Northstar Expands Allied Syenite Gold Zone
Vancouver, B.C., January 13, 2022. Northstar Gold Corp. (CSE:NSG, NSGCF:OTCQB) (“Northstar” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce results from the Company’s Phase IIB drilling exploration program on its 100%-owned Miller Gold Property, situated 18 km southwest of Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
A total of 2,495m of drilling was completed in 14 holes on the Miller and Searles Properties between October 1 and November 27, 2021. Assay results for the first 3 of 6 drill holes (MG21-63, MG21-64 and MG21-65) targeting the Bulk Tonnage Allied Syenite Gold Zone*, have been received and confirm a 180 metre northwest extension from previous drilling. All 3 drill holes produced widely distributed anomalous gold grades, including occurrences of visible gold and tellurides over significant widths within the Allied Syenite.
The Bulk Tonnage Allied Syenite Gold Zone* has now been defined by drilling and surface sampling to encompass an area measuring 350 metres X 200 metres and remains open along strike to the northwest and southeast. Previous drilling in the Allied Syenite intersected 6.6 g/t Au over 117.0 metres, 1.4 g/t Au over 118.5 metres, and 1.2 g/t Au over 107.3 metres.
New discoveries of high-angle gold-copper zones at depth in holes MG21-64 (4.71 g/t Au, 0.51% Cu over 6.4 metres) within a segment of the Independence Fault Zone and MG21-65 (9.41 g/t Au, 1.03% Cu over 3.0 metres), adjacent to a sheared porphyry dike could represent structurally controlled sub-vertical feeder systems for gold-bearing hydrothermal fluids within the Allied Deformation Zone. Metallic screen results are pending for all holes.
Phase IIB Allied Gold Zone Drill Results for holes MG21-63, MG21-64 and MG21-65 are highlighted below:
MG21-63
- 0.91 g/t Au over 65.9m from 19m to 84.9m including 2.70 g/t Au, 0.1% Cu over 5.92m from 78.98m to 84.9m.
MG21-64
- 0.87 g/t Au over 81.5m from 76m to 157.5m including 4.71 g/t Au, 0.51% Cu over 6.4m from 151.1m to 157.5m.
MG21-65
- 0.90 g/t Au over 29.7m from 63.3m to 93m.
- 9.41 g/t Au, 1.03% Cu over 3.0m from 260m to 263m.
*The reader is reminded that the Allied Syenite Gold Zone is conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient evidence to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the exploration target being delineated as a mineral resource.
Figure 1. Bulk Tonnage Allied Syenite Gold Zone with Phase IIB Drilling Results
Initial Phase IIB Diamond Drill Hole Results
Between October 1 and November 27, 2021, Northstar diamond drilled a total of 2,495 metres in 14 holes, with 6 holes testing Allied Syenite Gold Zone extensions, 2 holes testing the recently discovered E Zone and 6 holes designed to upgrade a historic resource estimate on the recently optioned, adjacent Searles Property. Assay results for 3 holes on the Allied Syenite are reported herein. Assay results from the remaining drill holes are pending and will be reported when available.
Phase IIB diamond drilling intersected visible gold, tellurides and chalcopyrite over appreciable widths in drill holes MG21-63 (0.91 g/t Au over 65.9m), MG21-64 (0.87 g/t Au over 81.5m) and MG21-65 (0.90 g/t Au over 29.7m) along a 180 metre northwestern extension of the near-surface Allied Syenite Bulk Tonnage Gold Zone (Table 1, Figures 1 and 2*).
New Au-Cu Discoveries
Observations from drill holes MG21-63 and MG21-64 suggest the recently discovered Independence Fault is a broad sub-vertical, brittle deformation zone featuring abundant chlorite-quartz breccias with chalcopyrite mineralization and multiple occurrences of visible gold and tellurides, including an intercept of 4.71 g/t Au, 0.51% Cu over 6.4m from 151.1m to 157.5m in DDH MG21-64. Drill hole MG21-65, collared near the northeast contact of the Allied Syenite, intercepted syenite over 75 metres with multiple occurrences of gold and tellurides in quartz carbonate veins. Another new discovery of semi–massive pyrite with chalcopyrite was encountered over 3.6 metres (from 259.2 metres to 262.8 metres) in drill hole MG21-65 grading 9.41 g/t Au, 1.03% Cu over 3.0m between 260m to 263m within a larger halo of magnetite alteration, proximal to a feldspar porphyry dike contact.
These new gold-copper discoveries may represent sub-vertical feeders tapping a large magmatic-hydrothermal reservoir of gold-bearing hydrothermal fluids at depth within the Allied Deformation Zone. The host structures may possibly have significant strike lengths and constitute excellent exploration targets. Additional follow-up of these zones will be a priority in Phase III exploration as they remain open in all directions.
Metallic screen results are pending for all holes.
Pending Allied Syenite Results
Drill hole MG21-68 collared 35 metres southeast of drill hole MG21-64 intersected syenite, feldspar porphyry and multiple breccias with pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralization near the contact with the Allied Syenite, including the Independence Fault Zone at 89m depth.
Drill hole MG21-69 collared an additional 80 metres northwest of hole MG21-65 encountered quartz veining and quartz-chlorite breccias with anomalous pyrite and some tellurides associated with a swarm of sub vertical syenite and feldspar porphyry dikes within the Allied Deformation Zone.
Drill hole MG21-70 collared 35 metres southeast of hole MG21-47 (1.2 g/t Au over 107.3 metres from 4.7 metres to 112 metres) encountered anomalous pyrite mineralization between 45.5 metres and 124 metres depth with multiple quartz-chlorite breccias and occurrences of visible gold and tellurides. This includes a 9-metre-wide intercept of the Vein 1 zone from 99 metres to 108 metres depth with 4% chalcopyrite in blebs and stringers within a broad quartz-chlorite breccia. Numerous sub vertical fault breccias and quartz veins with visible gold and/or tellurides were intersected in the footwall of Vein 1 to the end of the hole at 385 metres depth.
While assays are pending for drill holes MG21-68, MG21-69 and MG21-70, initial drilling results from holes MG21-63, MG21-64 and MG21-65 indicate the presence of a significant near-surface bulk tonnage gold zone (Figures 1 and 2*) which remains open along strike and at depth.
Searles Drilling
A total of 365m of drilling was completed in 6 holes on the Searles Property in the Phase IIB drilling program. The primary objective of the program was to confirm historic drilling intersections on the Searles Property (1987)* that span a 330 metre strike length. Some of these include 96 g/t Au over 3 metres and 13.4 g/t Au over 2.3 metres at the west end, and 11.2 g/t Au over 2.4 metres at the east end. These results compliment subsequent 2014 and 2020 Northstar No. 1 Vein drill results on the adjoining Miller Gold Property that include 86.60 g/t Au over 0.5 metres, 18.06 g/t Au over 3.9 metres and 15.45 g/t Au over 2.0 metres to the west. Two exploration holes (S21-05 and S21-06) were also completed 55 metres southeast and 50 metres south of the highest-grade historic intercept. Assay results for the 6 drill holes in the Phase IIB drilling on the Searles Property are pending.
Figure 2. Longitudinal Section of Allied Syenite Gold Zone within the Allied Syenite
Allied Syenite Gold Zone Surface Sampling Program – Further Expansion
An additional 130 metre southeast expansion of the Allied Syenite Bulk Tonnage Gold Zone is supported by recently reported channel sampling results of an extensive surface stripping, mapping and sampling program (See Northstar News Release dated January 7, 2021). Channel sampling results of visible gold, tellurides and heavy disseminated pyrite mineralization in quartz veins and gossan over appreciable widths returned assays of 14.79 g/t Au over 7m and 6.44 g/t Au over 5m in stripped Area C1, and 1.17 g/t Au over 14m and 4.52 g/t Au over 4m in Area C2 east and southeast of the Allied Syenite respectively (Figure 1*).
The nature of the mineralization observed on surface is almost identical to what was observed in drilling within adjacent drill holes MG14-07 (1.04 g/t Au over 97 metres), MG14-12 (1.00 g/t Au over 102 metres) and MG20-49 (1.43 g/t Au over 118.5 metres) and likely represents a parallel surficial vein system to Veins 1 to 4 within the Allied Syenite Gold Zone, extending a minimum of 130 metres to the southeast of the main body of the Allied Syenite along a zone of feldspar porphyry diking. Anomalous gold values were obtained in channel and grab sampling in the mafic volcanics as much 30 metres away from the porphyry contact suggesting the potential for a broad zone of near surface gold mineralization surrounding the porphyry intrusives. The Phase IIB surface sampling program demonstrates that while the Allied Syenite Gold Zone is primarily associated with the Allied Syenite, it is not limited to the Allied Syenite and can extend into surrounding lithologies. The Allied Syenite Gold Zone remains open along strike and at depth.
*The reader is reminded that the Allied Syenite Gold Zone is conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient evidence to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the exploration target being delineated as a mineral resource.
Table 1. Gold Assay Results from Drill Holes MG21-63, 64 and 65 in the Allied Syenite
*Visible Gold or Tellurides
About the Miller Gold Property
Northstar’s flagship property is the 100% owned Miller Gold Property (“Miller”), situated 18 km southeast of Kirkland Lake and Kirkland Lake Gold’s Macassa SMC gold mine. The Miller Gold Property is highly prospective for the discovery of a large-scale, higher grade gold system similar to the deposits of the Kirkland Lake camps that produced over 24 M oz. of gold from 7 mines (Clark 2013). Geologically, Miller is believed to be a close analog to Kirkland Lake Gold’s Macassa SMC gold mine, given the numerous geological similarities. Both Miller and the newly discovered lower SMC at Macassa share the similar formation, age and minerization style (gold-telluride vein system with calaverite the main gold mineral). Both deposits are also located next to a First Order fault structure (Catharine Fault Zone at Miller Property and the Larder Break at Kirkland Lake) potentially sharing a gold enriched magmatic hydrothermal reservoir at depth.
The Miller Gold Property also hosts near-surface, lower-grade, syenite intrusive hosted bulk-tonnage mineralization (similar to Sigma/ Lamaque). Drilling to date has already yielded long intercepts (50 metres to 150 metres) of near surface, lower grade (0.5 to 1.5g/t) gold mineralization at two separate known Syenite intrusions (Allied, Planet) with a 100 metre wide stockwork zone in the Meilleur Syenite yielding 2.13 g/t Au over 13.05 metres in one exploration hole to date.
The recently completed Miller surface exploration and drill program was partially designed to confirm and expand a historical Miller-Independence mineral resource (NI:43-101 non-compliant 270k ozs (0.73Mt at 11.5 g/t Au on 37 drill holes)* to facilitate a future compliant resource estimate. This resource straddles the southern part of the Miller Gold Property and includes part of the newly optioned Searles Property.
*Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines Assessment report # OM87-6-L-239: AFRI file 32D04SW0265 "Mining and Geological Report on the 1987 Nortek Exploration Program" by Gordon B. French, President of French & Associates Inc., Highway 112, Tarzwell, Ontario.
A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify this historical estimate as a current mineral resource and the Company is not treating this historical estimate as a current mineral resource. The historical estimate cannot be fully verified. These values cannot and should not be relied upon and are only referred to herein as an indication of previously defined gold mineralization. In order to verify the estimate and to upgrade to NI 43-101 compliant categories, the historical area would need to be re-drilled with updated sampling procedures put in place.
The Kirkland District is being explored by major and junior gold companies with recent and pending consolidation transactions. Northstar spent $2 million in exploration at Miller in 2020, resulting in the expansion / discovery of four new high-grade vein structures (Vein 1, 2, 3 and 4) and the near-surface bulk-tonnage Allied Gold Zone. Northstar completed a 1,990-metre Phase IIA follow up diamond drill program at Miller in late April, 2021, focused primarily on testing outboard GoldSpot AI gold-in-syenite geophysical targets.
Northstar recently reported results from an extensive 2021 Miller Gold Property surface stripping, mapping and sampling program that further expanded the Allied Syenite Gold Zone 130 metres to the east and southeast. The Allied Syenite Gold Zone has now been defined by drilling and surface sampling to encompass an area measuring 350 metres X 200 metres and remains open along strike to the northwest and southeast. Previous drilling in the Allied Syenite intersected 6.6 g/t Au over 117.0 metres, 1.4 g/t Au over 118.5 metres, and 1.2 g/t Au over 107.3 metres.
The Company is currently awaiting assay results from a recently completed 14 hole, 2,495 metre, 2021 Phase IIB drill program which appears to have significantly expanded the Bulk Tonnage Allied Syenite Gold Zone.
Quality Control
Samples collected in the 2021 surface exploration program and Phase IIB drilling program are being delivered to ALS Global in Timmins, Ontario for preparation and assayed for gold by ALS Global in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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 and surface samples, 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 and surface samples were submitted to ALS Global at their Timmins, Ontario facility for sample preparation where the entire sample was crushed to better than 90% passing 2mm, 1kg riffle split and pulverized to 95% passing 106 microns. Pulps are forwarded to ALS Global in Vancouver, British Columbia for analyses. Gold analyses are obtained via industry standard fire assay with ICP 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 analyzed for 48 trace and major elements by ICP-MS following a four-acid digestion. ALS Global are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited (Lab No. 579) for the preparation and analyses performed on the Miller Gold samples.
Qualified Person
Trevor Boyd, PhD, P.Geo., a ‘Qualified Person’ (Q.P.) as defined under Canadian National Instrument NI 43-101, has reviewed technical aspects of this news release.
About Northstar Gold Corp
Northstar’s flagship property is the 100% owned Miller Gold Property, situated 18 km southeast of Kirkland Lake and Kirkland Lake Gold’s Macassa SMC gold mine. The Kirkland District is being explored by major and junior gold companies with recent and pending consolidation transactions. Northstar completed property wide integrated geophysics and 28 hole, 5,023 metre Phase I diamond drill programs on the Miller Property in 2020, resulting in the expansion / discovery of four new high-grade vein structures (Vein 1, 2, 3 and 4) and the near-surface bulk-tonnage Allied Gold Zone. More recently, Northstar completed a 14 hole, 2,495 metre Phase IIB diamond drill program at Miller on November 27th, 2021, following up a previous 8 hole, 1,990 metre Phase IIA drill program completed in late April, 2021. An enhanced 2021 Miller surface exploration stripping, mapping and sampling program was also completed at Miller this Fall. The Company continues to experience assay delays and complications and will report all results as they come available.
Northstar has 3 additional 100%-owned exploration projects in northern Ontario, including the recently acquired 1,200 ha Rosegrove Property situated 0.5 km from the Miller Gold Property, the 4,500 ha Bryce Property, an intrusive-gold / PME VMS project located along the projected east extension of the Ridout Break, and the recently expanded Temagami-Milestone Cu-Ni-Co Property located in Strathcona Township. Northstar is advancing all 3 properties to the NI 43-101 Technical Report stage to maximize geological understanding, increase investor awareness and optimize monetization opportunities.
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.
Northstar Expands Allied Syenite Gold Zone and Makes New Au-Cu Discoveries at Miller Gold Property