Desert Gold Commences Follow-Up Drill Program on New Gold Discovery at SMSZ Project, West Mali
Desert Gold Commences Follow-Up Drill
Program on New Gold Discovery at SMSZ
Project, West Mali
Delta, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 23, 2021) -
Desert Gold Ventures Inc.
(TSXV:
DAU) (FSE: QXR2) (OTCQB: DAUGF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced
a follow-up drill program that will test the strike extent of the new, Gourbassi West North gold discovery in
its earlier 2021 drill program (see news release dated Oct. 25, 2021). The discovery, comprises 3
closely spaced gold-bearing lenses (across 125 metres of strike) totalling an
estimated combined true
thickness of 90 metres with a weighted average grade of 0.96 g/t Au
(Figure 1). Most of this
mineralization is oxide and has been traced from surface to 35 to 40 metres depth and is open to depth
and along strike.
Desert Gold plans to test the Gourbassi West North target area for 1,500 metres along strike with 9 air
core fences comprising 66 holes totalling 3,300 metres (see Figure 2). These drill fences are designed
to both test for the strike extent of the gold zone and the continuity of the gold mineralization.
Desert Gold's President and CEO Jared Scharf commented, "After being chased out by the rains last
season and only being able to complete one fence of drilling on this target, we are very pleased to be
back drilling again so soon. This target is an exciting one as it appears to be the widest gold zone we've
seen anywhere on the property package. This initial program should wrap up quickly with results
released as soon as they are available."
Next Steps Guidance
Desert Gold anticipates that our initial NI 43-101 compliant resource for the SMSZ Project will be
released in January 2022.
Once the drilling has been completed at Gourbassi West North, drilling will next advance to the nearby
Mogoyafara South and Linnguekoto West Zones (see Figure 4 for location) as part of Desert Gold's
phase one exploration program.
Figure 1.
Cross-section new Gourbassi West North discovery
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Figure 2.
Plan view Gourbassi West & North target area with planned drill holes
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Technical Details
The Gourbassi West North target area is located in the southwest portion of Desert Gold's SMSZ project
(see Figures 3 and 4 for regional and property scale locations). Desert Gold's initial program over
Gourbassi West was designed to complete a model validation and resource expansion drill program
that commenced in 2020, which included some follow-up drilling based on results. As part of this
program, the Company completed three, short, 500-meter-spaced auger lines all of which, returned very
anomalous gold-in-auger values. Follow-up drilling over two of the three auger lines, resulted in the
discovery of the Gourbassi West North gold mineralization, which appears to be the widest gold system
intersected on the SMSZ property to date.
The strongest gold-in-auger values, on a line 500 metres
further north, have not been tested yet as the onset of the rainy season necessitated an abrupt end to the
2021 drill campaign. This line of auger will be drill tested at the start of the 2022 drill campaign.
The Gourbassi West North Zone area is located approximately from 800 to 1,400 metres north of the
modelled Gourbassi West Zone along a northly trending structural and soil anomaly target zone that has
been traced for approximately 4,000 metres. This gold mineralization was discovered by following up
gold-in-auger values that range up to 1,937 ppb gold on the furthest north, currently untested auger line.
As well, first pass soil sample data (Desert Gold news release - June 1, 2021) suggest potential to
further extend the high priority exploration target area for another 6,500 metres to the north.
Ten, 50 metre long, air core holes, in two fences, 600 metres apart, were drilled to test the gold-in auger
anomalies. Of these, seven of the holes intersected potentially economic gold grades. Note that further
studies will be required to determine if any of the gold mineralization could be deemed economic.
The northernmost fence comprised seven holes which are interpreted to have intersected three gold-
bearing lenses across a 125-metre-wide area (see Figure 2) with a best intercept of 1.13 g/t gold over
42 metres, including 1.62 g/t gold over 13 metres. The interpreted true width of these three lenses totals
approximately 90 metres with the widest interpreted to be 45 metres wide. Modelling of the gold-bearing
lenses also incorporates lower grade material grading from 0.1 to 0.4 g/t gold (gold alteration). The bulk
of the mineralization is hosted by intermediate composition volcanic rocks with part of the mineralization
hosted by sandstone and a narrow felsic intrusion. In the Gourbassi West Zone area, the sandstone is
interpreted to be 'Tarkwa-like' sediments. Tarkwa rocks are an important host to several large gold
mines in Ghana.
The southernmost AC fence comprised three, 50 metre holes, one of which intersected 0.64 g/t gold
over 24 metres (FR-21-AC-019). Additional, untested auger (31 ppb) and soil (111 ppb) lie to the west
of the drilled area. This mineralized area, may also be open to the east as at least one additional hole is
required to close off the auger anomaly. The mineralization in hole 019 is hosted by a similar-looking
quartzite unit as intersected in the northernmost fence, suggesting that there could be continuity between
these two widely spaced drill fences and that the host intermediate volcanic unit lies further west and has
not been tested yet.
QAQC
All auger and drill samples are delivered to SGS in Bamako, Mali where they are prepped. The prepped
samples, are both shipped by truck to SGS's facility in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, or remain at SGS's
laboratory in Bamako, for Au determination by fire assay. Standards, assay blanks and sample
duplicates, are inserted into the assay stream every 22 to 30 samples, respectively equaling one control
sample for every approximately every 8 assay samples. All assay batches are reviewed for quality with
re-assays requested 20 samples on either side of standards that assay more than 2 to 3 SD from an
excepted value and for blanks that contain more than 10 ppb gold.
This press release contains certain scientific and technical information. The Company is solely
responsible for the contents and accuracy of any scientific and technical information related to it. Don
Dudek, P.Geo. a director of Desert Gold and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has
reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this press release.
1
True width unknown
On Behalf of the Board
"Jared Scharf"
___________________________
Jared Scharf
President & CEO
About Desert Gold
Desert Gold Ventures Inc. is a gold exploration and development company which holds 2 gold
exploration permits in Western Mali (SMSZ Project and Djimbala), its Anumso project in Ghana's
Ashanti Belt and its Rutare gold project in central Rwanda. For further information please visit
www.SEDAR.com
under the company's profile. Website:
www.desertgold.ca
Figure 3 - SMSZ Project Location, Regional Geology and Major Deposits in Western Mali and
Eastern Senegal
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Figure 4. Property Scale Zone Location map and significant drill results
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This news release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements entail
various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected
in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations, are subject
to a number of uncertainties and risks, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in
such statements. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, the strength of the
capital markets, the price of gold; operational, funding, liquidity risks, the degree to which mineral
resource estimates are reflective of actual mineral resources, the degree to which factors which would
make a mineral deposit commercially viable, and the risks and hazards associated with mining
operations. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the
company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available
at
www.sedar.com
and readers are urged to read these materials. The Company assumes no
obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could
differ from such statements unless required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not
constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein in the
United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the
United States securities act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States
or to the account or benefit of a U.S. person absent an exemption from the registration requirements
of such act.
Contact
Jared Scharf, President and CEO
Email:
Tel. No.: +1 (858) 247-8195
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