Mr. Derek White reports
ASCOT EXPANDS DAY ZONE MINERALIZATION 400 METRES TO THE SOUTH WITH STEP-OUT DRILL HOLE
Ascot Resources Ltd. has released additional assay results from exploration drill holes from the 2021 drill program at the company's Premier gold project (PGP). This release summarizes assays from the first drill hole at the Day zone near the Big Missouri deposit and the balance of drill results from near the Premier deposit. Importantly, the new drill hole at the Day zone has expanded mineralization approximately 400 metres to the south.
Highlights from the drill results include:
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4.13 grams per tonne gold and 3.5 g/t silver over 2.46 metres from 291 m depth in hole P21-2331, including 7.73 g/t Au and 4.1 g/t Ag over 0.96 m at the Day zone;
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17.05 g/t Au and 43 g/t Ag over 0.70 m from 51 m depth in hole P21-2323 in the area west of the Premier deposit.
This release summarizes the results from 10 surface drill holes west of the Premier deposit and one drill hole south of the Day zone, for a total of 2,795 m completed from four drill pads. As the winter season and snow accumulation has begun at site, drilling activities have wrapped up for the 2021 season. A total of 18,074 metres were drilled from surface. The 2021 drill program originally planned for 25,000 metres; however, permit delays restricted the start of underground drilling. Assay results for a total of 57 holes and 10,875 metres of drilling are still pending from the Woodbine target, the Day zone, the Big Missouri deposit and the Sebakwe target.
Derek White, president and chief executive officer of Ascot, commented: "Since its initial discovery last year and through very modest amounts of additional drilling, the Day zone has quickly evolved into one of our most prospective targets for potential resource growth near planned development. This is especially important for our strategy to increase mine life given the Day zone's proximity to the Big Missouri and Silver Coin deposits, which will be exploited in the early years of our mine plan. The 400-metre stepout hole to the south of the Day zone highlights the size potential of this area, and we eagerly await assay results from an additional seven holes drilled from the same pad.
"Assay results have taken much longer to process this year. We are looking forward to
assays from both Big Missouri and Sebakwe, where visible gold was observed in drill core. As the company continues to work with provincial permitting regulators, we look forward to getting final permits to progress development and underground drilling."
Day zone target
The Day zone, initially discovered in 2020 (see news releases dated Sept. 14, 2020, Nov. 19, 2020, and Jan. 18, 2021), is located on the western side of the Big Missouri Ridge, approximately five kilometres north of the Premier mill. Given the high-grade intercepts encountered in this area and its proximity to Big Missouri the first deposit to be exploited in the company's mine plan the Day zone is one of the most compelling targets for resource growth and potential mine life extension. The Day zone is located just 300 m west of reserve stopes at Big Missouri, and mineralization remains open to the north and south.
The first assay results from the Day zone drilling program in 2021 come from a 400 m southern stepout hole. Hole P21-2331 intercepted 4.13 g/t Au and 3.5 g/t Ag over 2.46 m starting at a depth of 291 m. Gold mineralization was intercepted at four different elevations that roughly correspond to known elevations of mineralization elsewhere at Big Missouri. The new drill hole is exploring an area of sparse geological information very close to the planned development drift from the Big Missouri deposit to the Silver Coin deposit. Additional drill holes from the same pad have been completed in order to establish the orientation of mineralization in this area. Assays from these holes are pending and will be reported as they become available. The 400 m of strike extent between hole P21-2331 and the Day zone drill holes reported in the past year will be investigated in order to establish continuity of mineralization. The mineralization at the Day zone has now been intercepted over a combined strike length of 550 m and remains open to the north and to the south.
DAY ZONE DRILL RESULTS
Hole From To Width Au Ag
No. (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t)
P21-2331 42.53 43.98 1.45 1.49 1.8
and 140.95 141.95 1.00 0.99 0.8
and 291.15 293.61 2.46 4.13 3.5
incl. 291.15 292.11 0.96 7.73 4.1
and 354.15 355.12 0.97 1.55 1.1
Note
The orientation of mineralization in this area is not sufficiently well
understood to predict true width.
Premier deposit drilling
Earlier in the 2021 drill season, Ascot started surface drilling at lower elevations in the area west of the Premier deposit and near the mill building (see news releases dated July 8, 2021, and Aug. 9, 2021). Following up on the previously reported 50-metre stepout hole to the west of the existing resource at Northern Light, which intercepted 21.13 g/t Au over 7.0 m in hole P21-2320, a further 10 holes totalling 2,404 m were drilled along the implied extension of that limb.
The new drill holes were completed in an area with no previous drilling, targeting the projected extension of the Northern Light zone at Premier. One additional high-grade intercept was encountered in hole P21-2323 that intercepted 17.05 g/t Au and 43 g/t Ag over 0.70 m at the edge of a Tertiary dike in the overlying Betty Creek formation.
Drill holes 2321, 2322, 2323 and 2324 intercepted sulphide mineralization in quartz breccia with highly anomalous gold values at roughly the expected depth without duplicating the spectacular results from drill hole 2320 a little farther east. The next three drill holes did not return any significant results while drill holes 2328 and 2330 intercepted anomalous gold again. Both holes were drilled at a very steep dip and the results suggest that the mineralization may trend farther to the north rather than the west as anticipated. This area of the deposit is concealed by younger volcanic cover and geological information is obtained exclusively from drill holes. Additional work in the future will be designed to establish the correct trace of the main trend of mineralization and its potential connection to the intercepts farther west reported earlier in the year. The hydrothermal system appears to extend to the west of the established resource areas offering exciting potential for additional discoveries very close to the mine infrastructure.
PREMIER DEPOSIT DRILL RESULTS
Hole From To Width Au Ag
No. (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t)
P21-2321 184.55 185.60 1.05 2.36 23.3
P21-2322 152.00 153.00 1.00 0.71 11.2
P21-2323 51.05 51.75 0.70 17.05 43.3
and 146.75 147.75 1.00 0.62 22.5
P21-2324 156.10 158.00 1.90 0.21 2.1
P21-2325 no significant intercept
P21-2326 no significant intercept
P21-2327 no significant intercept
P21-2328 215.16 219.16 4.00 0.56 1.2
P21-2329 no significant intercept
P21-2330 199.85 200.85 1.00 0.45 1.8
Note: True widths are anticipated to be 70 to 90 per cent of reported intervals.
Qualified person
Lawrence Tsang, PGeo, the company's senior geologist provides the field management for the PGP exploration program. John Kiernan, PEng, chief operating officer of the company, is the company's qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release.
Quality assurance/quality control
Analytical work is being carried out by ALS. Ascot's quality assurance and quality control program includes the use of analytical blanks to monitor for cross-contamination, certified reference material standards to assess analytical accuracy and duplicate samples to quantify sampling precision. This is in addition to the internal quality assurance program employed by ALS.
Samples are dried and weighed by ALS. They are then crushed to 75 per cent passing two millimetres, with 250 grams split and pulverized to 85 per cent passing 75 micrometres. Samples are processed at the ALS preparation lab in Terrace and sent to ALS in North Vancouver for analysis. There, all samples are digested using aqua regia with an ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy) finish and fire assay with AA (atomic absorption) finish for gold. Samples over 100 parts per million silver are digested with aqua regia and then volumetrically diluted before an ICP-AES or AA finish (up to 1,500 parts per million). Samples over 1,500 parts per million silver are fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Samples over 10 parts per million gold are fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Identified or suspected metallic gold or silver are subjected to metallics assays. Sampling and storage are located at the company's secure facility in Stewart.
About Ascot Resources Ltd.
Ascot is a Canada-based junior exploration and development company focused on restarting the formerly producing Premier gold mine, located in British Columbia's prolific Golden Triangle. Concurrent with progressing the development of Premier, the company continues to successfully explore its properties for additional high-grade underground resources. Ascot is committed to the safe and responsible development of Premier in partnership with Nisga'a Nation, as outlined in the benefits agreement.
We seek Safe Harbor.
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