First Mining Identifies Multiple High-Grade Gold Zones in Duparquet Exploration Drilling
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NEWS RELEASE
First Mining Identifies Multiple High-Grade Gold Zones
in Duparquet Exploration Drilling
• Drill hole DUP24-024 returns multiple gold zones including 10.67 g/t Au over 5.3 m, 6.63 g/t
Au over 9.0 m, 3.04 g/t Au over 33.5 m, and 5.97 g/t Au over 33.0 m
• Gold zones hosted in newly identified mafic volcanic units not previously modelled at
Duparquet
• Demonstrates significant exploration growth potential at one of the largest gold deposits in
the Abitibi Greenstone Belt
June 18, 2024 – Vancouver, Canada – First Mining Gold Corp. (“First Mining” or the “Company”) (TSX:
FF) (OTCQX: FFMGF) (FRANKFURT: FMG) is pleased to announce new drilling results from the 2024 Phase
2B winter diamond drilling program at its Duparquet Gold Project (“Duparquet Project” or the “Project”)
located in Quebec, Canada. This latest drilling targeted additional exploration trends of the North Zone,
assessing the potential for higher-grade areas with extensional continuity. Drill hole DUP24-024 returned
multiple intervals of significant higher-grade mineralization over considerable widths that are hosted
proximal to and within a newly identified mafic volcanic unit, including 10.67 g/t Au over 5.3 m, 6.63 g/t
Au over 9.0 m, 3.04 g/t Au over 33.5 m, and 5.97 g/t Au over 33.0 m (including 9.63 g/t Au over 4.2 m and
14.43 g/t Au over 6.0 m). First Mining continues to explore mineralization trends of the Duparquet Project
for extensions and new discovery zones through its ongoing Phase 3 drill program which aims to continue
drill testing at the North Zone, Buzz Zone, Valentre Target and additional regional opportunities.
“The higher-grade zones at these exceptional widths at Duparquet clearly demonstrate the ongoing
resource growth potential in what is already one of the largest established resources in the Abitibi
Greenstone Belt,” stated Dan Wilton, CEO of First Mining. “What I am most excited about is the fact that
this new host unit where identified has never been a focus of exploration at Duparquet, demonstrating
the value of our exploration team’s systematic, data -driven approach to discovery which challenges the
exploration biases of past operators. With our recent flow-through financing completed, First Mining is
well funded to continue delivering exceptional results at Duparquet.”
The Phase 2B winter program concluded in April 2024 and comprised a seven-hole, 2,856 m drill program.
The objective of this drilling phase within the overall program was to target further exploration and
resource growth opportunities, with a focus on grade optimization and depth extension targets. Highlights
from the first drill holes completed in Phase 2B included drill hole DUP24-018 which returned 3.11 g/t Au
over 13.16 m, and hole DUP24-019 which returned 3.07 g/t Au over 10.32 m at the North Zone (See news
release from May 21, 2024 ), validating the geoscience approach and supporting further testing of the
extensional opportunities of the North Zone.
Three more holes were drilled within the Phase 2B winter program and these were strategic in targeting
the North Zones’ higher-grade trends along strike and down-plunge. These latest drill results have further
validated th e upside potential for the Project with in the North Zone , where multiple intersections of
significant gold mineralization were encountered which are consistent with higher-grade trends (Table 1).
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Table 1: Selected Significant Drill Intercepts, 2024 Phase 2B Drill Program (Final Holes)
Hole ID From
(m) To (m) Length (m) Grade (Au g/t) Target
DUP24-022
598.45 605.58 7.13 2.47
North Zone
DUP24-023
131.0 149.45 18.45 2.38
DUP24-023 inc. 135.1 139.2 4.1 5.58
DUP24-023
170.82 173.6 2.78 4.43
DUP24-023 inc. 171.6 172.3 0.7 9.80
DUP24-024
9.0 12.0 3.0 2.15
DUP24-024 inc. 10.0 11.0 1.0 4.25
DUP24-024
40.4 52.55 12.15 0.95
DUP24-024
106.2 113.23 7.03 1.61
DUP24-024
362 365.25 3.25 2.11
DUP24-024 inc. 364.5 365.25 0.75 6.05
DUP24-024
448.4 453.7 5.3 10.67
DUP24-024
464.0 470.0 6.0 1.05
DUP24-024
476.0 485.0 9.0 6.63
DUP24-024
488.5 522.0 33.5 3.04
DUP24-024 inc. 503.0 507.0 4.0 4.42
DUP24-024 and inc. 518.0 522.0 4.0 14.78
DUP24-024
534.0 567.0 33.0 5.97
DUP24-024 inc. 534.7 538.9 4.2 9.63
DUP24-024 and inc. 547.0 553.0 6.0 14.43
DUP24-024
600.0 601.0 1.0 4.72
*Reported intervals are drilled core lengths (true widths are estimated at 15-45% of the core length interval , assay
values are uncut)
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A plan map of the final Phase 2B winter exploration holes at the North Zone target is presented in Figure
1, and corresponding assay highlights presented in Table 1, with full assay results listed in Table 2 and drill
hole locations in Table 3.
Figure 1: Plan view of select drill holes from the Phase 2B program within the North Zone
Additional Details on North Zone Drilling
The North Zone drilling strategy is focused on targeting strike extension opportunities , as well as drill
testing multiple deeper, higher-grade trends that support down-plunge extension of the mineralization.
The North Zone mineralization is traditionally modelled largely within porphyritic syenite units with strong
sericite and silica alteration, with higher grades being returned in zones with increased alteration, 2-5%
sulphides, quartz carbonate veining, and brecciation associated with sheared contacts . The increased
alteration and veining are spatially coincident with project modelling associated with D2 high strain zones
that are interpreted splay shear zones from the Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone.
First Mining’s exploration targeting and vectoring has been focused on higher-grade trends believed to be
within zones that are associated with a change in specific lithology. Consequently, there has been an
increased focus in building up the target resolution through 3D modelling of the contact zones between
the syenite-hosted gold mineralization and mafic volcanic stratigraphy , as these are more favo urable,
proximal settings for higher-grade mineralization owing to their geochemical and rheological attributes.
Since the Company started drilling at the Project in 202 3 it has had success in targeting these contact
zones and this has become one of the more favourable targeting strategies for higher -grade trends
outside of the traditional Beattie syenite. A key factor contributing to these successes is the integration
of multiple sources of geoscience data into the 3D modelling and target definition process, including
geochemistry, geophysics, oriented core and magnetic susceptibility data.
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Three additional drillholes were completed for a total of 1,527.4 m, all targeting the modelled sheared
contact of the syenite and the mafic volcanics at the northern contact zone of the main resource (“North
Zone Target”).
Drill hole DUP24-022 (Figure 2) was drilled as a step-out hole along strike of the main mineralized shear
zone at Duparquet , within an area identified with significant extensional r esource growth potential.
Historical drilling within the area largely occurred above the plunge of the main mineralization system, so
this new hole targeted an extensional opportunity within the target area. Hole DUP24-022, as an initial
hole successfully returned a significant assay intercept that correlated with the interpreted extension of
the targeted main mineralized shear zone , with 2.47 g/t Au over 7.13 m from 598.45 m to 605.58 m .
Mineralization within this interval is hosted within a strongly sheared and silica-altered basalt, with quartz
carbonate veining representing up to 10% of the core and up to 10% disseminated pyrite mineralization
locally. The mafic volcanic unit intercepted in DUP24 -022 will be further refined in the upcoming
geological model updates . As a successful step -out along strike within this initial vectoring hole , First
Mining realizes an important opportunity for additional step-outs that could have a significant potential
for resource growth. A series of drill holes are currently in the planning stage to further test the open
mineralization along strike and down-plunge during the Phase 3 program.
Figure 2: North Zone Target - DUP24-022 is a step-out hole towards the east of the previously announced DUP24-018 and
DUP24-019. Significant intercepts are highlighted downhole, with higher-grade zones identified along the contact of the syenite
and the sheared basalt unit. The mafic unit intercepted in DUP24-022 will be refined in the upcoming geological model updates.
This cross section is looking west.
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Drill hole DUP23-023 (Figure 3) was drilled as a down-plunge, extensional follow-up opportunity to the
significant interval s returned from DUP24-019 (3.07g/t Au over 10.32 m from 87.94 m to 98.26 m,
including 9.19 g/t Au over 0.85 m from 87.94 m to 98.26 m, and 3.19 g/t Au over 4.53 m from 102.30 to
106.83 m, as reported o n May 21, 2024 ). These holes targeted higher-grade zones along the main
mineralized shear zone at the northern contact of the syenite body , with DUP24-023 further validating
the continuation of the higher-grade mineralization at depth. Highlights from the main mineralized shear
zone in DUP24-023 include 2.38 g/t Au over 18.45 m (including 5.58 g/t Au over 4.1 m) from 131 m to
149.45 m, and 4.43 g/t Au over 2.78 m from 170.82 m to 173.6 m. These significant intercepts are hosted
within a zone of strongly foliated basalt and syenite that is associated with strong silica and sericite
alteration, quartz carbonate veining including up to 10% in localized areas , and up to 10% disseminated
pyrite. First Mining is pleased with the successful down-plunge validation of the higher-grade zones as it
continues to support follow-up programs targeting the depth extension of these zones.
Figure 3: North Zone Target cross section of drill hole DUP24-023, highlighting the extension of the higher-grade zone below the
previously announced DUP24-019
An important highlight of the Phase 2B winter program was drill hole DUP23-024 (Figure 4), which was
targeting multiple zones and included stepping out to the east of DUP24 -018 and drill testing the
extension of an interpreted shear-hosted zone within the syenite, as well as testing the continuity of the
shear and higher- grade mineralization zone at the contact zones of the syenite and mafic volcanic units.
Drill hole DUP24-024 returned multiple intercepts of significant gold values, with the highlights from the
main mineralized shear zone being 10.67 g/t Au over 5.3 m from 448.4 m to 453.7 m, hosted within a 5.3
m wide brecciated quartz-carbonate vein with up to 5% pyrite mineralization that is emplaced along a
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syenite-basalt contact (Figure 5). A second zone of significant mineralization was intercepted within a
strongly sheared and brecciated rhyolite unit with up to 3% disseminated pyrite, which returned 6.63 g/t
Au over 9.0 m from 476.0 m to 485.0 m. A third zone, and the second syenite-basalt contact unit within
this hole, was intercepted which returned 3.04 g/t Au over 33.5 m from 488.5 m to 522.0 m (including
4.42 g/t Au over 4.0 m and 14.78 g/t Au over 4.0 m), and for this zone strongly brecciated, silica-altered
syenite and basalt units with up to 10% localized area of quartz veining and up to 15% disseminated pyrite
mineralization were intercepted (Figure 5). The fourth significant interval in this hole was hosted within a
localized sheared and brecciated silica-altered basalt unit, with up to 10% quartz vein flooding and up to
3% disseminated pyrite mineralization, and this zone returned 5.97 g/t Au over 33.0 m from 534.0 m to
567.0 m (including 9.63 g/t Au over 4.2 m, and 14.43 g/t Au over 6.0 m). A favourable setting is recognized
with the newly identified mineralized basalt units at this locality (Figure 6), and further refinement of the
geological model , followed up by extensional drill testing will be a priority in the upcoming Phase 3
program.
Figure 4: North Zone Target – Drill hole DUP24-024 highlighting multiple significant intercepts downhole, with higher-grade
zones identified along the contact of the syenite and the basalt units intercepted. The mafic unit intercepted in DUP24-024 will
be refined in the upcoming geological model updates. This cross section is looking west.
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Figure 5 (A) Close-up photo of pyrite mineralization in the mafic volcanics and higher-grade mineralization from drill hole
DUP24-024 at 518.5 m which was targeting the North Zone. (B) Close- up photo of mineralized quartz carbonate veining from
drill hole DUP24-024 at 449 m which was targeting the North Zone and has higher grade mineralisation associated with it.
Figure 6: Section through DUP24-022 and DUP24-024 highlighting the downhole lithologies and significant intercepts. Upcoming
geological model updates will focus on increasing the resolution of the mafic volcanic units in the North Zone target area.
The North Zone target has returned significant upside and value to the Duparquet Project and is a priority
area for exploration optimization and potential extension of the current open pit and underground
resource. The recent drill results continue to support the area as a highly prospective target zone for the
Project, with potential to unlock meaningful upside along strike and at depth (Figure 7).
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Figure 7: Representative long section through the North Zone, highlighting the multiple significant intercepts returned in the Phase
2B program as well as the upcoming drill hole targets aimed at unlocking exploration opportunities
“Our geoscience teams have created exceptional momentum and continue to deliver strong results with
additional drilling”, stated James Maxwell , Vice President of Exploration and Project Operations .
“Recognition of a new higher -grade host lithology within the latest result setting greatly advances our
ability to target this higher-grade trend and supports an opportunity for further characterization and
discovery.”
Duparquet 2024 Exploration Programs
Exploration activities will be advancing at the Duparquet project through 2024 with continued focus on
drilling, regional field work programs that commenced early this spring, and integrating the data from
recently acquired airborne geophysical magnetic and LiDAR surveys . A property-wide expanded 3D
geological and target model is also in development and the ongoing integration and leveraging of layered
datasets supports the targeting based on an integrated geoscience exploration strategy.
Table 2: Final Phase 2B Winter Program Drill Results
Hole ID From
(m) To (m) Length (m) Grade (Au g/t)
DUP24-022 598.45 605.58 7.13 2.47
DUP24-022 637.00 638.00 1.00 0.42
DUP24-023 16.00 18.00 2.00 0.58
DUP24-023 35.52 36.45 0.93 0.62
DUP24-023 48.83 49.60 0.77 1.54
DUP24-023 80.00 81.00 1.00 0.44
DUP24-023 87.33 87.88 0.55 0.99
DUP24-023 96.00 97.00 1.00 0.42
DUP24-023 101.41 105.00 3.59 0.68
DUP24-023 131.00 149.45 18.45 2.38