VANCOUVER, BC, July 22,
2024 /CNW/ - Freegold Ventures Limited (TSX:
FVL) (OCTQX: FGOVF) ("Freegold" or the "Company") is pleased to
report initial results from the 2024 drill program. Thirteen holes
have been completed, with two more in progress. The 2024 drill
program is targeting the western extension as an area that holds
significant promise for higher grades closer to surface and at
depth. The presence of this higher-grade material, along with
promising ongoing metallurgical testwork, can potentially further
enhance the overall project economics. The focus for 2024 will be
on optimization, which will involve additional drilling, including
drilling large-diameter holes (PQ) to facilitate additional
metallurgical testwork.
Holes GS2401 was a vertical hole drilled to a depth of 946.1
meters to confirm the south-dipping nature of the mineralization.
The portions with higher grades to the west of Willow Creek consistently showed south-dipping
characteristics similar to those within the central portion of the
Dolphin-Cleary deposit.
Hole GS2402 was drilled at an azimuth of 315 degrees and with a
-50-degree dip. It was intended to refine the orientation of the
higher-grade mineralization in the western portion of the
Dolphin-Cleary deposit further. It started within the intrusive to
a depth of 130 metres before entering the schist unit, which
continued to the bottom of the hole.
HOLE
NUMBER
|
AZIMUTH
|
DIP
|
DEPTH
(M)
|
FROM
(M)
|
TO
|
INTERVAL
(M)
|
AU
|
(M)
|
G/T
|
GS2401
|
360
|
-90
|
946.1
|
331.3
|
355.7
|
24.4
|
0.99
|
|
|
|
|
495.9
|
544.7
|
48.8
|
0.90
|
|
|
|
|
692.1
|
758
|
65.9
|
4.63
|
including
|
|
|
|
755
|
758
|
3
|
85.9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GS2402
|
315
|
-50
|
751.6
|
71
|
83
|
12
|
0.96
|
|
|
|
|
431
|
483.9
|
52.9
|
0.68
|
|
|
|
|
545
|
590
|
45
|
5.51
|
including
|
|
|
|
581
|
584
|
3
|
67.0
|
|
|
|
|
604.4
|
620
|
15.6
|
3.74
|
|
|
|
|
667.9
|
713
|
45.1
|
1.18
|
The width refers to
drill hole intercepts; true width cannot be determined due to the
uncertain geometry of mineralization
|
Work is in progress on the updated mineral resource estimate by
an independent third party.
In 2023, the drill program at Golden Summit successfully
discovered higher-grade mineralization on the western side of the
existing resource. Building on this success, in 2024, the plan is
to continue drilling on the western portion of the Dolphin/Cleary
deposit and extend the drilling coverage further to the west. Three
distinct geochemical trends have been identified: two
south-southwest flanking trends and a clear east-west trend
spanning an additional 1.5 km. As Golden Summit is non-glaciated,
the surface geochemistry has proven to be an excellent indicator of
near-surface gold mineralization. The 2024 drill program aims to
explore these trends to identify higher-grade mineralization to
improve the overall resource grade before commencing with economic
studies. The current pit-constrained primary mineral resource at
Golden Summit (Feb. 2023), using a
$1,792 gold price and a 0.45 g/t
cut-off, is 12,011,000 oz @ 0.92 g/t Au (407,544,000t) indicated
and 7,736,000 oz @ 0.85 g/t Au (282,303,000t) inferred.
A plan map showing the locations of the drill holes targeting
the area west of Willow Creek can be
found here:
https://freegoldventures.com/site/assets/files/6287/goldensummit_dolphin-cleary_resource_drilling_western_a.pdf
https://freegoldventures.com/site/assets/files/6287/gs2402_section.pdf
In addition to the ongoing drill program, metallurgical,
baseline environmental, cultural resource, and wetland studies are
underway.
A sample quality control/quality assurance program has been in
place throughout the program. Drill cores were cut in half using a
diamond saw, with one-half placed in sealed bags for preparation
and subsequent geochemical analysis by ALS Laboratories. Core
samples were prepared in ALS's facility using the PREP-31BY
package. Each core sample is crushed to better than 70 %, passing a
2 mm (Tyler 9 mesh, US Std. No.10) screen. A split of 1kg is taken
and pulverized to better than 85 % passing a 75-micron (Tyler 200
mesh, US Std. No. 200) screen; a portion of this pulverized split
is digested by Four Acid and analyzed via ICP-AES (method code
ME-ICP61). Fire Assay analyzes all samples with an AAS finish,
method code Au-AA23 (30g sample size) and over 10 g/t are
automatically assayed using a FA Grav method, Au-GRAV21. Additional
Au screening is performed using ALS's Au-SCR24 method; select samples are dry-screened to
100 microns. A duplicate 50g fire assay is conducted on the fine
fraction, and an assay is conducted on the entire oversize
fraction. Total Au content, individual assays, and weight fractions
are reported. Analytical and assay procedures are conducted in
ALS's North Vancouver and Reno
facilities.
A QA/QC program included laboratory and field standards inserted
every ten samples. Blanks are inserted at the start of the
submittal, and at least one blank every 25 standards.
The Qualified Person for this release is Alvin Jackson, P.Geo., Vice President of
Exploration and Development for Freegold, who has approved the
scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.
About Freegold Ventures Limited
Freegold is a TSX-listed company focused on exploration in
Alaska. It holds the Golden Summit
Gold Project near Fairbanks and
the Shorty Creek Copper-Gold Project near Livengood through
leases.
Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking
information, including, without limitation, statements as to
planned expenditures and exploration programs, potential
mineralization and resources, exploration results, the completion
of an updated NI 43-101 technical report, and any other future
plans. These statements address future events and conditions and,
as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other
factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or
achievements to be materially different from any future results,
performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the
statements. Such factors include, without limitation, the
completion of planned expenditures, the ability to complete
exploration programs on schedule, and the success of exploration
programs. See Freegold's Annual Information Form for the year ended
December 31st, 2023, filed under
Freegold's profile at www.sedar.com, for a detailed discussion of
the risk factors associated with Freegold's operations. On
January 30, 2020, the World Health
Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global health
emergency. Reactions to the spread of COVID-19 continue to lead to,
among other things, significant restrictions on travel, business
closures, quarantines, and a general reduction in economic
activity. While these effects have been reduced in recent months,
the continuation and re-introduction of significant restrictions,
business disruptions, and related financial impact, and the
duration of any such disruptions cannot be reasonably estimated.
The risks to Freegold of such public health crises also include
employee health and safety risks and a slowdown or temporary
suspension of operations in geographic locations impacted by an
outbreak. Such public health crises, as well as global geopolitical
crises, can result in volatility and disruptions in the supply and
demand for various products and services, global supply chains, and
financial markets, as well as declining trade and market sentiment
and reduced mobility of people, all of which could affect interest
rates, credit ratings, credit risk, and inflation. As a result of
the COVID-19 outbreak, Freegold has implemented a COVID management
program and established a full-service Camp at Golden Summit to
attempt to mitigate risks to its employees, contractors, and
community. While the extent to which COVID-19 may impact Freegold
is uncertain, it is possible that COVID-19 may have a material
adverse effect on Freegold's business, results of
operations, and financial condition.
SOURCE Freegold Ventures Limited