efforts.
- Future Exploration and Development Plans: Troilus Gold Corp. outlined plans for future exploration and development, including further drilling at the newly discovered West Rim trend and extensions below the North Reserve Pit. With a focus on expanding high-grade trends and advancing underground targets, the company aims to leverage its extensive drilling data to define additional mineral resources and advance the Troilus project towards production.
Troilus Gold Corp. has discovered a new gold zone named the West Rim zone located within 200 metres west of the north reserve pit shell, in addition to assay results from Zone X22 at its Troilus project, located in north-central Quebec, Canada. The results herein are part of an ongoing 25,000m drilling campaign designed to expand and define select drill targets along the main mineral corridor and regionally.
Hole X22-24-080 Intercept Highlights:
Newly discovered “West Rim” intersected 1.37 g/t AuEq (1.32 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag, 0.02% Cu) over 11 m within a broader intersection of 0.74 g/t AuEq (0.69 g/t Au, 1.78 g/t Ag, 0.02% Cu) over 32 m starting at just 21 m downhole (See Figure 2).
Zone X22 intersected 10.27 g/t AuEq (10.15 g/t Au, 0.50 g/t Ag, 0.07% Cu) over 1 m and 0.83 g/t AuEq (0.58 g/t Au, 1.45 g/t Ag, 0.15% Cu) over 30m incl. 13.85 g/t AuEq (12.55g/t Au, 9.10 g/t Ag, 0.76% Cu) over 1 m at 550 m depth (see Figure 2).
Justin Reid, CEO of Troilus Gold, commented, “After 5 years of systematic exploration, we are still making significant discoveries on the Troilus property. The West Rim target is a testament to the prospectivity and opportunity within proximity to the Troilus project’s mineral reserve pits defined in the recent Feasibility Study (see press release, May 14, 2024)*. Located just 200 meters from the North Reserve Pit and at surface, the West Rim is a highly prospective corridor spanning 4km in length, 1km of which has never been drilled and is open for follow up drilling and delineation of mineralization. Moreover, results from Zone X22 have extended mineralization past 500 meters depth, supporting the future potential of underground development. The geology team has continued to successfully discover and develop existing targets across the property, and we look forward to follow-up drilling in the coming months to build out the West Rim target and further extensions below the North Reserve Pit.”
* the completed NI 43-101 technical report associated with the Troilus Project FS will be available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca under the Company’s issuer profile, as well as the Company’s website at www.troilusgold.com on or before June 28, 2024.
West Rim Zone
The West Rim Zone was discovered as part of an ongoing 25,000m drill program at the Troilus Property designed to test near-mine and regional priority drilling targets. The West Rim target is an exhalative stratigraphic horizon hosted within felsic to intermediate metavolcanic rocks along the north-west margin of the Troilus intrusion. This prospective sequence can be traced for more than 4 km from the hanging wall of the J Zone, continuing through the West Rim toward the Southwest hanging wall. The eastern boundary of the Troilus intrusion has been extensively explored, and reserves defined within the Z87 and SW Pits align along this eastern boundary. The western boundary of the diorite (West Rim) has been left un-explored and remains open to further drilling (see Figure 2 below).
Hole X22-24-080, reported today, was designed to test this horizon and to test X22 mineralization at depth. The West Rim horizon returned 0.74 g/t AuEq over 32 m including 1.37 g/t AuEq over 11 m starting at 21 metres downhole. This intercept is found within 200 metres to the southwest of the North Reserve Pit shell that includes Z87, ZJ and X22.
West Rim Zone Geology
Hole X22-24-080 shows a clear metallic zonation in the West Rim with a lower zinc-silver zone and an upper gold zone. Sulphide mineralization consists of disseminated, stringers veins, and small lenses of massive pyrrhotite, pyrite with accessory sphalerite and chalcopyrite transposed into the dominant foliation. The type of mineralization, alteration and the polymetallic signature suggests a gold-bearing VMS (Volcanogenic Massive Sulfides) system, which increases the prospectivity of the area to find larger and richer ore zones along strike and at depth. West Rim is a phase 1 target, which encompasses a combination of favourable volcanic/intrusive phases, geophysical anomalies, and attractive structural settings all located in proximity to the mine site, in areas with little drill coverage. Subsequent drilling phases include following up on high-grade trends at depth below the North Reserve Pit and drilling regional targets. An additional 1,700 metres of drilling has been allocated to follow up on the newly discovered West Rim trend.
Deep Drilling below North Pit – Extending X22 Mineralization at Depth
Results from X22-24-080 equally confirmed continuity of the mineralized system to depth below Zone X22, with broad mineralized intercepts of 0.83 g/t AuEq over 30 m and 0.38 g/t AuEq over 26 m, and continuous high-grade trends with intersections of 10.27 g/t AuEq over 1 m and 13.85 g/t AuEq over 1 m. The results also show the tonalitic phase of the Troilus intrusion, which hosts X22, appears to be thickening at depth. Data from deeper extension holes like X22-24-080 will be used to inform and update the ongoing drill program with a focus on expanding high-grade trends.
Zone X22 was identified in late 2022 at the southwestern border of Z87 open pit. 23,256 metres were drilled at X22, which successfully expanded the zone’s mineral footprint from 300 metres to approximately 1 kilometre and confirmed a consistent pattern of continuous high-grade near-surface structures along this strike length. Although X22 only accounts for a small portion of the 322,000 metres drilled at Troilus since 2018, it has contributed 1.19Moz AuEq (59.2Mt at 0.62 g/t AuEq) or 11% of total open pit Indicated mineral resources (see press release, October 16, 2023).
Previously Reported Highlights from open high-grade trends of X22:
(see Table 2 for breakdown by metal)
September 7th, 2023:
10.73 g/t AuEq over 10 m incl. 19.07 g/t AuEq over 3 m and 41.98 g/t AuEq over 1 m (X22-24-071), and 32.48 g/t AuEq over 0.8 m (X22-23-075).
July 11, 2023:
104.12 g/t AuEq over 1 m from (X22-23-042), 15.57 g/t AuEq over 1 m, 26.14 g/t AuEq over 1 m (X22-23-059), 3.32 g/t AuEq over 11 m incl. 24.60 g/t AuEq over 1 m and 3.11 g/t AuEq over 17 m incl. 7.26 g/t AuEq over 3 m (X22-23-066), and 133.15 g/t AuEq over 0.7 m (X22-23-067).
May 9th, 2023:
3.54 g/t AuEq over 6m from hole X22-23-031, 8.73 g/t AuEq over 4m incl. 25.35 g/t AuEq over 1m (X22-23-032), 6.59 g/t AuEq over 3 m (X22-23-033), and 14.41 g/t AuEq over 1.2 m (X22-23-036)
April 25th, 2023:
6.74 g/t AuEq over 3 m incl. 15.58 g/t AuEq over 1 m (X22-23-006) and 131.86 g/t AuEq over 1 m (X22-23-030).
March 30th, 2023: 8.09 g/t AuEq over 2 m (X22-23-023)
March 23rd, 2023: 11.18 g/t AuEq over 6 m including 27.70 g/t AuEq over 2 m (X22-23-027).
Further drilling of underground targets is planned below the North Reserve Pit, near Zone 87, which has open high-grade shoots plunging with the dominant stretching lineation last drilled in October 31, 2018 and demonstrated extensions below the mineral resource pits. See table 3 for breakdown by metal.
Figure 1 – Plan View of West Rim Showing Current and Previously Reported Drill Holes
A figure accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/914ded27-48c0-4a5d-8658-73079339ae9a
Figure 2 – Geology Map of the Troilus Deposit Showing Current and Previously Reported Drill Holes
A figure accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1b04b96a-a020-4a33-8bb7-d4719411957b
Quality Assurance and Control
During the drill program, one meter assay samples were taken from NQ core and sawed in half. One-half was sent for assaying at ALS Laboratory, a certified commercial laboratory, and the other half was retained for results, cross checks, and future reference. A strict QA/QC program was applied to all samples; which included insertion of one certified mineralized standard and one blank sample in each batch of 25 samples. Every sample was processed with standard crushing to 85% passing 75 microns on 500 g splits. Samples were assayed by one-AT (30 g) fire assay with an AA finish and if results were higher than 3.5 g/t Au, assays were redone with a gravimetric finish. For QA/QC samples, a 50 g fire assay was done. In addition to gold, ALS laboratory carried out multi-element analysis for ME-ICP61 analysis of 33 elements four acid ICP-AES.
Qualified Person
The technical and scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Nicolas Guest, P.Geo., Exploration Manager, who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Guest is an employee of Troilus and is not independent of the Company under NI 43-101.
AuEq Disclosure
The formulas used to calculate equivalent values for resources are as follows, for 87 Pit AuEq = Au + 1.5628*Cu +0.0128 *Ag, for J Pit AuEq = Au + 1.5107*Cu +0.0119 *Ag, for SW Pit AuEq = Au + 1.6823*Cu +0.0124 *Ag, for X22 Pit AuEq = Au + 1.5628*Cu +0.0128 *Ag. AuEq was calculated using metal prices of $1,850/oz Au; $4.25/lb Cu and $23.00/oz Ag.
About Troilus Gold Corp.
Troilus Gold Corp. is a Canadian development-stage mining company focused on the systematic advancement of the former gold and copper Troilus Mine towards production. Troilus is located in the tier-one mining jurisdiction of Quebec, Canada, where it holds a large land position of 435 km Superscript 2 in the Frotet-Evans Greenstone Belt. A Feasibility Study completed in May 2024 supports a large-scale 22-year, 50ktpd open-pit mining operation, positioning it as a cornerstone project in North America.
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