Sokoman Minerals Provides Update on Fleur de Lys Gold Project North-Central Newfoundland Detailed prospecting to begin in August ahead of trenching/drilling
Sokoman Minerals Provides Update on Fleur de Lys Gold Project
North-Central Newfoundland
Detailed prospecting to begin in August ahead of trenching/drilling
St. John’s, NL, July 7, 2023: – Sokoman Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SIC) (OTCQB: SICNF) (the
“Company” or “Sokoman”) is pleased to provide an update on the planned exploration of the Fleur
de Lys gold project on the Baie Verte Peninsula, in north-central Newfoundland. Company geologists
and prospectors recently toured gold systems in Dalradian / Caledonian rocks in Northern Ireland
which are equivalent to the Appalachian, Fleur de Lys Supergroup rocks, including mineralization in
and around the world-class Curraghinalt gold deposit. Curraghinalt is host to >6 million ounces of NI
43-101 compliant* gold resources in 20+, discrete quartz veins ranging from tens of centimeters to
more than 1.5 m in thickness . The veins have strike lengths in excess of 1.8 km and have been
intersected in drill holes to 1,000 m vertically with t he resources calculated by SRK Consulting
(Canada) in 2018 to a 400 m depth. Curraghinalt, which remains open at depth , is the largest gold
deposit in the Appalachian-Caledonian Orogen.
Tim Froude, President and CEO of Sokoman, commented: “We are extremely thankful for the
opportunity to visit Northern Ireland and examine the geological setting of gold in Dalradian rocks of
the Sperrin Mountains and adjacent terranes to aid in our broader assessment of Sokoman’s Fleur de
Lys gold project. A week in the field and underground, viewing core from the deposits, and meetings
with the British Geological Survey (BGS), industry geologists, and local prospectors , has been
invaluable in helping our team understand i) the controls on gold deposition in the very familiar -
looking Dalradian rocks, and ii) gold exploration strategies that have prove n successful in this
segment of Irish/UK Caledonides. Several crucial elements pertaining to the distribution of gold
in Dalradian rocks are directly applicable to evaluating Sokoman’s gold in till anomalies at
Fleur de Lys including 1) the regional structural setting; 2) the absolute ages and relative timing
of gold mineralizing events and poly-phase tectonism; 3) vein styles, and proximity to the Clew-
Bay/Omagh crustal-scale terrane boundary – the Baie Verte Line equivalent; 4) local, specific,
lithological controls; 5) the proximity to gold-rich VMS in adjacent terranes; and 6) the physical
nature and distribution of the gold at Curraghinalt.
This data highlighted the critical commonalities, vis-à-vis gold, between the Sperrin Mountains
(e.g., Curraghinalt) and the Fleur de Lys belt at regional, property, and outcrop scales. Our
mission in Northern Ireland was to learn about gold in this part of the world and apply it to exploration
plans in the Fleur de Lys belt in Newfoundland. Given what we learned, we left even more confident
about the potential of our Fleur de Lys gold project . The Company, with input from Overburden
Drilling Management, is prioritizing the anomalies for a detailed follow -up prospecting program
beginning in August, with significant results to be further explored by trenching or diamond drilling.”
Gold-bearing quartz float; Curraghinalt gold deposit underlies the field in the foreground
Exposure of gold-bearing quartz vein in graphitic schist and psammite near Curraghinalt
Narrow high-grade quartz-pyrite (gold bearing) vein near Curraghinalt
About the Fleur de Lys Gold Project
The 100%-owned project is located on the west side of the Baie Verte Peninsula in north -central
Newfoundland. The area has a long history of base metal and gold production dating back to the
1860s. The project is highly prospective for Dalradian -style (e.g., Curraghinalt) orogenic , vein-
hosted, gold deposits and as such, represents a readily accessible , yet underexplored, district-scale,
gold target in the Newfoundland Appalachians. The Fleur de Lys Supergroup, which underlies the
project, includes equivalent rocks to the Dalradian Supergroup in the UK, where three significant
gold deposits, including the Curraghinalt and Cavanacaw deposits in Northern Ireland, and Cononish
in Scotland are found. The Dalradian, vein-hosted, gold deposits occur in moderate to high -grade
metamorphic terranes and are typically high grade.
Prior to Sokoman’s exploration, the Fleur de Lys belt had seen little modern exploration with some
areas completely unexplored, even though historical grab sample values of 3.3 g/t Au to 25.5 g/t Au
were reported from several locations (note: historical assays have not been verified by the Company
and should not be relied upon) . Sokoman’s Fleur de Lys property is ideally suited to cost -effective
exploration with excellent access and infrastructure, a supportive local population, a long history of
mining, and support businesses.
To date , the Company has completed a property scale C -horizon till sampling program (1,260
samples) implemented and overseen by Overburden Drilling Management (ODM), which has
outlined strongly anomalous gold in tills overlying favourable rocks and structures with significant
gold values in both float and bedrock. The background level of gold grains in tills for the project has
been determined to be 10 grains in a 10 - to 12-kilogram sample of screened till. ODM considers a
Fleur de Lys sample to be anomalous if it contains two-times background or 20 gold grains. Results
indicate that of the 1,260 samples collected, 328 samples, or just over 25%, have at least 20 gold
grains (to a maximum of 230 grains) and are considered anomalous. Fifty-five (55) samples contain
at least 60 grains ( six-times background) with multiple samples containing more than 50% pristine
gold grains. Gold grains described as pristine are considered to be from a local bedrock source. Of
note - most gold grains at Fleur d e Lys are small ( <1 mm) as is most of the gold at Curraghinalt,
where gold is intimately associated with pyrite mineralization in quartz veins.
In addition, limited prospecting has located anomalous gold in bedrock and float with 34 samples
giving gold values >100 ppb Au (0.1 g/t Au), including 18 samples >500 ppb Au (0.5 g/t Au), and 10
samples >1000 ppb Au (>1.0 g/t Au) with a maximum of 6.2 g/t Au. The highest gold value was in
an outcrop (a grab sample) in an area of strong gold-grain counts. A regional airborne magnetic survey
(Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) - 2015) over the Baie Verte Peninsula suggests that multiple
crosscutting structures occur in the vicinity of several strong gold in till anomalies and in multiple
rock (grab and f loat) gold-bearing samples, all within a 5 -8 km corridor adjacent to the Baie Verte
Line. Interpretation of the till results by ODM defines a target area of 30 km strike-length, with better-
defined anomalies located within this 30 km long area.
Panned, fine gold grains from surface vein exposure at Curraghinalt
QP
This news release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Froude, P. Geo., a "Qualified Person"
under National Instrument 43-101 and President and CEO of Sokoman Minerals Corp.
Till Sampling QA/QC
The till samples were collected by Sokoman personnel using field collection techniques provided by
ODM. All samples were hand dug to the desired depth (C -Horizon Till) with a 10 - to 12-kg sieved
sample (8 mesh) placed in a clear plastic sample bag and sealed. Samples were shipped in plastic
pails by bonded courier to the ODM lab in Ottawa, Ontario. The till samples are processed using
procedures designed to progressively concentrate the heavy minerals, expose the gold grains and
prepare a split of the heavy mineral concentrate (“HMC”) suitable for geochemical analysis if
requested. The sample is wet screened at 2 mm with a preliminary concentrate extracted from the -2
mm fraction by tabling. Geological observations on the character of the sample are made during both
the screening and tabling operati ons. The table concentrate is purposely large (typically 300 -400 g)
and of low grade (10 %-25% heavy minerals) in order to achieve a high, 80 % to 90% recovery rate
for all desired heavy minerals irrespective of their grain size or relative specific gravity. The gold
grains, more than 95% of which are normally silt-sized (Averill 2001), are observed at this stage with
the aid of micro-panning and are counted, measured, and classified as to degree of wear (ie distance
of glacial transport), then returned to the table concentrate. The pyrite content of the pan concentrate
is estimated and the number of grains of heavier, visually distinctive indicator minerals such as
arsenopyrite, galena, scheelite, cinnabar, etc. is recorded.
Quality Control and Quality Assurance Measures
In addition to using field duplicates to monitor the quality of the indicator mineral data obtained from
specific projects, ODM performs blind tests to ensure that the recovery rates for all targeted minerals
are consistently in the 80% to 90% range. Furthermore, both the quality of the mineral separation and
the overall mineralogy of the concentrate are visible at every stage of the concentration process,
minimizing the potential for sample mix-ups, indicator mineral carryover between samples, and other
potential contamination issues. For example, gold grains, which are the most important indicator
mineral on many surveys, are more susceptible to inter -sample carryover than any other indicator
mineral due to their very small size, but these grains are physically observed during the first stage of
mineral concentration, tabling, and if anomalous concentrations are present, blank samples are tabled
and carefully inspected for gold grains before the next project sample is processed.
Rock Sample Analysis
Rock sample analysis (gold by fire assay) completed at Eastern Analytical Ltd., in Springdale NL.
Samples were delivered in sealed bags directly to the lab by Sokoman Minerals ’ personnel. Eastern
Analytical is an accredited assay lab that conforms to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025. Eastern
routinely inserts industry-accepted standards and blanks in all sample runs performed as well as
completing random duplicate analysis.
About Sokoman Minerals Corp.
Sokoman Minerals Corp. is a discovery -oriented company with projects in the province of
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Company's primary focus is its portfolio of gold projects;
the 100%-owned flagship, advanced-stage Moosehead, as well as Crippleback Lake (available for
option); and East Alder along the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, and the district -scale Fleur de
Lys project near Baie Verte in north-central Newfoundland, that is targeting Dalradian-type orogenic
gold mineralization similar to the Curraghinalt and Cavanacaw deposits in Northern Ireland. The
Company also entered into a strategic alliance with Benton Resources Inc. through three, large-scale,
joint-venture properties including Grey River, Golden Hope, and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland.
Sokoman now controls , independently and through the Benton Alliance, over 150,000 hectares
(>6,000 claims – 1500 sq. km), making it one of the largest landholders in Newfoundland, in Canada’s
newest and rapidly-emerging gold districts. The Company also retains an interest in an early -stage
antimony/gold project (Startrek) in Newfoundland, optioned to Thunder Gold Corp (formerly White
Metal Resources Inc.) , and in Labrador, the Company has a 100% interest in the Iron Horse (Fe)
project which has Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) potential.
Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or n earby and/or referenced properties is not necessarily
indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's property.
*The Curraghinalt deposit has >6 million ounces of NI 43-101 compliant gold resources including
6.34 million tonnes at 15.01 grams per tonne (Measured and Indicated) for 3.06 million ounces;
and 7.72 million tonnes at 12.24 grams per tonne gold (Inferred) for 3.03 million ounces {2018
Mineral Resource Statement, Curraghinalt Gold Project, Northern Ireland, SRK Consulting
(Canada)}.
The Company would like to thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for past financial
support of the Fleur de Lys project through the Junior Exploration Assistance Program.
For further information, please contact:
Sokoman Minerals
Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President & CEO
Phone: 709-765-1726
Email: [email protected]
Cathy Hume, VP Corporate Development, Director
Phone: 416-868-1079 x251
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sokomanmineralscorp.com
Twitter: @SokomanMinerals
Facebook: @SokomanMinerals
LinkedIn: @SokomanMinerals
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release.
Investors are cautioned that trading in the securities of the Corporation should be considered
highly speculative. Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertaintie s. Actual results may differ
materially. Sokoman Minerals Corp. will not update these forward -looking statements to reflect
events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors
that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the
Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Sokoman Minerals Corp.