ST. JOHNS, NL, Oct. 18, 2021 /CNW/ - Aurion Resources Ltd. (TSXV: AU) (OTCQX: AIRRF) ("Aurion" or the "Company") announces that B2Gold Corp. (TSX: BTO) has provided Aurion notice to exercise its option to acquire an additional 19% interest in the Finland Joint Venture (JV), taking its total interest to 70%.
The JV covers an area of approximately 331 square kilometres along the major crustal scale Sirkka Shear Zone in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt, and includes a number of discoveries such as Kutuvuoma (16.47 g/t Au over 11.0 m), Soretiavuoma (48 g/t Au over 1.1 m), Sinerm (0.54 g/t Au over 40.2 m), Kiekermaa (5.8 g/t Au over 5.0 m) and Kettukuusikko (4.33 g/t Au over 20.4 m). Furthermore, Rupert Resources' 4 million ounce Ikkari discovery is located immediately adjacent to the JV property.
B2Gold advises that since the inception of the agreement, dated January 13, 2016, it has completed over CAN$15 million in exploration expenditures, paid Aurion CAN$50,000 in cash and issued 550,000 B2Gold shares.
B2Gold also provided notice of its intention to sole fund all programs and budgets until completion of a Feasibility Study as required under the remaining option to acquire an additional 5% ownership interest, subject to its right to terminate sole funding at any time.
B2Gold is currently completing a 5,000-metre diamond drill program on the Kutuvuoma-Ikkari corridor as well as base of till and trenching programs on a number of targets in the eastern part of the JV property.
"Aurion highly values the opportunity to work alongside a company of B2Gold's caliber who has a strong track record in exploration, development and mining, and we are pleased that our co-operation continues," commented Matti Talikka, Aurion's CEO. "The B2Gold team has already made several discoveries on the JV property and their commitment is a testament to the world class potential for significant discoveries within the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt."
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