Mawson Defines Two New Areas in First Winter Drilling Results from Finland Drills 70.3 m @ 1.6 g/t AuEq at The Hut and 1.5 m @ 19.6 g/t AuEq at Joki East
Highlights:
– Results are presented for two new discovery areas: The Hut and Joki East, that are located outside and adjacent to current resource areas at Rajapalot (Figure 1);
– At Joki East, a blind discovery made by Mawson in late 2020, high grade mineralization has been drilled at the shallowest levels yet found;
>Drill hole PAL0252 intersected 5 metres @ 18.1 g/t Au, 1,696 ppm Co, 19.6 g/t AuEq from 117.1 metres;
>Mineralization at Joki East now extends over 225 metres down plunge and 30-40 metres across strike with mineralization open up- and down-plunge;
– A new discovery has been drilled in PAL0259 at The Hut prospect and delivers the thickest mineralized zone drilled to date at Rajapalot;
>Drill hole PAL0259 intersected 3 metres @ 0.9 g/t Au, 828 ppm Co, 1.6 g/t AuEq from 95.8 metres (no lower cut-off applied);
- Including 23.3 metres @ 1.2 g/t Au, 1,035 ppm Co, 2.1 g/t AuEq from 100.7 metres;
- Including 14.4 metres @ 0.6 g/t Au, 1,531 ppm Co, 1.9 g/t AuEq from 126.3 metres;
- Including 2.4 metres @ 3.9 g/t Au, 747 ppm Co, 4.6 g/t AuEq from 143.3 metres;
- Including 7.0 metres @ 1.1 g/t Au, 31 ppm Co, 1.2 g/t AuEq from 159.0 metres;
>Drill hole PAL0263, drilled 70 metres down plunge and north of PAL0259, intersected:
- 6 metres @ 1.2 g/t Au and 98 ppm Co (1.3 g/t AuEQ) from 103.0 metres;
including 2.7 metres @ 5.0 g/t Au, 264 ppm Co, 5.3 g/t AuEq from 104.8 metres;
- 3 metres @ 2.3 g/t Au, 26 ppm Co, 2.3 g/t AuEq from 121.5 metres;
- 2 metres @ 1.1 g/t Au, 256 ppm Co, 1.3 g/t AuEq from 222.3 metres;
including 2.0 metres @ 4.3 g/t Au, 170 ppm Co, 4.4 g/t AuEq from 227.3 metres;
>Drill hole PAL0269, drilled 50 metres north-west from PAL0263 intersected:
- 15 metres @ 1.0 g/t Au, 307 ppm Co, 1.3 g/t AuEq from 195.9 metres;
including 6.0 metres @ 2.1 g/t Au, 501 ppm Co, 2.5 g/t AuEq from 198.9 metres; and
- 0 metres @ 3.1 g/t Au, 13 ppm Co, 3.1 g/t AuEq from 219.4 metres
- In total, since drilling commenced in September 2020, Mawson has drilled 76 drillholes for 19,422 metres. A total of 15 holes for 4,478 metres are presented here; and
A total of 50 drill holes for 12,600 metres from 5 individual prospect areas remain to be reported through to June 2021, with a resource upgrade scheduled for July 2021.
Mr. Hudson, Chairman and CEO, states, "After an active few months in the field, this is a strong start, delivering both high grades and thick gold-cobalt mineralization on new discoveries close to our already defined resource areas. These results show the potential to substantially grow the Rajapalot resource and we highly anticipate the additional results from 50 drill holes that will be reported from five individual prospect areas over the coming months.”
The Hut and Joki East are located 500 metres and 1,500 metres respectively from the closest resource areas (Figure 1). Gold and cobalt assay results are reported here from 15 holes for 4,478 metres from the 2020/21 drill program, which is now complete. In total, since drilling commenced in September 2020, Mawson has drilled 76 drillholes for 19,422 metres. Eleven holes for 2,345 metres were reported in late 2020 (Table 1). Drilling with 4 rigs ramped up through February and March 2021. With the snow melt commencing in late March, the winter program drilling was completed just short of the planned 20,000 metres. A total of 50 drill holes for 12,600 metres from five individual prospect areas remain to be reported through to June 2021, with a resource upgrade scheduled for July 2021. Specifically, holes released here are from Joki East (PAL0249-254) and The Hut (PAL0255-257, PAL0259-260, PAL0263, PAL0265 and PAL0269). A full set of reported results is shown in Table 2.
Technical and Environmental Background
Four diamond drill rigs from Kati Oy, Nivalan Timanttikairaus Oy and MK Core Drilling Oy all with water recirculation and drill cuttings collection systems are used in the drill program. Core diameter is NQ2 (50.7 mm). Core recoveries are excellent and average close to 100% in fresh rock. After photographing and logging in Mawson’s Rovaniemi facilities, core intervals averaging 1 metre for mineralized samples and 2 metres for barren samples are cut in half at the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) core facilities in Rovaniemi, Finland. The remaining half core is retained for verification and reference purposes. Analytical samples are transported by commercial transport from site to the CRS Minlab Oy facility in Kempele, Finland. Samples were prepared and analyzed for gold using the PAL1000 technique which involves grinding the sample in steel pots with abrasive media in the presence of cyanide, followed by measuring the gold in solution with flame AAS equipment. Samples for multi-element analysis (including cobalt) are pulped at CRS Minlab, then transported by air to the MSA labs in Vancouver, Canada and analyzed using four acid digest ICP-MS methods. The QA/QC program of Mawson consists of the systematic insertion of certified standards of known gold content, duplicate samples by quartering the core, and blanks the within interpreted mineralized rock. In addition, CRS inserts blanks and standards into the analytical process.
Spot gold and cobalt prices have been used to calculate AuEq values according to the following:
- Average gold price $1,599 per oz
- Average cobalt price $19.93 per pound
- Resulting in gold equivalent formula of AuEq g/t = Au g/t + (Co ppm/1,170).
The host rocks to the gold and cobalt mineralization comprise sulphides (pyrrhotite>>pyrite) with biotite-muscovite-chlorite schists and Mg-Fe amphibole-biotite-chlorite rocks. Veining and fracture fill minerals include pyrrhotite, magnetite and magnetite-pyrrhotite (+/- quartz, tourmaline). Retrograde chlorite after biotite, generations of secondary muscovite (“sericite”) and vein-controlled chlorite+/- tourmaline and magnetite are also present. Preliminary hand-held XRF analysis confirms the presence of associated scheelite and molybdenite, the former visible under UV light as tiny veinlets and disseminations. The silicate mineral alteration assemblages associated with the gold are clearly post-metamorphic, reduced, and most likely driven by hydrothermal fluids from nearby granitoid intrusions. Chlorite and fine muscovite are regarded as the lowest temperature silicate minerals with gold, structurally controlled in apparent spatial association with quartz and/or K-feldspar veins. Altered rocks enclosing the mineralized package contain locally abundant talc and tourmaline.
All maps have been created within the KKJ3/Finland Uniform Coordinate System (EPSG:2393).
Tables 1–2 provide collar and assay data. Assuming a predominant stratabound control, the true thickness of the mineralized interval is interpreted to be approximately 90% of the sampled thickness. Table 3 gives detailed individual assays of all intervals reported in this press release. Intersections are reported with a lower cut of 0.3 g/t AuEq over 2 metre lower cut, except where noted no lower cut was applied. No upper cut-off was applied, and higher-grade intersections use a 1.1 g/t AuEq lower cut over 2 metres.
The qualified person for Mawson’s Finnish projects, Dr. Nick Cook, Chief Geologist for Mawson and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining Metallurgy has reviewed and verified the contents of this release.
NI 43-101 Technical Report: On September 14, 2020, an updated resource estimation was completed by Rodney Webster of AMC of Melbourne, Australia, and Dr. Kurt Simon Forrester of Arn Perspective of Surrey, England. Each of Mr. Webster and Dr. Forrester are independent “qualified persons” as defined by NI 43-101. The NI 43-101 technical report is entitled “Rajapalot Property Mineral Resource Estimate NI 43-101 Technical Report” and dated September 14, 2020 (the “Updated Technical Report”). The Updated Technical Report may be found on the Company’s website at www.mawsongold.com or under the Company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are encouraged to read the entire Updated Technical Report.
Qualified Person
Dr. Nick Cook (FAusIMM), Chief Geologist for the Company, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure or Mineral Projects and has prepared or reviewed the preparation of the scientific and technical information in this press release.
About Mawson Gold Limited (TSX:MAW, FRANKFURT:MXR, OTCPINK:MWSNF)
Mawson Gold Limited is an exploration and development company. Mawson has distinguished itself as a leading Nordic Arctic exploration company with a focus on the flagship Rajapalot gold-cobalt project in Finland. Mawson also owns or is joint venturing into three high-grade, historic epizonal goldfields covering 470 square kilometres in Victoria, Australia and is well placed to add to its already significant gold-cobalt resource in Finland.
On behalf of the Board,
"Michael Hudson"
Michael Hudson, Chairman & CEO
Further Information
1305 – 1090 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, V6E 3V7
Mariana Bermudez (Canada), Corporate Secretary, +1 (604) 685 9316, info@mawsongold.com
In Europe:
Swiss Resource Capital AG
Jochen Staiger
Forward-Looking Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Although Mawson believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate, and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Mawson cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, capital and other costs varying significantly from estimates, changes in world metal markets, changes in equity markets, the potential impact of epidemics, pandemics or other public health crises, including the current pandemic known as COVID-19 on the Company’s business, timing and successful completion of planned drill programs and results varying from expectations, delays in obtaining results, equipment failure, unexpected geological conditions, local community relations, dealings with non-governmental organizations, delays in operations due to permit grants, environmental and safety risks, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Mawson’s most recent Annual Information Form filed on www.sedar.com. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Mawson disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.
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