Nov 22 2016
Midas Gold Corp. today announced the first assay results from its ongoing resource enhancement drill program on the Stibnite Gold Project, Idaho. As reported on August 23, 2016, Midas Gold initiated this drill program with a goal of improving, expanding and de-risking the mineral resources defined in the December 2014 preliminary feasibility study ("PFS") before commencing a feasibility study ("FS").
Two holes completed at the north end of the Yellow Pine deposit intersected significantly higher than anticipated grades, as compared to the PFS mineral resource block model. The additional data from these holes extends a higher-grade trend approximately 100m northeast and is anticipated to support conversion of the mineral resource in this area from the inferred mineral resource category to the indicated mineral resource category. A third exploration hole intersected anomalous gold in a prospect outside of the mineral resource area. Highlights are tabulated below while complete results are attached at the end of the press release.
"The 2014 preliminary feasibility study identified several areas where further drilling could potentially enhance the economic returns for the Stibnite Gold Project through resource conversion and/or extending higher grade areas," said Stephen Quin, President & CEO of Midas Gold Corp. "Our first two drill holes, completed in a sparsely drilled portion of the Homestake area of the Yellow Pine deposit, achieved both objectives -- resource conversion and higher grade." These two holes targeted an area of inferred mineralization, and returned similar widths as reported in the PFS block model, but returned gold grades 2-3 times higher than predicted. "These inferred mineral resources are located within the PFS mineral reserve pit and were treated as waste rock in the PFS financial model. Conversion of these inferred mineral resources into indicated mineral resources and, subsequently, mineral reserves, would reduce strip ratios, increase payable gold and Project NPV," said Mr. Quin. "Additional drill results from the central and southern portions of the Yellow Pine deposit are pending."
Holes MGI-16-411 and MGI-16-412
The area targeted by drill holes MGI-16-411 and -412 is situated along a stretch of a linear, northeast trending, 25-50m wide, steeply dipping structure discovered during 2012 Midas drilling, which was named the Hidden Fault Zone ("HFZ") due to its lack of exposure. The drill holes targeted a gap in drilling along the projected trace of the structure. This area was modeled as inferred mineral resources in the 2014 PFS and was estimated to have a grade of 1.3g/t gold, but fell within the boundaries of the reserve pit. As a result, the inferred mineral resources were treated as waste rock in the PFS mine plan and financial model, having a negative impact on strip ratio and Project economics.
The HFZ structure, which has been systematically drilled over an approximately 1km length, is open to the northeast of the drilled area and southwest of the current limits of the Yellow Pine Deposit. It is located along a distinctive topographic linear that extends for several km in both directions beyond the deposit area. The zone is marked by extensive multi-stage brecciation, silicification, and gouge development. The granodiorite and granite intrusive host rocks show pervasive illite alteration of feldspars and micas and potassium feldspar flooding along with sulphide replacement of biotite.
DDH MGI-16-413
Extensive drilling by prior operators and Midas Gold indicates the presence of mineralization to the northeast of the Yellow Pine deposit, but on the east side of the Meadow Creek Fault Zone ("MCFZ"). Unlike the Yellow Pine deposit, which lies to the west of the MCFZ, the mineralization in this area is hosted in sediments, not intrusive rocks. Both narrow structurally controlled high grade and broadly disseminated lower grade gold mineralization occur locally in the metasedimentary package southeast of, adjacent to, and within, the MCFZ and other structural corridors. Mineralization in the metasediments in this area occurs in a package of altered carbonate rocks lying between two quartzite packages and is associated with vuggy silica veining, silica flooding and silica cemented breccia material. Breccia and silica flooding fabrics in the mineralized zones have variable orientations and the lack of good geological control due to negligible outcrop exposure creates uncertainty in determining mineralized trends in the subsurface.
Midas Gold hole MGI-12-307, drilled in 2012, intercepted 49.4m grading 5.4g/t Au, including multiple consecutive samples assaying over 10 g/t Au, but falls below the PFS mineral reserve pit. Historic hole B-043 intercepted 14m grading 5.9g/t Au approximately 100m to the south of this intercept.
Recently completed hole MGI-16-413 was situated northeast of the intercept in hole B-043 and above hole MGI-12-307 and targeted shallower mineralization cut in scattered nearby Midas Gold and prior operator's drill holes. Alteration and sulphide mineralization in the hole occurs throughout the carbonate package and is localized in bedding parallel lenses and laminations, disseminated in small cross cutting breccia zones and/or localized quartz-carbonate microveinlets. Anomalous gold grades were intercepted in four zones that averaged between 0.17g/t and 0.70g/ over widths of 4-12m. While the mineralization and alteration intercepted were encouraging, additional work is required to better understand the controls on mineralization in this area of complex interaction between favourable stratigraphy, major and minor structures.
Details of the previous news releases, the Project and the Prefeasibility Study can be found filed under Midas Gold's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or at www.midasgoldcorp.com.
To view the locations of current drill holes, please see the figures at the end of this release.
Sampling Procedures, Quality Control and Quality Assurance
The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 ("NI43-101") and reviewed and approved by Stephen P. Quin, P. Geo., President and CEO of Midas Gold Corp., and a Qualified Person. The exploration activities at the Stibnite Gold Project were carried out under the supervision of Richard Moses, C.P.G., Qualified Person and Field Operations Manager for the Stibnite Gold Project. All gold assays are by a 30g Fire Assay charge followed by an atomic absorption finish (with a 0.005g/t lower reporting limit). Samples reporting values > 6g/t gold are re-analyzed using a 30g Fire Assay charge followed by a gravimetric finish. Silver is analyzed via a 4-acid digestion followed by an ICP finish (with a 0.5g/t lower reporting limit). Samples reporting values > 10g/t silver are reanalyzed using a 50g Fire Assay charge followed by a gravimetric finish. Antimony is analyzed via a 4-Acid digestion with ICP finish with a 5g/t lower reporting limit. Samples reporting values >500g/t antimony are reanalyzed using XRF fusion. Some intervals may not add or subtract correctly due to rounding, but are deemed insignificant. Analyses are carried out by ALS Chemex in their Reno and Elko, Nevada and Vancouver, British Columbia laboratories. Umpire samples are routinely submitted to third party labs and blank and standard samples are inserted at appropriate intervals and used for quality assurance and quality control and a review of the results of analyses of the blanks, standards and duplicates by the Company's Qualified Person indicates values are within normal and acceptable ranges.