i-80 Gold drills 10.1% zinc over 116.3 metres at Ruby Hill, Nevada

i-80 Gold Corp. [TSX-IAU; NYSE-IAUX] reported continued high-grade polymetallic results from the continuing drill program at the company’s Ruby Hill property, located in Eureka County, Nevada.

The current drill program is focused on both defining and expanding high-grade mineralization in multiple target areas including the Blackjack (skarn) and the Hilltop (skarn and polymetallic CRD) Zones, and advancing metallurgical work associated with these deposits. The most recent intercepts in the Blackjack Zone include the first hole drilled from the east side of the Archimedes pit, which intersected significant high-grade mineralization at depth in the southern portion of the deposit where it remains open for expansion. Highlight results from new drilling include:

Blackjack Zone: iRH23-42 returned 8.3 % Zn, 0.6 % Pb, 50.1 g/t Ag & 0.6 g/t Au over 20.1 m. iRH23-42A returned 10.1 % Zn, 0.6 % Pb, 37.0 g/t Ag & 0.3 g/t Au over 116.3 m, including 16.3 % Zn, 0.5 % Pb, 42.3 g/t Ag & 0.3 g/t Au over 39.7 m and 14.5% Zn, 1.0% Pb, 59.9 g/t Ag & 0.2 g/t Au over 16.3 m.

iRH23-43B returned 16.1 % Zn, 0.1 % Pb, 12.4 g/t Ag & 0.5 g/t Au over 16.1 m. Also 12.2% Zn, 0.1% Pb, 20.1 g/t Ag & 0.9 g/t Au over 8.6 m.

“The exceptional results being realized at Ruby Hill have attracted significant interest with high-grade polymetallic mineralization being defined in multiple target areas,” stated Tyler Hill, Chief Geologist. “Recent drilling has returned some of the highest-grade mineralization to-date in the Blackjack Zone as we continue to step-out to the south and at depth. Additionally, following the construction of the new drill stations better suited to intersect the East Hilltop Zones, substantial CRD and Skarn mineralization is being defined highlighting the potential to expand mineralization in these recently discovered zones.”

These new intercepts are complemented by other recent drilling at Blackjack including iRH23-41 that intersected both CRD and skarn mineralized zones that assayed 15.6% Zn, 8.7% Pb, 420.4 g/t Ag and 0.6 g/t Au over 40.4 m (CRD) and 10.7 % Zn, 0.4% Pb, 0.2 g/t Au & 37.0 g/t Ag over 47.9 m (skarn).

Skarn mineralization in the Blackjack Zone occurs proximal to the contact of the Graveyard Flats intrusive, and identical geological setting at the East Hilltop Skarn Zone located approximately three hundred metres (300 m) to the south. Future drilling will test this large area as no previous drilling has been completed between these two high-grade horizons.

Drilling is also being completed in the Upper and East Hilltop Zones situated along the Hilltop fault structure where multiple zones of mineralization have now been defined over a strike length of approximately 750 metres including the Upper, Lower and East Hilltop Zones. As part of the ongoing drilling campaign, several holes are currently being drilled to advance metallurgical knowledge related to the polymetallic mineralization at Ruby Hill. This work is being funded by a third-party company that has recently entered into exclusivity with i-80 to acquire a minority joint venture interest in the Ruby Hill Property.

The ongoing drill program is also testing the FAD deposit that is located approximately 2 km south of Ruby Hill where earlier drilling completed by Paycore returned intercepts of up to 8.0 g/t Au, 79.0 g/t Ag, 10.0% Zn and 1.0% Pb over 27.4 m in hole PC22-10, and 7.1 g/t Au, 376.0 g/t Ag, 6.3 % Zn & 10.3% Pb over 14.8 m in hole PC22-08.

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. The target is to commence construction in 2024 to provide underground platforms for definition drilling and mining operations.

Multiple types of mineralization have been identified in the Hilltop Corridor including skarn (Blackjack), CRD (Hilltop/historic mines), distal disseminated Au-Ag mineralization (Mineral Point) and locally Carlin-type gold.

i-80 Gold has 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.