Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Klondike Gold Corp. (TSX.V:KG; FRA: LBDP) (“Klondike Gold” or the “Company”) provides an update on drilling, timing of assay results, and exploration at the Company’s 527 square kilometer Klondike district property, Yukon Territory.
Summary
- The 2017 drilling season is complete totaling 70 diamond drill holes equal to 8,620 meters drilled.
- Assay results are pending for all 33 holes drilled in Phase III (September – October).
- 250 line kilometers of geophysical surveying is completed – results pending.
- 2017 drilling aimed to test the Bonanza Fault, Nugget Fault, and Eldorado Fault for character and extent of gold mineralization.
- Company is fully funded for an expanded exploration program in 2018.
Drill Status and Production:
Drilling is completed for this year. Two drills remain locally available for work in early spring. In 2017 three phases of drilling were completed: Phase 1 LS17-81 to LS17-98, Phase 2 LS17-99 to LS17-117, and Phase 3 LS17-118 to EC17-150.
4,684 meters of drill core representing 55% of the season’s production was recovered since September 1st in 33 holes (LS17-118 to EC17-150 inclusive). 8,620 meters of drilling has been completed in 70 core holes in 2017 (starting at LS17-81), more than double the meterage planned for exploration going into the season.
Core Sample Assay Status:
Currently there are 45 batches totalling 3,200 core samples at the lab, representing some of Phase 2 (pre-September) and all of Phase 3 so far (LS17-118 to LS17-136) submitted to date. Approximately 20% of these samples are 1 to 3 weeks overdue relative to 6-week predicted assay turn-around time, which is up from a 4-week turn-around time achieved by the lab at the beginning of this season.
The Company’s crew are completing logging and laying out sampling of the last of the drill holes (LS17-137 to EC17-150 inclusive). There still remains approximately 25% representing an estimated 2,500 core samples to be cut; these are expected to be completed and shipped to the lab through November. A description of sample and assay procedures and protocols are disclosed on the Company’s website.
The Company understands that western Canadian assay labs are busy with higher volumes of samples as exploration effort, particularly in Yukon and British Columbia, has been significantly above the previous year. The Company’s method of assay, a “screen for metallics” procedure used for coarse gold analysis requires several weigh-and-fire assay steps rather than one and consequently takes longer. Many companies in western Canada use this method which also exacerbates delays.
Regarding release of Company drill results, we have previously thought to be able to release results regularly through the fall but due to the lab backlog this is not the case. The company had planned for and still anticipates releasing drill assay results this year as they become available but will certainly be releasing results into 2018, similar to timing of release of the Company’s late 2016 drilling with results in January 2017.
Drill Target Summary:
Drilling along the Bonanza Fault tested a strike length of 4 kilometers across the O’Neill, Lone Star, and Pioneer target areas (LS17-81 to LS17-139 inclusive, also 141, 144). The objective of this drilling is to investigate the extent of gold mineralization associated with the strike length of the Bonanza Fault.
Drilling along the Nugget Fault tested up to 2 kilometers along strike from the Nugget prospect (see NR July 14, 2016) with 5 holes (EC17-140, 142, 143, 145, 147). The objective of this drilling is to investigate the gold mineralization, character, and extent along the Nugget Fault - a parallel structure to the Bonanza Fault.
Drilling along the Eldorado Fault tested along a 3.5 kilometer strike length from the Gay Gulch prospect (see NR October 26, 2015) with four holes (EC17-146, 148, 149, 150).
At the Gold Run target area in October, prospecting and mapping observations identified potentially new targets for drilling contingent upon positive assay results from sampling, which are pending. The Company’s Gold Run area is located 55 km away along strike from the Lone Star target at the other end of the Klondike district property.
Geophysics:
In October the Company identified a large “high priority” target area as a result of drilling along the Bonanza Fault. Aurora Geosciences Ltd. of Whitehorse was contracted to conduct magnetics and VLF-EM surveying. Crew from Aurora Geoscience has just completed approximately 250 line kilometers of geophysical surveying in relatively rugged terrain between the Company’s Lone Star target and the Quartz Creek target; this area has not previously been surveyed by any means. Data is being levelled and processed at this time.
Drill plan view maps and sections, along with photos of core, camp and drill sites can be obtained from the “Downloads” portion of the Company’s homepage at www.klondikegoldcorp.com/maps. The technical and scientific information contained within this news release has been reviewed and approved by Peter Tallman, P.Geo, President of Klondike Gold Corp. and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 policy.
ABOUT KLONDIKE GOLD CORP.
Klondike Gold Corp. is a Canadian exploration company with offices in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Dawson City, Yukon Territory. The Company is focused on exploration and development of the Lone Star gold target at the confluence of Bonanza and Eldorado Creeks, within a district scale 527 square kilometer property accessible by government maintained roads located on the outskirts of Dawson City, YT within the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation traditional territory.
