i-80 Gold Corp. has announced positive initial assay results from the ongoing underground drill program at its Granite Creek Property in Humboldt County, Nevada.
The company said high-grade results from drilling at the 4740 Level, targeting mineralization in the Otto and Adam Peak fault horizons proximal to and below existing mine workings, confirm consistency of mineralization in one of the initial areas being defined for underground mining.
When combined with historic high–grade drilling in this area that returned numerous high-grade results including 20.8 grams per ton (g/t) gold (Au) over 6.1 meters (m) in hole PRC-13-084 and 17.8 g/t Au over 6.1m in hole APRF-225, i-80 noted the continuous zone of mineralization is being defined that remains open at depth.
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The Otto fault horizon is one of the multiple target areas being drilled, and several holes intersected gold mineralization in multiple horizons. The current program is expected to comprise more than 20,000m from surface and underground with continued assay results to be provided as received.
Highlight results from initial underground drilling from Level 4740 include:
- 41.3 g/t Au over 7.1m in hole iGU21-07
- 11.0 g/t Au over 3.4m and 16.5 g/t Au over 3m in hole iGU21-08
- 16.0 g/t Au over 7.3m in hole iGU21-09
- 11.3 g/t Au over 4.6m in hole iGU21-11
- 10.5 g/t Au over 3.8m in hole iGU21-12
- 17.5 g/t Au over 2.3m and 17.6 g/t Au over 2m in hole iGU21-14
I-80 said the primary goal of the 2021 drill program is to advance underground and open pit opportunities to production. It is expected that refractory mineralization from the underground operation at Granite Creek will initially be trucked to Twin Creeks for processing, pursuant to the agreement recently entered into with Nevada Gold Mines, until such time that the company's Lone Tree facility is operational.
Also, a Preliminary Economic Assessment for Granite Creek is nearing completion and is expected to be released in the near future.
"These results confirm the high-grade opportunity that we are developing at Granite Creek and demonstrate excellent continuity of mineralization within the Otto and Adam Peak fault horizons that appear to broaden with depth,” said Tyler Hill, senior geologist at i-80, in a statement. “Step-out drilling is being completed along strike and at depth, and we have intersected strong alteration and faulting in most holes drilled to date."
i-80 said the majority of the ongoing program is focused on defining and expanding mineralization within several high-grade target areas proximal to existing underground mine workings at Granite Creek. i-80 has completed initial underground rehabilitation and has commenced underground drilling.
As part of an aggressive plan to recommence mining from underground, the company said it is in the process of rehabilitating several areas for the purposes of starting test mining in the second half of 2021.
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