i-80 Gold Announces High-Grade Results from Hilltop Drilling at Ruby Hill East Hilltop Zone – 9.5% Zn, 0.3% Cu & 12.6 g/t Ag over 114.3 m incl. 17.7% Zn, 0.4% Cu & 10.2 g/t Ag over 36.6 m Upper Hilltop Zone - 2.1 g/t Au, 514.8 g/t Ag, 3.1% Zn & 23.4% Pb over
i-80 Gold Announces High-Grade Results from Hilltop
Drilling at Ruby Hill
East Hilltop Zone – 9.5% Zn, 0.3% Cu & 12.6 g/t Ag over
114.3 m
incl. 17.7% Zn, 0.4% Cu & 10.2 g/t Ag over
36.6 m
Upper Hilltop Zone - 2.1 g/t Au, 514.8 g/t Ag, 3.1% Zn & 23.4% Pb over
10.0 m
Upper Hilltop Zone - 0.6 g/t Au, 332.9 g/t Ag, 8.8% Zn & 18.8% Pb over
32.0 m
RENO, Nev.
,
Jan. 17, 2024
/CNW/ -
i-80 GOLD CORP.
(TSX: IAU) (NYSE: IAUX)
("i-80", or the "Company")
is pleased to
report positive results from ongoing drilling at the Company's 100%-owned Ruby Hill Property ("
Ruby Hill
" or "
the Property
")
located in
Eureka County, Nevada
. The results are from the 2023 program that continues to demonstrate significant potential to
expand high-grade polymetallic mineralization in the Hilltop fault structure and within the Hilltop Corridor.
The East Hilltop Zones were discovered while testing the eastern extension of the Hilltop fault structure where high-grade
mineralization had previously been identified in the Upper and Lower Hilltop Zones. Permitting for additional disturbance was
completed in mid-2023 and drilling from new drill setups resumed int the second half of the year. This program has confirmed high-
grade mineralization in both the Carbonate Replacement Deposit type (CRD) and Skarn zones and step-out drilling is confirming
significant growth potential with mineralization remaining wide open for expansion. Table 1 provides a summary of recent drill
results and recent highlight results include:
East Hilltop (Skarn & CRD)
1.5 g/t Au, 274.6 g/t Ag, 4.7% Zn & 4.3% Pb over
13.2 m
(iRH23-48)
22.4 % Zn over
5.8 m
and
197.2 g/t Ag, 7.5% Zn and 5.0% Pb over
6.1 m
(iRH23-49)
9.5% Zn, 0.3% Cu & 12.6 g/t Ag over
114.3 m
(iRH23-50) including
17.7% Zn, 0.4% Cu & 10.2 g/t Ag over
36.6 m
and
12.9% Zn, 0.6% Cu & 48.8 g/t Ag over
15.2 m
0.2 g/t Au, 36.3 g/t Ag, 7.1% Zn & 1.4% Pb over
6.1 m
(iRH23-57)
Upper Hilltop (CRD)
2.1 g/t Au, 514.8 g/t Ag, 3.1% Zn & 23.4% Pb over
10.0 m
(iRH23-52)
14.7 g/t Au, 253.3 g/t Ag, 0.4% Zn & 8.7% Pb over
7.5 m
(iRH23-52)
0.6 g/t Au, 332.9 g/t Ag, 8.8% Zn & 18.8% Pb over
32.0 m
(iRH23-54)
1.0 g/t Au, 469.4 g/t Ag, 6.8% Zn & 15.6% Pb over
23.6 m
(iRH23-56)
Exploration (Hilltop Corridor)
252.0 g/t Ag & 22.3% Zn over
1.5 m
(iRH23-55)
1181.0 g/t Ag, 19.5% Zn & 10.2% Pb over
1.5 m
(iRH23-55)
"Drilling continues to intersect extremely high-grade polymetallic base metal mineralization in multiple zones at Ruby Hill.", stated
Tyler Hill
, Chief Geologist of i-80. "These results include multiple new intercepts in the East Hilltop discovery area including the
most significant copper mineralization identified to-date. High
grade, silver-rich, skarn mineralization was also intersected in step-
out drilling along the untested southern extension of the Graveyard Flats intrusive."
The 2023 drill program at Ruby Hill was focused on defining mineralization in the Hilltop, Blackjack and FAD deposits for the
completion of an initial NI43-101 compliant resource from these zones. Significant high
grade mineralization was confirmed in all
targets and the deposits remain wide open for expansion. In addition to drilling, geophysical surveys have recently been completed
to cover the untested Hilltop Corridor to the FAD deposit located approximately 2 km to the south of Hilltop.
Drill Program
The ongoing drill program at Ruby Hill is focused on defining and expanding mineralization in the multiple zones that make the
Property a core asset for i-80. This drilling will be included in an initial resource estimate for the polymetallic deposits. Some of the
core from the program is being utilized for metallurgical testing in relation to a proposed partnership with a third-party that, upon
Closing, will acquire a minority interest in the Property. Current drilling is being funded by this third party.
East Hilltop Zones
– One of the final holes of the 2022 drilling program discovered high-grade skarn mineralization while testing
the eastern extension of the Hilltop fault structure with an intercept of
12.3 % Zn over
39.6 m
(see press release dated
Dec. 19,
2022
and Figure 1). Follow-up drilling in early 2023 confirmed expansion potential of the skarn horizon and also discovered high-
grade CRD mineralization. Multiple lenses of mineralization have now been intersected at East Hilltop including the most abundant
copper grades intersected to-date at Ruby Hill in recent step-out drilling.
The skarn mineralization at East Hilltop is located approximately 300 metres to the south of, and in a near-identical geological
setting as, the Blackjack deposit adjacent to the Graveyard Flats intrusive. The area between Blackjack and East Hilltop remains
untested. CRD mineralization is located along strike from the Upper Hilltop Zone. New intercepts in the East Hilltop (CRD and
Skarn) zones include:
iRH23-48 East Hilltop – 4 zones of CRD mineralization:
2.6 g/t Au, 344.0 g/t Ag, 5.8% Zn & 6.0% Pb over
2.7 m
1.1 g/t Au, 174.4 g/t Ag, 3.8% Zn & 2.0% Pb over
15.8 m
1.5 g/t Au, 274.6 g/t Ag, 4.7% Zn & 4.3% Pb over
13.2 m
1.2 g/t Au, 171.0 g/t Ag, 6.9% Zn & 3.6% Pb over
3.0 m
iRH23-49 – East Hilltop Zone returned 5 high-grade skarn and CRD intervals including:
14.3% Zn over
2.7 m
22.4% Zn over
5.8 m
10.9% Zn over
3.0 m
111.9 g/t Ag, 4.8% Zn & 2.5% Pb over
4.6 m
197.2 g/t Ag, 7.5% Zn & 5.0% Pb over
6.1 m
iRH23-50 – East Hilltop (2 zones) step-out with the best copper mineralization to-date:
9.5% Zn, 0.3% Cu & 12.6 g/t Ag over
114.3 m
including
17.7% Zn, 0.4% Cu & 10.2 g/t Ag over
36.6 m
and
12.9% Zn, 0.6% Cu & 48.8 g/t Ag over
15.2 m
and
9.5% Zn, 0.8% Cu & 18.6 g/t Ag over
7.6 m
iRH23-53 East Hilltop CRD infill (2 zones):
2.8 g/t Au, 230.3 g/t Ag, 0.3 % Zn & 1.1 % Pb over
3.0 m
0.2 g/t Au, 317.1 g/t Ag, 9.6 % Zn & 14.3 % Pb over
3.2 m
iRH23-57 East Hilltop skarn and CRD,
50 m
step-out south of iRH22-61 (3 zones):
8.6% Zn, 0.2% Cu & 6.0 g/t Ag over
18.3 m
2.1% Zn, 0.1% Cu, 1.3% Pb, 146.5 g/t Ag & 0.2 g/t Au over
12.2 m
7.1% Zn, 1.4% Pb, 36.3 g/t Ag & 0.2 g/t Au over
6.1 m
Upper Hilltop Zone
– In mid-2022, the Upper Hilltop Zone was discovered with an intercept of
515.3 g/t Ag, 28.9 % Pb, 10.5 %
Zn and 0.9 g/t Au over
28.3 m
, leading to the definition of multiple polymetallic CRD and skarn zones on the south side of the
Archimedes pit, situated along the Hilltop fault structure. Mineralization has now been defined over a strike length of approximately
750 metres including the Upper, Lower and East Hilltop Zones (see Figure 1). Drilling in 2023 was focused on resource delineation
and to acquire additional samples for metallurgical purposes. Highlight new results include:
iRH23-52 Upper Hilltop infill (2 zones):
2.1 g/t Au, 514.8 g/t Ag, 3.1% Zn & 23.4% Pb over
10.0 m
14.7 g/t Au, 253.3 g/t Ag, 0.4% Zn & 8.7% Pb over
7.5 m
iRH23-54 Upper Hilltop Infill:
0.6 g/t Au, 332.9 g/t Ag, 8.8% Zn & 18.8% Pb over
32.0 m
iRH23-56 Upper Hilltop infill:
1.0 g/t Au, 469.4 g/t Ag, 6.8% Zn & 15.6% Pb over
23.6 m
Hilltop Exploration
– At the end of the 2023 drill program, and following the receipt of approvals for drilling within the Hilltop
Corridor, one RC exploration hole was drilled to test for potential mineralization along the intrusive contact. This hole (iRH23-55)
successfully intersected 60 metres of skarn mineralization including 4 narrow high-grade intercepts. This is the only hole drilled
south of Hilltop within the Hilltop Corridor and is the first where extremely high-grade silver is associated with skarn mineralization.
No other holes have tested this contact horizon other than at Blackjack and East Hilltop. Highlights from iRH23-55 include:
252.0 g/t Ag & 22.3% Zn over
1.5 m
1181.0 g/t Ag, 19.5% Zn & 10% Pb over
1.5 m
125.0 g/t Ag, 13.7% Zn over
1.5 m
159.0 g/t Ag, 11.3% Zn over 5.6% Pb over
1.5 m
Blackjack Zone
– Previously released results from the Blackjack deposit also intersected appreciable poly-metallic mineralization
with highlight intercepts of
19.4% Zn, 19.2 g/t Ag and 0.4 g/t Au over
30.4 m
in iRH23-18A,
10.7% Zn & 37.0 g/t Ag over
47.9
m
& 15.6% Zn, 8.7% Pb, 420.4 g/t Ag & 0.6 g/t Au over
40.4 m
in iRH23-41, and 10.1 % Zn, 0.6% Pb, 37.0 g/t Ag & 0.3 g/t
Au over
116.3 m
in iRH23-42.
Hole iRH23-18A is the southmost intercepts drilling in the Blackjack deposit that remains open
along strike to the north and south.
FAD Zone
– Drilling was also completed at the FAD deposit as part of the program to advance resource estimates for the poly-
metallic deposits at Ruby Hill. This program confirmed impressive massive sulphide mineralization with the final step-out hole of the
program (PC23-28) demonstrating that the deposit remains open for expansion. This drill program builds on Paycore's successful
program, further defining and expanding gold-rich poly-metallic mineralization at FAD. Previously released results from Paycore's
drill program included
8.0 g/t Au, 79.0 g/t Ag, 10.0% Zn & 1.0% Pb over
27.4 m
in hole (PC22-10), 7.1 g/t Au, 376.0 g/t Ag,
6.3% Zn & 10.3% Pb over
14.8 m
in hole (PC22-08A) and 1.1 g/t Au, 155.0 g/t Ag, 22.0% Zn & 1.5% Pb over
12.5 m
in hole
(PC22-07)
.
The FAD deposit is located approximately 2 km to the south of the Archimedes pit and the mineralization being defined at Ruby
Hill. To-date, FAD is the largest of the known CRD zones that are being drilled on the Property and remains open for expansion.
Results from the 2023 drill program will be released in the coming weeks.
The CRD deposits being drilled at Ruby Hill and FAD are situated within the Hilltop Corridor, a 1.5 km long, alluvial covered, trend
immediately south of the Archimedes pit that is largely untested by previous drilling owing to the alluvial cover.
Figure 1 – Hilltop Surface Plan (CNW Group/i-80 Gold Corp)
Geophysical Surveys
Previous geophysical surveys (MT, gravity and magnetic) have identified several highly perspective anomalies that are believed to
have the potential to represent additional massive sulfide targets including the
Spring Valley
and Deep Blue anomalies. Several of
these surveys contained sparse data south of the Archimedes pit. Recently, surveys have been extended to cover to the southern
boundary of the newly acquired FAD Property, including the largely untested Hilltop Corridor.
Table 1 – Highlight New Assay Results from Ruby Hill
Drillhole ID
Zone
Type
From (m)
To (m)
Length (m)
Au (g/t)
Ag (g/t)
Cu
(%)
Pb (%)
Zn (%)
iRH23-44
Upper Hilltop
Core
NSI
iRH23-45
Graveyard
Stock
Exploration
RC
204.2
312.4
108.2
0.4
10.5
-
-
-
iRH23-46
Upper Hilltop
Core
NSI
iRH23-47
East Hilltop
Core
296.1
297.8
1.7
0.2
229.3
0.1
10.1
14.1
iRH23-48
East Hilltop
Core
242.0
244.8
2.7
2.6
344.0
0.6
6.0
5.8
and
East Hilltop
Core
269.4
285.3
15.8
1.1
174.4
0.2
2.0
3.8
and
East Hilltop
Core
311.1
324.3
13.2
1.5
274.6
-
4.3
4.7
and
East Hilltop
Core
331.6
334.6
3.0
1.2
171.0
0.1
3.6
6.9
iRH23-49
East Hilltop
Core
377.9
380.5
2.7
-
1.6
-
-
14.3
and
East Hilltop
Core
391.4
397.2
5.8
-
8.1
0.2
-
22.4
and
East Hilltop
Core
401.7
404.8
3.0
0.3
8.0
0.2
-
10.9
and
East Hilltop
Core
497.7
502.3
4.6
0.2
111.9
-
2.5
4.8
and
East Hilltop
Core
505.4
511.5
6.1
0.2
197.2
0.3
5.0
7.5
iRH23-50
East Hilltop
RC
272.8
387.1
114.3
-
12.6
0.3
-
9.5
including
East Hilltop
RC
312.4
349.0
36.6
-
10.2
0.4
-
17.7
and incl.
East Hilltop
RC
371.9
387.1
15.2
0.1
48.8
0.6
-
12.9
and
East Hilltop
RC
406.9
414.5
7.6
-
18.6
0.8
-
9.5
iRH23-51
Spring Valley
Exploration
RC
NSI
iRH23-52
Upper Hilltop
Core
175.6
185.6
10.0
2.1
514.8
0.1
23.4
3.1
and
Upper Hilltop
Core
192.5
199.9
7.5
14.7
253.3
-
8.7
0.4
iRH23-53
East Hilltop
Core
229.8
232.9
3.0
2.8
230.3
0.3
1.1
0.3
and
East Hilltop
Core
266.3
269.4
3.2
0.2
317.1
0.2
14.3
9.6
iRH23-54
Upper Hilltop
Core
170.1
202.1
32.0
0.6
332.9
0.1
18.8
8.8
iRH23-55
East Hilltop
Exploration
RC
464.8
466.3
1.5
0.1
159.0
0.3
5.6
11.3
and
East Hilltop
Exploration
RC
469.4
470.9
1.5
0.3
125.0
0.1
1.0
13.7
and
East Hilltop
Exploration
RC
481.6
483.1
1.5
0.7
1181.0
1.2
10.2
19.5
and
East Hilltop
Exploration
RC
553.2
554.7
1.5
0.2
252.0
0.3
1.8
22.3
iRH23-56
Upper Hilltop
Core
175.7
199.3
23.6
1.0
469.4
0.1
15.6
6.8
iRH23-57
East Hilltop
RC
378.0
396.2
18.3
-
6.0
0.2
-
8.6
and
East Hilltop
RC
446.5
458.7
12.2
0.2
146.5
0.1
1.3
2.1
and
East Hilltop
RC
481.6
487.7
6.1
0.2
36.3
-
1.4
7.1
* True widths estimated at 75-95%. Numbers may not add due to rounding.
UTM
Drillhole ID
East m
North m
Elevation m
Azimuth
Dip
iRH23-44
587458
4375132
2000
345
-83
iRH23-45
587860
4375018
2001
102
-71
iRH23-46
587455
4375134
1999
024
-73
iRH23-47
587644
4375083
1995
008
-75
NAD83 Zone 11
iRH23-48
587644
4375078
1995
353
-81
iRH22-49
587852
4375097
1997
273
-76
iRH22-50
587684
4374989
1998
026
-83
iRH22-51
584968
4375353
1904
090
-60
iRH22-52
587456
4375134
2000
016
-66
iRH22-53
587644
4375083
1995
353
-75
iRH22-54
587456
4375134
1999
030
-62
iRH22-55
587618
4374871
2006
081
-70
iRH22-56
587614
4375134
1999
018
-58
iRH22-57
587614
4375015
1998
048
-74
The
Eureka
(Ruby Hill) Mining District has a history of high-grade polymetallic CRD production that began in the 1860's and
spanned a period of more than one hundred years. Historic mined grades rank amongst the highest for any CRD district in the
world. Since the 1960's, the CRD potential of the
Eureka
District has been largely overlooked in favour of exploration for
Carlin
-
type gold deposits and the Company considers the opportunity to be substantial. The Ruby Hill Property is one of the Company's
primary assets and is host to the core processing infrastructure within the
Eureka
District of the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend
including an idle leach plant, an active heap leach facility, and is host to multiple gold, gold-silver and polymetallic (base metal)
deposits.
Multiple types of mineralization have been identified in the Hilltop Corridor including skarn (Blackjack), CRD (Hilltop/historic mines),
distal disseminated Au-Ag (Mineral Point),
Carlin
-type gold (Ruby Deeps/428/Lower Jack) and more recently gold-sulphide
(Tyche).
The Company has submitted for approval its plan to develop an underground mine at Ruby Hill with mineralization accessed via a
ramp from the Archimedes open pit. Work is also progressing for the completion of updated mineral resource estimates (gold and
polymetallic zones) and an initial economic study for the gold zones (only).
Please
click here
for further information on abbreviations and conversions referenced in this press release.
QAQC Procedures
All samples were submitted to American Assay Laboratories (AAL) of
Sparks, NV
, which is an ISO 9001 and 17025 certified and
accredited laboratory, independent of the Company. Samples submitted through AAL and are run through standard prep methods
and analyzed using FA-PB30-ICP (Au; 30g fire assay) and IO
4AB32 (35 element suite; 0.5g 4-acid ICP-OES+MS). AAL
undertakes their own internal coarse and pulp duplicate analysis to ensure proper sample preparation and equipment calibration. i-
80 Gold Corp's QA/QC program includes regular insertion of CRM standards, duplicates, and blanks into the sample stream with
a stringent review of all results.
Qualified Person
Tyler Hill
, CPG-12146, Chief Geologist at i-80 is the Qualified Person for the information contained in this press release and is a
Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.
About i-80 Gold Corp.
i-80 Gold Corp.
is a
Nevada
-focused, mining company with a goal of achieving mid-tier gold producer status through the
development of multiple deposits within the Company's advanced-stage property portfolio with processing at i-80's centralized
milling facilities. i-80 Gold's common shares are listed on the TSX and the NYSE American under the trading symbol IAU:TSX and
IAUX:NYSE. Further information about i-80 Gold's portfolio of assets and long-term growth strategy is available at
www.i80gold.com
or by email at
.
Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of
applicable securities laws, including but not limited to, the expansion or mineral resources at Ruby Hill and the potential of the Ruby
Hill project. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the
actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such
statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan",
"anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or
results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the Company's current
expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.
Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future
performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of
factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information,
including, but not limited to: material adverse changes, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by
applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes
in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify
and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.
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For further information:
Ewan Downie - CEO, Matt Gili - President & COO, Matthew Gollat - Executive Vice-President,
1.866.525.6450, [email protected], www.i80gold.com
CO: i-80 Gold Corp
CNW 06:00e 17-JAN-24