Multiple Oxide Gold Drill Intercepts Near Surface From Scarlet North Target
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - Fortitude Gold Corp. reported multiple oxide gold drill intercepts at and near surface from the Scarlet North target along the Company's Isabella Pearl trend. The Scarlet North target is located just 700 meters northwest of the Isabella Pearl heap leach and process facility. Intercepts include 9.14 meters grading 2.33 grams per tonne (g/t) gold within 16.76 meters grading 1.58 g/t gold. The Company also released multiple rock chip surface samples from a new, undrilled target in the Scarlet North area, the highest assaying 2.24 g/t gold.
This reverse circulation drill program builds on the Company's previously released 2023 and 2024 drill results at the Isabella Pearl Scarlet North target, which included 50.29 meters grading 0.86 g/t gold from surface. This most recent Scarlet North drill program intercepted multiple intervals of oxide gold mineralization where a similar metallurgy to the nearby Isabella Pearl deposit is expected, whereby oxide gold ores can be processed using a standard heap leach process. The proximity of this mineralization would allow for a short haul distance to the Company's existing, nearby processing facilities. Drilling at Scarlet has identified several surface and near surface pods of mineralization that the Company continues to model for potential open pit mine scenarios.
"Scarlet North continues to return high-grade near surface oxide gold intercepts, moving us closer to an initial resource," stated Allan Turner, Vice President of Exploration. "Our exploration team also collected multiple rock chip surface samples from a new northeast target area at Scarlet North, with the highest assaying 2.24 g/t gold. These rock chip samples may be an indicator of gold mineralization expanding to the northeast at Scarlet North, which the Company plans to test with future drill programs. We look to define a potentially significant disseminated gold system over an extensive area at Scarlet North, with a goal to vector in on feeder structures while we move closer to an initial resource from which to expand upon."