Silver-copper-zinc-rich veins found at JT

HighGold Mining Inc. Dec. 19 reported that the final two holes of the 2019 drill program at Johnson Tract discovered a new silver-copper-zinc-rich vein system in the footwall of the JT deposit and expanded the high-grade gold that is the main economic driver for the deposit.

Based on 88 holes drilled prior to 1995, JT deposit hosts 1.04 million metric tons of historical resource averaging 10.05 grams per metric ton gold, 7.63 g/t silver, 8.32 percent zinc and 1.13 percent lead.

Resampling of core from the past drilling returned grades and widths that strongly correlate with the drill results that formed the basis of this resource calculation and the nine holes drilled by HighGold this year go further toward confirming and expanding the previous work at the deposit.

The final two holes, JT19-089 and JT19-090, were designed to better define northeast extensions of the lower portion of the JT deposit.

JT19-089, which was drilled beyond the modeled extents of JT, discovered a swarm of silver-copper-zinc-rich quartz veins that represents a new style of mineralization within the footwall of the deposit.

From a depth of 364 meters, JT19-089 cut 20.7 meters averaging 31.8 g/t silver, 2.4 percent copper and 4.9 percent zinc.

HighGold said this vein system may align with a kilometer-scale northerly-trending alteration zone that has been mapped on surface northeast of JT but has received virtually no drilling.

"The discovery of new, significant and distinctive mineralization in the footwall to the JT deposit is a strong indication of the high exploration potential at Johnson," said HighGold Mining President and CEO Darwin Green. "What makes it all the more encouraging is that the discovery was made during a first-pass drill program focused on deposit confirmation and expansion. Equally important, this step-out drilling has expanded the thickest and highest-grade portion of the JT deposit, which remains open along strike and at depth."

This expansion came in JT19-090, which cut 75.1 meters (about 54.3 meters true-width) averaging 10 g/t gold, 6 g/t silver, 0.6 percent copper, 9.4 percent zinc and 1.1 percent lead; including 20 meters (10.8 meters true-width) averaging 29.02 g/t gold, 7.3 g/t silver, 0.67 percent copper, 3.5 percent zinc and 1.2 percent lead.

This marks the final results from a nine-hole program that focused primarily on validating and infilling the historical drilling at JT.

Highlights from previously reported holes include:

• 107.8 meters (53.9 meters true-width) averaging 12.42 g/t gold, 8.9 g/t silver, 0.88 percent copper, 7.11 percent zinc and 1.64 percent lead from 153.2 meters in JT19-082;

• 59.2 meters (31.4 meters true-width) averaging 8.16 g/t gold, 5.9 g/t silver, 0.39 percent copper, 8.8 percent zinc and 0.72 percent lead from 67.8 meters in hole JT19-085;

• 47.6 meters (33.7 meters true-width) of 2.36 g/t gold, 4.8 g/t silver, 0.4 percent copper, 9.68 percent zinc and 0.13 percent lead (9.52 g/t gold-equivalent) from a depth of 48.1 meters in JT19-086; and

• 97.5 meters (48.8 meters true-width) averaging 5.93 g/t gold, 4.2 g/t silver, 0.46 percent copper, 3.86 percent zinc and 0.62 percent lead (9.62 g/t gold-equivalent) from a depth of 128 meters in JT19-088.

With all assay results from the 2,247-meter 2019 drill program at Johnson Tract now in hand, HighGold will combine new and validated historical drill data to develop a three-dimensional geological model for the JT Deposit and initiate an initial NI43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate. The company will also be reviewing all data to prepare a detailed drilling plan for the 2020 field season.

Major 2020 drill priorities are expected to include further expansion of the JT deposit; exploring for NE Fault Offset, which is interpreted to be the fault-displaced depth continuation of JT; follow up on the silver-copper-zinc-rich Footwall zone discovery made in hole JT19-089; as well as testing other prospects across the wider Johnson Tract property.

"The 2019 exploration program exceeded expectations and has set the stage for an exciting 2020," said Green. "We look forward to completing a maiden NI 43-101 resource for the JT deposit in the first half of the year and applying what we've learned from this initial exploration to a much larger exploration program next season. Meanwhile, HighGold is also preparing for a busy winter drill program on its Ontario gold assets located in the greater Timmins gold camp."

HighGold owns the Munro-Croesus, Golden Mile and Golden Perimeter projects in Ontario.

–SHANE LASLEY