- Published: 24 August 2017
- Written by Editor
Nighthawk drills 145.75 m of 3.33 g/t Au at Colomac
Colomac drilling highlights
Zone 1.5:
- Hole C17-12B intersected 145.75 metres of 3.33 g/t Au (25.00 m true width), including 22.70 metres of 6.68 g/t Au and 10.80 metres of 12.19 g/t Au. This extends the mineralized zone an additional 50 metres north of previous intersections.
- A 40-degree rake to the higher-grade portion of the zone was modelled outlining the orientation of the mineralization, and was intersected by C17-12B; subsequent drilling has continued tracking the zone and results are forthcoming.
- Current drilling expanded the high-grade gold zone by at least a 200 metres in strike length, and to a vertical depth of 350 metres, and has confirmed that mineralization extends an additional 250 metres (down plunge) past the current resource (which remains open). This represents an order of magnitude step out for the deposit.
- Hole C17-08B intersected 34.75 metres of 3.12 g/t Au (15.00 m true width), including 10.40 metres of 7.48 g/t Au.
Zone 2.0:
- Hole C17-09B intersected 66.60 metres of 1.04 g/t Au (50.00 m true width), including 33.20 metres of 1.42 g/t Au. Hole C17-09C intersected 47.80 metres of 1.08 g/t Au (25.00 m true width), including 16.90 metres of 1.87 g/t Au, and including 6.70 metres of 3.61 g/t Au, revealing wide zones of continuous mineralization in association with the boundary between zone 1.5 and zone 2.0.
- Hole C17-10B intersected 86.30 metres of 1.45 g/t Au (30.00 m true width), including 23.30 metres of 1.98 g/t Au, and including 8.40 metres of 3.03 g/t Au.
- Current drilling has effectively infilled portions of the resource gap between the two zones showing a continuity of broad mineralization up to 300 metres in strike with early indications of higher-grade centres.
Note: All assays are uncut.
Dr. Michael Byron, president and chief executive officer, commented: "We have now reported on just over 9,000 metres of our planned 25,000-metre program, with all holes intersecting gold mineralization. We remain encouraged by the breadth of the mineralized zones that we continue to intersect, and are confident in our ability to continue tracing and expanding the high-grade mineralization at zone 1.5. The fact that it can now be accurately tracked and expanded, and that it maintains its higher-grade character, are both important features that will positively impact our upcoming resource estimate. Drilling will continue to develop the zone as well as test other priorities within the Colomac and Goldcrest sills, and recently generated regional targets. Results of that work will be reported once assays are received and verified."
COLOMAC DRILL RESULTS (UNCUT)
Hole From To Core length* Au
ID (metres) (metres) (metres) (g/t)
C17-08B 329.50 364.25 34.75 3.12
including 330.50 351.85 21.35 4.83
including 329.50 331.00 1.50 13.85
including 341.45 351.85 10.40 7.48
including 341.45 344.75 3.30 18.60
386.15 390.00 3.85 1.84
398.25 407.80 9.55 0.90
including 403.30 407.80 4.50 1.11
413.90 424.15 10.25 0.62
including 419.15 424.15 5.00 0.77
C17-09 219.00 239.50 20.50 1.12
including 219.00 230.60 11.60 1.33
including 219.00 222.50 3.50 3.12
including 238.00 239.50 1.50 3.92
249.20 254.20 5.00 1.29
260.20 263.60 3.40 0.78
C17-09B 253.00 257.30 4.30 0.93
283.20 349.80 66.60 1.04
including 283.20 290.00 6.80 1.38
including 294.70 349.80 55.10 1.06
including 313.60 346.80 33.20 1.42
including 310.70 314.30 3.60 3.87
including 337.60 346.80 9.20 2.27
363.00 381.20 18.20 1.74
including 369.50 377.00 7.50 3.33
C17-09C 320.00 333.20 13.20 1.00
including 325.50 333.20 7.70 1.22
including 328.70 333.20 4.50 1.88
380.60 428.40 47.80 1.08
including 380.60 397.50 16.90 1.87
including 381.40 391.00 9.60 2.85
including 383.50 390.20 6.70 3.61
including 413.00 417.00 4.00 1.20
including 424.20 428.40 4.20 1.13
481.00 487.00 6.00 1.86
including 483.70 487.00 3.30 3.02
C17-10 150.30 210.30 60.00 0.61
including 160.90 170.25 9.35 0.95
including 160.90 165.30 4.40 1.45
including 199.20 208.80 9.60 1.15
including 204.90 208.80 3.90 2.00
C17-10B 176.90 188.70 11.80 1.34
including 176.90 179.00 2.10 4.57
200.70 210.00 9.30 0.85
including 200.70 205.10 4.40 1.51
225.90 312.20 86.30 1.45
including 225.90 238.00 12.10 1.96
including 250.80 251.50 0.70 8.9
including 269.20 292.50 23.30 1.98
including 269.20 277.60 8.40 3.03
including 285.50 292.50 7.00 2.50
including 309.50 312.20 2.70 11.74
C17-12 109.15 111.25 2.10 1.20
C17-12B 173.50 319.25 145.75 3.33
including 176.50 282.60 106.10 3.40
including 181.40 218.25 36.85 3.99
including 180.90 190.80 9.90 4.61
including 196.80 220.75 23.95 4.27
including 196.80 203.85 7.05 7.42
including 213.75 220.75 7.00 4.77
including 213.75 219.40 5.65 5.54
including 229.75 238.00 8.25 3.47
including 236.50 238.00 1.50 13.81
including 255.40 278.10 22.70 6.68
including 267.30 278.10 10.80 12.19
including 267.30 269.50 2.20 50.67
including 297.60 319.25 21.65 5.53
297.60 305.00 7.40 15.23
including 297.60 299.85 2.25 38.11
383.50 389.50 6.00 4.49
* Lengths are reported as core lengths. True widths vary depending on
drill hole dip; most holes are laid out to intersect the sill close to
perpendicular therefore true widths are approximately 80 per cent of
core lengths.
Colomac zone 1.5
Drilling continues to confirm broad zones of high-grade gold mineralization when testing the zone down plunge and laterally. The resulting intercepts have extended the zone an additional 50 metres to the north and upward of 200 metres in strike. Mineralization has also been extended 250 metres below the current resource to a vertical depth of 350 metres, and remains open. This represents a key advancement for the deposit, and an opportunity for significant resource expansion.
Hole C17-12B, the steeper of a two-hole section, was drilled to test a potential extension of the zone north of all previous intersections, and beneath hole C14-05 (see press release dated Dec. 3, 2014), which defined the zone's northern, near-surface boundary. It was drilled at an 80-degree dip, to target the projected rake of the mineralization to the north, and intersected 145.75 metres of 3.33 g/t Au, including 22.70 metres of 6.68 g/t Au and 10.80 metres of 12.19 g/t Au, suggesting that the high-grade mineralization appears to have a shallow rake of about 40 degrees to the north. The shallower hole, C17-12, failed to intersect significant mineralization and is believed to have overshot the zone on this section. The same is true for hole C14-05, as it also intersected the sill above the high-grade portion.
Hole C17-08B, drilled near the northern margin of zone 1.5, tested the zone below C17-08 (see press release dated July 13, 2017). It intersected 34.75 metres of 3.12 g/t Au, including 10.40 metres of 7.48 g/t Au, and has extended the mineralization another 50 metres deeper on this section to almost 350 metres below surface.
Colomac zone 2.0
Holes C17-09, 09B, 09C and C17-010, and 10B bracketed holes C17-06, 06B, and 06C (see press release dated July 13, 2017), the first holes drilled into the resource gap between zones 1.5 and 2.0. These were laid out to test for the possible convergance of the two zones into a much larger higher-grade domain. The three C17-06 series holes intersected broad zones of gold mineralization, an indication that continuity exists between the zones and that the collective zone may ultimately extend upward of 350 metres in strike. The C17-09 holes were spotted 50 metres north of the C17-06 series, to probe the gap farther north. All holes generated strong intercepts, tracing the mineralization to 350 metres depth on the section as C17-09B returned 66.60 metres of 1.04 g/t Au, including 33.20 metres of 1.42 g/t Au, and C17-09C generated 47.80 metres of 1.08 g/t Au, including 16.90 metres of 1.87 g/t Au, and including 6.70 metres of 3.61 g/t Au.
Two holes drilled from the C17-10 set-up tested the gap almost 50 metres south of the C17-06 series holes. Hole C17-10B, the steeper of the two, intersected 86.30 metres of 1.45 g/t Au, including 23.30 metres of 1.98 g/t Au, and including 8.40 metres of 3.03 g/t Au, extending mineralization to almost 300 vertical metres from surface. Drilling to date within the gap has confirmed the existence of wide zones of gold mineralization associated with the boundary between zone 1.5 and zone 2.0, and provided some evidence of higher-grade cores. These higher-grade targets will be investigated in the upcoming drill program.
Technical information
Nighthawk has implemented a quality control program to comply with best practices in the sampling and analysis of drill core. Drill core samples were transported in security-sealed bags for analyses at ALS Chemex Assay Laboratory in Vancouver, B.C. ALS Chemex is an ISO 9001:2000-certified laboratory. Pulp and metallics assaying for gold was conducted on the entire pulverized sample.
As part of its QA/QC program, Nighthawk inserts external gold standards (low to high grade) and blanks every 20 samples in addition to the standards, blanks and pulp duplicates inserted by ALS Chemex.
About Nighthawk Gold Corp.
Nighthawk is a Canadian-based gold exploration company with 100-per-cent ownership of a district-scale land position within the Indin Lake greenstone belt, located approximately 200 kilometres north of Yellowknife, NWT, Canada. Nighthawk is focused on advancing the Colomac gold project with a current inferred resource of 2.1 million ounces of gold (39.8 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.64 grams per tonne), as well as advancing its other regional gold deposits and showings within this Archean gold camp.
The company has an experienced and dedicated team and is well financed to complete its goals and objectives over the next 18 to 24 months.
Qualified person
Dr. Michael J. Byron, PhD, PGeo, president and chief executive officer of Nighthawk, who is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for this project, has reviewed and approved of the technical disclosure contained in this news release. Please refer to NI 43-101 technical report "Technical Report and mineral resource estimate update on the Colomac Property of the Indin Lake Project," dated June 17, 2013, as filed under the company's profile on SEDAR.
