Oxide Mineralization Within North Extension Target North Of Atlanta Pit
VANCOUVER - Nevada King Gold Corp. reported on reverse circulation (RC) holes recently completed within the North Extension Target (NET) at its Atlanta Gold Mine Project, located in the Battle Mountain Trend 264km northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The program outlines an area of shallowly hosted oxide gold mineralization spanning 250m long x 250m wide located approximately 600m north of the historic Atlanta Pit, along the northerly-trending Atlanta Mine Fault Zone (AMFZ). This mineralization occurs within the overall NET target area, which was originally identified through limited historical drilling, but was not pursued through more detailed drilling due to low grades and lean thicknesses.
The Company’s intercept of 8.26 g/t Au over 9.1m within 4.64 g/t Au over 18.3m in AT21-003 was the first high-grade intercept at this target and transformed the Company's interpretation of the NET's potential. Subsequent intercepts including 1.67 g/t Au over 24.4m in AT22NS-13 and 1.83 g/t Au over 21.3m in AT22NS-15 further expanded the interpreted envelope of higher-grade "core" mineralization localized along the AMFZ.
Mineralization occurs along a gently west-dipping horizon developed at the contact between basal Ordovician age dolomite and overlying Tertiary age volcanics. This contact is vertically displaced 60m to 80m across the northerly-trending AMFZ with the west side down.
The highest grade intervals are found proximal to the AMFZ along a 50m-wide corridor centred on the fault zone, as demonstrated by 4.01 g/t Au over 21.3m in AT23NS-112. Gold grades tend to gradually decrease westward and eastward from the AMFZ, although high-grade does occur outside of this corridor at the intersection of secondary faults or feeders, including highlight hole AT23NS-109 grading 3.69 g/t Au over 13.7m, 100m west of the AMFZ.
Mineralization within the NET shows strong lateral continuity and remains open to the south, west, and east, where it gradually shallows east of AT23NS-127 and trends into the currently untested East Ridge Target. The Company will focus additional drilling near to and east of the AMFZ with the goal of expanding the resource to include this area, where grades and thicknesses may be shallow enough to support stripping in a potential mining scenario. NET mineralization is not included in the existing resource.
Cal Herron, Exploration Manager, said, "Sniffs of mineralization within the NET were found by past operators, but their drill patterns did not hit the higher-grade AMFZ, and consequently, the area was overlooked. By applying the Company's new geological model, Nevada King's drilling has consistently hit higher-grade mineralization by focusing on identifying and targeting the high-angle feeder faults responsible for channeling high-grade gold along the AMFZ. Similar to drilling conducted by the Company further south in and around the Atlanta Pit, applying the new geological model has proven key to unlocking the potential of the NET. The Company will continue to expand the gold zone eastward, westward, and southward in the coming months, paying particular attention to suspected high-angle structures adjacent to the AMFZ that might result in thicker and higher grade mineralization within the low grade horizon. It is important to note all mineralization within the NET is oxidized."