i-80 Gold Corp. (TSX: IAU) (OTCQX: IAUCF) has received positive results from initial drilling to test the down-dip potential of the Ogee Zone, the primary target for near-term development at the company’s Granite Creek Property including Granite Creek in Nevada.
The ongoing surface and underground drill programme at the Granite Creek located in Humboldt County is focused on defining mineralisation for mining and to complete a revised resource estimate at the end of the ~30,000 metre drill programme.
Towards the end of 2021, underground drilling platforms were completed so that drilling could commence to test the expansion opportunity of the Ogee Zone that is expected to provide the bulk of mineralisation to be mined in the next twelve months.
Initial drilling is primarily focused on defining mineralisation immediately below existing mine workings.
Drilling in 2022 is continuing to focus on further expansion in the area between the bottom level of the mine workings and the deepest hole drilled by i-80 so far to test the Ogee Zone depth extension (from surface), iGS21-15, that intersected multiple high-grade mineralised horizons including 13.3 g/t Au over 13.1 m, 20.3 g/t Au over 7.5 m and 10.1 g/t Au over 17.5 m.
Highlight results from 2021 underground drilling at Granite Creek:
- iGU21-35: 19.3 g/t Au over 5.1 m (0.56 opt – 16.7 ft) & 14.4 g/t Au over 3.7 m (0.42 opt – 12.1 ft)
- iGU21-37: 27.7 g/t Au over 12.6 m (0.81 opt – 41.3 ft) & 54.7 g/t Au over 5.9 m (1.59 opt – 19.4 ft)
- iGU21-38: 14.8 g/t Au over 3.8 m (0.43 opt – 12.5 ft)
- iGU21-39: 22.9 g/t Au over 6.4 m (0.67 opt – 21.0 ft) & 11.2 g/t Au over 11.1 m (0.33 opt – 36.4 ft)
The company is in the process of expanding the underground workings such that multiple headings are available for mining. The decline is being driven to depth and initial work is being performed to assess to potential to access the new South Pacific Zone located immediately below and to the north of the mine workings.
It is expected that first mineralization from the underground operation will be trucked to Twin Creeks for processing in mid-2022, pursuant to the agreement with Nevada Gold Mines, until such time that the company’s Lone Tree facility is operational.
“We are just in the initial phase of developing the Ogee Zone for mining and these results confirm the high‑grade nature of one of our primary underground targets at Granite Creek,” Senior Geologist, Tyler Hill, said.
“Our previously released surface drill hole, iGU21-15, intersected multiple high-grade zones within a broader intercept of 7.4 g/t Au across 73.2 metres at depth, demonstrating the substantial upside opportunity of multiple structures at depth that will complement the new South Pacific Zone.”
The Granite Creek Property is strategically located proximal to Nevada Gold Mines’ Turquoise Ridge and Twin Creeks mines at the north end of the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend, at its intersection with the Getchell gold belt in Nevada.
High-grade mineralization occurs in a near-identical geological setting as that at the multi-million-ounce Turquoise Ridge Mine located immediately to the north; proximal to a major regional fault (the Getchell or Range Front fault) on the eastern edge of the large Osgood Mountains intrusive complex.
The Granite Creek deposit remains open at depth and along strike from the existing underground workings and step-out drilling aimed at expanding resources is currently underway.
For further information please visit: https://www.i80gold.com/
