i-80 Gold drills 13.7% zinc over 57.8 metres at Ruby Hill, Nevada

i-80 Gold Corp. [TSX-IAU; NYSE-IAUX] reported high-grade results from the final three holes completed as part of the multi-year drilling program targeting polymetallic mineralization at the 100%-owned Ruby Hill property, Eureka County, Nevada. These holes will be included in an initial resource estimate for the polymetallic mineralization contained within the Property.

The final three holes were drilled in the East Hilltop Zone, the most recently discovered of the Hilltop deposits, where both Carbonate Replacement Deposit (CRD) and skarn mineralized horizons have been identified – both of which remain open for expansion.

Highlight results from final three holes include 0.2% Zn, 6.3% Pb, 180.0 g/t Ag and 2.2 g/t Au Over 5.0 m (iRH24-01 – CRD); 6.2% Zn, 5.6% Pb, 198.0 g/t Ag and 1.0 g/t Au Over 3.6 m and 13.4% Zn, 2.5% Pb, 93.7 g/t Ag and 0.6 g/t Au over 5.5 m (iRH24-02 – CRD); 13.7% Zn, 0.6% Cu and 17.5 g/t Ag Over 57.8 m (iRH24-03 – Skarn), including 21.6 % Zn, 1.9 % Cu and 54.6 g/t Ag Over 9.5 m.

Ruby Hill represents one of the company’s primary assets and is host to multiple gold, base metal and precious metal-rich polymetallic deposits. Drilling completed between 2022 and 2024 at the Blackjack, Hilltop and FAD deposits intersected significant high-grade mineralization with all deposits remaining open for expansion. The polymetallic (base metal) resource estimate is being completed as part of the company’s plan to advance mine development at Ruby Hill with underground workings accessing both the gold and polymetallic deposits.

“Since the initial discovery less than two years ago, we have been successful in identifying multiple high-grade mineralized zones along the strike of the Hilltop fault structure. These discoveries highlight the geological potential for Ruby Hill to host some of the highest-grade polymetallic mineralization known world-wide,” stated Ewan Downie, CEO. “Our Hilltop discovery has produced some of the highest-grade results anywhere on the globe for this style of mineralization, rich in zinc, gold, silver, lead and locally copper. The final hole of the program returned the best copper intercepts to-date assaying 0.6% Cu over 57.8 m.”

The Hilltop Zones were discovered in 2022 while testing an exploration target proximal to the Archimedes pit Definition and step-out drilling suggests significant growth potential with mineralization remaining open for expansion. Highlight 2023 drill results from the Hilltop zones include:

iRH23-54 – Upper Hilltop Zone: 8.8% Zn, 18.8% Pb, 332.9 g/t Ag and 0.6 g/t Au Over 32.0 m; iRH23-10 – East Hilltop Zone CRD: 9.7% Zn, 10.0% Pb, 226.1 g/t Ag and 0.5 g/t Au Over 8.4 m. iRH23-50 – East Hilltop Skarn (2 zones) southmost step-out to-date: 9.5% Zn, 0.3% Cu and 12.6 g/t Ag over 114.3 m, including 17.7% Zn, 0.4% Cu and 10.2 g/t Ag over 36.6 m and 12.9% Zn, 0.6% Cu and 48.8 g/t Ag over 15.2 m; 9.5% Zn, 0.8% Cu and 18.6 g/t Ag over 7.6 m.

A single exploration hole (iRH23-55) drilled approximately 150 metres south of East Hilltop to test for potential continuation of mineralization along the intrusive contact intersected a broad zone of skarn mineralization with four narrower high-grade zones that include the highest silver grades intersected in skarn so far at Ruby Hill: 252.0 g/t Ag and 22.3% Zn over 1.5 m; 1181.0 g/t Ag, 19.5% Zn, 10.2% Pb and 1.2% Cu over 1.5 m; 125.0 g/t Ag, 13.7% Zn over 1.5 m; and 159.0 g/t Ag, 11.3% Zn over 5.6% Pb over 1.5 m.

The Blackjack deposit consists of high-grade skarn mineralization located immediately below the Archimedes Pit, proximal to the west contact of the Graveyard Flats intrusive. Hole iRH23-18A is the southmost intercept in the Blackjack deposit that remains open along strike to the north and south. These results will be included in an initial resource estimate for this zone.

The FAD deposit is located approximately 2 km to the south of the Archimedes pit and the multiple polymetallic zones being defined at Ruby Hill.

The Ruby Hill Property is host to the only 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.

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 initial mineral resource estimates on the polymetallic mineralization followed by initial economic study(s).

i-80 Gold 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.