Harte Gold Announces Completion of 2017 Drill Program and Exploration Update

TORONTO, Jan. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HARTE GOLD CORP. (“Harte Gold” or the “Company”) (TSX:HRT) (OTC:HRTFF) (Frankfurt:H4O) is pleased to provide an update on recent drilling completed on the Company’s 100% owned Sugar Zone Project. 

Highlights:

• A total of 138,000 meters were drilled in 2017, predominantly at the Sugar and Middle Zones to define and upgrade the mineralized envelope.
• Sugar Zone drilling continues to demonstrate ore body continuity with recent results, returning 15.81 g/t over 2.14 meters in SZ-17-226W4.
• Deep drilling southwest of the Sugar Zone continues to expand mineralization, returning 9.03 g/t over 2.43 meters in SZ-17-230.
• Drilling at the Middle Zone expands mineralization at depth, with drill hole WZ-17-107W3 returning 4.83 g/t over 3.35 meters.
• The Company announces a new gold discovery, the K7 Zone, where an initial drill hole has returned a 5 meter intersection grading up to 1 g/t within an altered feldspar porphyry 200 meters below surface.  This host rock is different than the classic Sugar Zone quartz shear zone and the Company believes it has greater potential for large tonnages.  The K7 Zone is located approximately 10 kilometers south of the Sugar Zone deposit on strike of the mineralized trend that includes the Wolf, Middle, Sugar and Lynx Zones.  Follow up drilling will resume immediately on this target.
• P&E Mining Consultants Inc. have been engaged to prepare a National Instrument (“NI”) 43-101 compliant resource estimate, targeting early Q1 2018 for release (the “2018 Resource Update”), incorporating:
  • Upper Sugar Zone (<500 meters), targeting the Measured and Indicated Resource Categories;
  • Sugar Zone Deep (500 to 1,000 meters), targeting the Inferred Resource Category; and
  • Middle Zone, targeting the Indicated and Inferred Resource Categories.
• The Company will complete an NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) based on the 2018 Resource Update incorporating the Sugar Zone and Middle Zone areas.  The Company will also complete a Technical Report for the Upper Sugar Zone outlining the mine plan and economics.
• A significant 80,000 meter drill program is planned for 2018 utilizing six to eight drill rigs to further define new discoveries at the Lynx, Moose, K7 and Wolf Zones, as well as test new target areas such as the Eagle Zone, with VMS style deposit potential.
• Construction continues at site with the mill building scheduled for completion by the end of January.

NEAR MINE DRILLING AND EXPLORATION UPDATE

Sugar Zone: Infill and Step Out Drilling

(core intersection lengths approximate 80% true width, assay results are uncut, fire assay with metallic screen on samples >10 g/t)

Middle Zone: Infill and Step Out Drilling

(core intersection lengths approximate 80% true width, assay results are uncut, fire assay with metallic screen on samples >10 g/t)

Longitudinal Section: Sugar Zone, Middle Zone and Wolf Zone

A map accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3071349-6198-4d4b-a55e-1c7420446fd7

2018 RESOURCE AND TECHNICAL REPORT
Harte Gold is planning an updated resource estimate for the Sugar and Middle Zones incorporating results from additional drilling completed by the Company in 2017, expanding mineralization for the Sugar Zone at depth (to approximately 1,000 meters) and including mineralization at the Middle Zone.

George A. Flach, P. Geo., commented “Our 2017 drill program was successful in expanding Sugar Zone mineralization to over 1,000 meters, as well as demonstrating continuity along strike at both the Sugar and Middle Zones.  We will update our resource to reflect these zones of mineralization and continue to step out along strike and at depth where we believe mineralization continues.”

In parallel to the 2018 Resource Update, Harte Gold is preparing a PEA and updated mine plan incorporating Measured, Indicated and Inferred resources from both the Sugar Zone and Middle Zone deposits.  The basis for inputs into the study will be provided from the Company’s 70,000 tonne Advanced Exploration Bulk Sample program and the 30,000 tonne Phase I Underground Mine Development program.

Harte Gold will also prepare a Technical Report for Measured and Indicated resources from the upper 500 meters of the Sugar Zone that outlines the mine plan and economics of this part of the deposit.

2018 EXPLORATION PROGRAM
Harte Gold is planning an 80,000 meter drill program comprised of both regional and near mine exploration.

Regional Exploration
The Company has prioritized the following targets as high potential and included in the exploration drill program for 2018:

• The K7 Zone and other EM anomalies recently discovered;
• Fisher, Wolf, Lynx and Moose Zones – on strike of the Sugar Zone and exhibit similar characteristics to current mineralization;
• Marten Zone – located west of Lake Dayohessarah, identified as an IP anomaly, featuring host rock similar to the Barrick Hemlo mine; and
• Eagle Zone – located southwest of the Sugar Zone, identified in property-wide geophysics surveying as a strong electromagnetic anomaly with VMS potential.

Near Mine Drilling
Step out and infill drilling is planned for the Sugar and Middle Zones for 2018. 

The Company believes there is strong potential for convergence of the Sugar and Middle zones below 1,000 meters and a step out drill program has been developed to test this assumption.  Drilling will test mineralization of the Sugar Zone at depths, below 1,000 meters (“Sugar Zone Deep Exploration”) and extensions to known mineralization at the North and South (the “North and South Extensions”).

Infill drilling will continue at the Sugar Zone below 500 meters and at the Middle Zone with the goal of upgrading the Inferred resource to the Measured and Indicated categories.

2018 Exploration Program – Regional Exploration

A map accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5d35b4cc-13ef-4748-8769-d89b3f8773c0

2018 Exploration Program – Near Mine Drilling

A map accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/56458bbb-188c-416a-922c-6127962dbd3a

About Harte Gold Corp.
Harte Gold Corp. is focused on the exploration and development of its 100% owned Sugar Zone property where it has recently completed a 70,000 tonne Advanced Exploration Bulk Sample at the Sugar Zone Deposit and mined 30,000 tonnes under its Phase I Production Permit. The Sugar Zone property is located 80 kilometres east of the Hemlo Gold Camp. The Preliminary Economic Assessment dated July 12, 2012, contains an Indicated Resource of 980,900 tonnes, grading 10.13 g/t for 319,280 ounces of contained gold (uncapped) and an Inferred Resource of 580,500 tonnes, grading 8.36 g/t Au for 155,960 ounces of contained gold (uncapped). The mineral resource was prepared in compliance with NI 43-101 guidelines.  George A. Flach, P. Geo., Independent Consultant, is the Qualified Person for Harte Gold and has prepared, supervised the preparation, or approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.  Harte Gold also holds the Stoughton-Abitibi property located on the Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone adjacent and on strike of the Holloway Gold Mine.

QA/QC Statement
The company has implemented a quality assurance and control (“QA/QC”) program to ensure sampling and analysis of mine and exploration work is conducted in accordance with industry standards. Drill core is sawn in half with one half of the core shipped to Actlabs Laboratories located in Thunder Bay, ON, while the other half is retained at the Company’s core facilities in White River for future verification. Certified reference standards and blanks are inserted into the sample stream on a regular interval basis and monitored as part of the QA/QC program. Gold analysis is performed by fire assay using atomic absorption, gravimetric or pulp metallic finish.

The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Longitudinal Section: Sugar Zone, Middle Zone and Wolf Zone 2018 Exploration Program – Regional Exploration 2018 Exploration Program – Near Mine Drilling