Desert Gold Provides Corporate and Exploration Update; 20,000 Metres of Drilling in Progress - SMSZ Project, West Mali
4770 72 Street, Delta, British Columbia | Canada | V4K 3N3 | Office +1 (604) 357 4726 | Fax +1 (604) 592 6882
For Immediate Release
TSX.V: DAU
Frankfurt: QXR2
OTC: DAUGF
Desert Gold Provides Corporate and Exploration Update; 20,000 Metres of Drilling in
Progress - SMSZ Project, West Mali
Delta, British Columbia, February 24, 2021 Desert Gold Ventures Inc. (the “Company”) (TSX.V: DAU, FF: QXR2,
OTC: DAUGF) is pleased to provide an update on the Company’s largest exploration program to date at its flagship Senegal
Mali Shear Zone project in Western Mali (the “SMSZ Project”). The 410 km2 SMSZ Project is both named after and
overlies a 38 km section of the prolific Senegal Mali Shear Zone (the “SMSZ”). The SMSZ is related to 5 large mines
located both to the n orth and south, along strike of the Company’s SMSZ Project , including B2 Gold’s Fekola Mine,
Barrick’s Gounkoto and Loulo Mines and Allied Gold’s Sadiola and Yatela Mines 1. To the Company’s knowledge, the
SMSZ Project is the largest, contiguous, non -producer land package over this highly prospective structural feature (see
Figure 1.).
Field work re commenced at the SMSZ Project in early December, 202 0. The goal of the exploration program is to
develop/discover a stand -alone Tier 1 gold deposit(s). Exploration comprises drilling to advance know n gold zones and
soil, auger and IP surveys to identify new targets, with real-time follow-up of drill testing of newly developed targets. The
SMSZ exploration program is fully underway with one mul tipurpose drill, three auger drills, a geological mapping team
and a couple of soil sampling teams. Geophysical surveys have been completed.
SMSZ Project Exploration Progress to Feb 21, 2021
• Drilling – 6% complete
o Three core holes, totaling approximately 825 metres completed at Gourbassi East and West. RC drilling
has commenced at Gourbassi West with 310 metres completed in three holes. Drilling will progress
through property from West to East to North.
o All three c ore holes were extended by the drill geologist s to cover potentially gold -bearing alteration
zones.
o Drilling pace expected to materially increase with move from diamond to RC drilling.
• Auger Drilling – 49 % complete
o 9,248 metres drilling in 1,087 holes
o Two rigs active
• IP Geophysical Surveys – 100% complete
o 90.8 line kilometres completed
o Historic and new IP data have been merged.
• Soil Sampling – 56% complete
o 3,962 samples taken
1 Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily representative of mineralization hosted on the Company’s
SMSZ Property.
4770 72 Street, Delta, British Columbia | Canada | V4K 3N3 | Office +1 (604) 357 4726 | Fax +1 (604) 592 6882
• Mapping and prospecting ongoing
• Community Support Program Initiated
o Funding from Desert Gold and major contractors including SGS, Etasi Drilling and Sahara Natural
Resources
o Medical and school supplies to be donated to 9 communities in the SMSZ Project region
A summary of exploration progress to date is presented in Figure 2
Corporate Update
• The Company has launched its new corporate website at www.desertgold.ca which includes several new
features:
o New projects page with enhanced technical detail regarding the Company’s projects
o An updated corporate presentation that can be found at
https://www.desertgold.ca/images/presentation/2021/Desert_Gold_Presentation_Jan_2021_fin
al-_V1.pdf
o New photo gallery feature which showcases the Company’s ongoing exploration, development and
community work
Djimbala Project Update – Southern Mali
• The Company’s joint venture partner, Indigo Exploration, has completed its previously announced auger
drill program on the Company’s Djimbala concession situated in Southern Mali’s Yanfolila Gold Belt
o The 602 vertical auger holes drilled to an average depth of 7.8 metres and spaced 25 metres apart
along 10 transect lines will provide a 2.0 kilometre strike length by 2.5 kilometre wide test of the
Djelinfing and Forela gold targets with the aim to prioritize subsequent air core fence drilling later
this year.
o All samples have been delivered to the lab for assays and results are pending
2021 Exploration Program
- Fully Funded 20,000 metres of drilling– Drilling started January 2021
o Follow-up on Gourbassi West, Gourbassi East and Barani East Zones
o Continue to trace gold mineralization from Barani East northeast to Soa and south to Keniegoulou
o Follow up drill testing at Gourbassi NE, Goubassi SE, Berola, Frikidi, KE, Komana and Manakoto zones
o Test gold-in-auger targets
o Contingency metres will follow-up drill success
- Approximately 19,000 metres of auger drilling
o Auger drilling will commence in mid-December to follow up on 2020 auger anomalies
o Testing for gold mineralization along thinly-covered laterite, and/or, not yet evaluated, regional scale
structures
- 90-line km of induced polarization gradient geophysical surveys
o Five grid areas, with four covering structural targets related to the SMSZ and one covering a felsic
intrusion that hosts gold mineralization
o Survey to start mid-December
- 7,000 soil samples
o Test 3 areas comprising ~100 km2, that have not been soil sampled, mapped or drilled
- Geological mapping and prospecting
o Approximately 55% of the property still requires mapping and prospecting
- Complete a 43-101 compliant report in Q4, 2021
4770 72 Street, Delta, British Columbia | Canada | V4K 3N3 | Office +1 (604) 357 4726 | Fax +1 (604) 592 6882
Figure 1 – SMSZ Project Location and Major Deposits in Western Mali and Eastern Senegal
4770 72 Street, Delta, British Columbia | Canada | V4K 3N3 | Office +1 (604) 357 4726 | Fax +1 (604) 592 6882
Figure 2 – Overview of 2020-21 Exploration Planning to Date with historic drilling results**
**All gold grades over width, with the exception of the Soa, Berola and Gourbassi prospects, represent drill holes with the true widths,
for most holes, ranging from 65 to 95%. Estimated true widths for the Soa and Berola prospects are unknown. Estimated true widths at
the Gourbassi Zones are estimated to range from 60% to 90%.
Assays
A total of 4,908 samples have been sent to the lab. This includes 814 core samples, 1,718 auger samples and 2,376 soil
samples. All sample sets also include standards, duplicate and blank samples for QAQC. Some of the auger sample assays
are expected this week with core, soil and additional auger assays expected in March. Assay results and additional updates
will be released in due course.
4770 72 Street, Delta, British Columbia | Canada | V4K 3N3 | Office +1 (604) 357 4726 | Fax +1 (604) 592 6882
Metallurgical Update
Samples from t wo, un-oxidized, gold-bearing intervals from the limestone -hosted Barani East Zone wer e combined to
create two sample composites. The first sample corresponds with an interval that returned 4.76 g/t Au (un-cut) over 13.45
metres (true width estimated at 12.3 metres) from 171.3 to 184.75 metres (152 metres vertical depth) from 2020 hole
BERCD0007 (see Desert Gold news release for August 31, 2020 ). The second sample corresponds with an interval that
returned 2.49 g/t Au over 5.05 metres (true width estimated at 4.6 metres) from 191.7 to 196.75 metres (167 metres vertical
depth) from 2020 hole BERCD0007. Both samples were pulverized to 85% passing 70 microns and subjected to 72 hours
of bottle roll in a cyanide -saturated, ph-monitored fluid. Both samples were analyzed before and after the bottle roll test
with samples of the CN-rich fluid taken every 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 hours. The goal of this test was to indicate both how
much and how quickly that of the gold could be recovered. A summary of the results is presented in the following table.
The initial assays, fairly reflect that average composited grade of each sample. Each sample, comprises 500 grams of
material from 22 and 6 individual assay samples for Composites 1 and 2, respectively. The final estimated grade of
Composite 1, is higher than expected, which may be due to coarse gold as a 0.4 metre interval in Composite 1, had initially
returned 62.05 g/t Au. Overall gold recoveries , over 48 hours , averaged 87.3% with a range of 79.4% t o 95.3%. At 72
hours, gold recoveries in Composite 1 were still increasing, while, essentially all of the gold was leached from Composite
2. If coarse gold was a factor in Composite 1’s reduced recovery, this could be mitigated by the addition of a gravity circuit,
which would recover coarse gold and is common at gold mills in the region. In management’s opinion, these results suggest
that the preliminary gold recovery results in unoxidized rock, at Barani East, are quite positive, are within acceptable limits
and that ongoing exploration of this zone continues to be warranted.
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.
On Behalf of the Board
“Sonny Janda”
___________________________
Sonny Janda
Chairman
About Desert Gold
Desert Gold Ventures Inc. is a gold exploration and development company which holds 2 gold exploration permit s in
Western Mali (SMSZ Project and Djimbala), its Anumso project in Ghana’s A shanti 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
UNITS Comments
12 hr
ppb Au
24 hr
ppb Au
36 hr
ppb Au
48 hr
ppb Au
72 hr
ppb Au
Final
g/t Au
Composite 1 Initial assay 5,530 ppb Au 4713 4784 4920 5011 5235 780
% recovery based on initial assay 85.2% 86.5% 89.0% 90.6% 94.7%
% recovery based on 6,310 ppb Au 74.7% 75.8% 78.0% 79.4% 83.0%
Composite 2 Initial assay 3260 ppb Au 2828 2993 3042 3107 3216 <0.01
% recovery based on initial assay 86.7% 91.8% 93.3% 95.3% 98.7%
4770 72 Street, Delta, British Columbia | Canada | V4K 3N3 | Office +1 (604) 357 4726 | Fax +1 (604) 592 6882
Contact
Jared Scharf, President and CEO
Email: [email protected]
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
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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.