Big Ridge Gold Corp Announces Ongoing Studies at Hope Brook Gold Project
Big Ridge Gold Corp Announces Ongoing
Studies at Hope Brook Gold Project
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 3, 2024) - Big Ridge Gold Corp. (TSXV: BRAU) (OTCQB:
ALVLF) ("Big Ridge" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update of ongoing studies at the Hope
Brook Gold Project ("HBGP") located on the southwest coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Highlights
Environmental baseline fieldwork completed in July to support preparation of Project
Registration
Samples for Hope Brook Deposit Ore Sorting Study shipped to SRC
Michael Bandrowski, President & CEO of the Company, commented: "The Big Ridge exploration team
continues to advance the Hope Brook Gold Project on several different fronts. In addition to ongoing field
work, the Company is working toward completion of environmental baseline and ore sorting studies.
Completion of these two key studies during the fourth quarter of 2024 will add significant value when the
Company completes a Preliminary Economic Assessment at the HGBP."
Environmental Baseline Fieldwork
Environmental survey work was begun by Coastal Gold Corp., formerly Castillian Resources Inc. in 2010
to compile information required for an application for Project Registration of the HBGP, as required
under environmental regulation in Newfoundland and Labrador. The baseline studies undertaken by Big
Ridge in 2024 build on work done by Coastal and include evaluation of the natural environment
surrounding the former mine and its current condition as a brownfield mine site.
Work in 2024 continues to assemble the required information. Newfoundland and Labrador-based
Fracflow Consultants Inc. has been contracted to undertake the field work and complete the necessary
studies. The field work included fish community and habitat assessment, benthic macroinvertebrate
community assessment, mammal and avian surveys, surface and groundwater sampling, sediment and
soil sampling and supporting laboratory analyses. Field work was completed in July and final reports are
expected in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Ore Sorting and Gold Deportment
In the fall of 2024 Big Ridge will carry out ore sorting tests to establish whether 'zero grade' lithologies
within the HBGP mineral resource wireframes can be separated from mineralized lithologies. These
tests will be conducted by the Saskatchewan Research Council ("SRC").
Zero grade lithologies include post-mineralization mafic and intermediate dykes and sills which intrude
the mineralized host rocks. Many mafic units intersected by drill holes in the wireframes may be too small
to be excluded during mining operations. Successful sorting could allow this material to be diverted
before milling.
Core from the HBGP's 198 available drill holes has been selected, representing various grade and
alteration characteristics of the deposit, along with associated intervals of mafic and intermediate
volcanics. Zero grade material in core accounts for 20-25% of material within the Hope Brook deposit
wire frames. Two tests are planned;
a
.
A dynamic test of approximately 100 kg of sample, including an X-Ray Transmission (XRT)
amenability study will be done, as well as additional ultraviolet fluorescence and near-infrared
spectroscopy characterizations to determine sorting potential for zero grade material.
Results from this test are expected in the fourth quarter of 2024.
b
.
Following on from positive dynamic test results, performance testing using approximately one
tonne of mineralized material will be completed in conjunction with future, advanced metallurgical
testing.
In addition to the ore sorting tests, SRC will conduct a gold deportment study on selected mineralized
samples to assess distribution of gold and copper, a positive economic component of the
mineralization, and their inter-relationships with host rock minerals.
Qualified Persons
William McGuinty, P. Geo., Vice President Exploration for Big Ridge, a Qualified Person within the
meaning of NI 43-101,
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects
, has reviewed and approved the
technical information contained in this news release.
About Hope Brook
The Hope Brook Gold Project is an advanced stage, high-grade gold project that produced 752,162
ounces of gold from 1987 - 1997. Initial production consisted of an open pit before moving to
underground mining. Hope Brook operated using both heap leach (1987 -1990) and conventional
cyanidation milling methods (1989-1997) with a later inclusion of flotation concentration to recover
copper (1991). Government records indicate that gold recoveries from milling ranged between a low of
78.8% in 1987 and a high of 85.9% in 1989. Government and company annual reports indicate that gold
recoveries ranged between a low of 82.1% in 1994 and a high of 89.83% in 1996 following a change of
ownership. Copper flotation produced a concentrate at approximately 22% Cu and 34.3 g/t Au for
shipment in 1992.
Hope Brook hosts an Indicated gold resource totalling 16,190,000 tonnes grading 2.32 grams per tonne
gold for 1.2 million ounces and Inferred resources totalling 2,215,000 tonnes grading 3.25 grams per
tonne gold for 231,000 ounces based on a 0.4 and 2.0 gram per tonne cut-off grades for open pit and
underground resources respectively using a long-term gold price of US$1,750.
The Hope Brook gold deposit is a high-sulfidation epithermal gold deposit hosted in the Proterozoic
aged Whittle Hill Sandstone and is intruded by a Late Proterozoic quartz-feldspar porphyry sill-dike
complex of the Roti Intrusive Suite. The deposit is located adjacent to and within an extensive advanced
argillic alteration envelope which includes pyrophyllite, kaolinite, andalusite, and alunite. The principal
gold mineralization occurs in a buff-colored massive, vuggy silicic alteration with an associated, less
developed grey silicic alteration with pyrite, chalcopyrite and lesser bornite accessory minerals. Gold
mineralization is also found with pyrite in units of advanced argillic alteration adjacent to or near silicic
alteration horizons. The altered and mineralized zone is cut by mafic dykes whose contacts are often
mineralized. All the altered and mineralized sequences and the intruded dykes have been folded.
Hope Brook is located 85 kilometers east of Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. The project has well
maintained infrastructure on site, including an operational 28-person camp, an 1,100-meter airstrip, ice-
free docking facility and importantly, connection to the provincial electrical power grid via an on-site
substation.
About Big Ridge Gold Corp.
Big Ridge Gold Corp. is an exploration and development company managed by a disciplined and
experienced team of officers and directors. The Company is committed to the development of advanced
stage mining projects using industry best practices combined with strong social license from our local
communities.
Big Ridge is the operator of the Hope Brook Gold Project located in Newfoundland and Labrador and
holds an 80% interest in the project. Big Ridge also owns a 100% interest in the highly prospective
Oxford Gold Project located in Manitoba and the Destiny Gold Project in Quebec.
Acknowledgement
Big Ridge acknowledges and appreciates the Newfoundland and Labrador Ministry of Natural
Resources' financial support of the Company's 2023 exploration programs through the Junior
Exploration Assistance (JEA) Program.
For more details regarding the Company's projects, please visit our website at
www.bigridgegold.com
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,
Mike Bandrowski,
President & CEO
Mike Bandrowski,
President & CEO
BIG RIDGE GOLD CORP.
18 King St. East, Suite 1400
Toronto, ON, M5C 1C4
Tel: 416-540-5480
Email:
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