Sun Summit Drills 31.6 G/T Gold Over 4.0 Metres Including 246 G/T Gold Over 0.5 Metres In The Trench Zone And 1.07 G/T Gold Over 109 Metres Including 7.17 G/T Gold Over 5.2 Metres In The Horseshoe Zone; Buck Property, Central BC

Sun Summit Minerals Inc. (TSX-V: SMN; OTC: SMREF) (“Sun Summit” or the “Company”) is pleased to report initial drill results from its fully funded, 2021 exploration program on its Buck Property, central B.C. Assays from five of the 18 completed holes are reported.

Highlights

• Significant high-grade gold mineralization was intersected in the Trench zone:
  • 31.6 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 4.0 metres, including 246 g/t gold over 0.5 metres (BK21-020). 
  • 7.36 g/t gold over 3.0 metres including 21.70 g/t gold over 1.0 metre (BK21-019).
  • These initial results from BK20-012 step-out holes confirm the high-grade potential of this newly discovered area.

• Broad zones of bulk-tonnage style gold mineralization was intersected in the Horseshoe zone:
  • 0.78 g/t gold over 186 metres including 1.07 g/t gold over 109 metres and including 7.17 g/t gold over 5.2 metres (BK21-017). This interval represents the longest continuous zone of significant gold and silver mineralization ever drilled on the property.
  • 0.81 g/t gold over 70.0 metres including 1.04 g/t gold over 43.0 metres (BK21-018).

Note: Intervals are downhole core lengths. True widths are unknown.

Bob Willis, Sun Summit’s CEO, stated: “The 2021 program has started off with exceptional results. Our first hole in the Horseshoe zone cut a long and continuous interval of significant gold mineralization which contained a high-grade zone which clearly indicates the potential of high-grade sweeteners within bulk tonnage-style grades. 

Assays from drill hole BK21-020, a 100-metre step-out from discovery hole BK20-012, in the Trench zone confirms the considerable potential of this area. The vein-hosted mineralization in this new hole yielded the highest gold grade ever drilled at Buck. 

Our systematic approach to investigating the potential of the Buck property is paying off and we look forward to keeping our shareholders informed on our progress as assays are returned from the lab. The current drill phase expanded the footprint of the Trench-Horseshoe mineralized system. The limits of the system have not been reached and it remains open in all directions.”

Trench zone

The three Trench zone holes (BK21-019, 020, and 022; Table 1) were designed to investigate the extent of multiple zones of high-grade gold mineralization discovered in BK20-012 (see news release dated January 5, 2021). 

Table 1. Assay results – Trench zone

BK21-020 was drilled to the south and cut across the west-dipping BK20-012 and intersected (intervals are not true widths) 31.75 g/t AuEQ (gold equivalent; 31.6 g/t gold, 9.4 g/t silver) over 4.0 metres including 247 g/t AuEQ (246 g/t gold, 66.7 g/t silver) over 0.5 metres approximately 100 metres to the southeast of the 49.6 g/t gold over 1.5 metre interval in BK20-012 (Figures 1 and 3; see news release dated January 5, 2021). Here, local quartz + carbonate + sulfide vein-hosted gold mineralization is associated with a broad zone of quartz + sericite alteration peripheral to quartz + feldspar porphyritic dykes. Similarly, BK21-019 cut numerous zones of gold mineralization highlighted by 1.57 g/t AuEQ (1.51 g/t gold, 3.58 g/t silver) over 23.1 metres including 22.04 g/t AuEQ (21.70 g/t gold, 22.20 g/t silver) over 1.0 metre at 133 metres downhole. The higher-grade interval in BK21-019 was cut approximately 25 metres north of the 23.05 g/t gold over 3.0 metre interval in BK20-012 (see news release dated January 5, 2021).  Results from all three holes demonstrate the high-grade potential of this new target area. Tighter-spaced drilling with oriented core is warranted to better define structural orientations of high-grade veins. Assays are pending from nine additional holes in the Trench zone.

Horseshoe zone

The two Horseshoe zone holes (BK21-017 and 018; Table 2) were designed to test the strike-extent of bulk-tonnage, sulfide-cemented breccia-hosted gold mineralization. 

Table 2. Assay results – Horseshoe zone

BK21-017 was collared on the same pad as BK20-012 but drilled in an opposite direction to the east (Figure 1). The hole returned 1.15 g/t AuEQ (1.07 g/t gold, 5.48 g/t silver) over 109 metres associated with a dacite matrix-rich and local sulfide + quartz + carbonate-cemented hydrothermal breccia. BK21-018 was collared 65 metres south of BK21-017 and drilled to the north under BK21-017. The hole returned 0.85 g/t AuEQ (0.81 g/t gold, 2.52 g/t silver) over 70.0 metres including 1.07 g/t AuEQ (1.04 g/t gold, 2.11 g/t silver) over 43 metres associated with sphalerite-rich sulfide-cemented breccias. Together, both holes build on results from 2020 (e.g., BK20-006, 007, 009 and top of 012) and further expand the zone of near-surface, bulk-tonnage style gold mineralization to the east (Figures 1 and 2). All phases of breccias contain gold and silver mineralization associated with clotted, disseminated and breccia-hosted sphalerite (zinc sulfide) and pyrite. Assays are pending from two additional holes in the Horseshoe zone.

Table 3. Drill collar locations

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

All sample assay results have been monitored through the Company’s quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) program. Drill core was sawn in half at Sun Summit’s core logging and processing facility in Houston, B.C. Half the core was sampled and shipped in sealed and secure bags to the ALS Global preparation facilities in Yellowknife, N.T. Samples were prepared using standard preparation procedures. Following sample preparation, the pulps were sent to the ALS Global analytical laboratory in North Vancouver, B.C., for analysis. 

Core samples were analyzed for 48 elements by ICP-MS on a 0.25 gram sample using a four acid digestion (method ME-MS61L). Gold was analyzed by fire assay on a 30 gram sample with an AAS finish (method Au-AA23). Over limit gold (>10 ppm) was re-analyzed by fire assay using a gravimetric finish on a 30 gram sample. Over limit silver (>100 ppm) was re-analyzed using a four acid digestion and ICP-AES finish. Over limit zinc (> 10,000 ppm) was re-analysed using a four acid digestion and ICP-AES finish. ALS Global is registered to ISO / IEC 17025:2017 accreditations for laboratory procedures.

In addition to ALS Global laboratory QA/QC protocols, Sun Summit implements an internal QA/QC program that includes the insertion of duplicates, standards and blanks into the sample stream. 

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure

This news release has been approved by Sun Summit’s CEO, Robert D. Willis, P. Eng. a “Qualified Person” as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. He has also verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical and test data, underlying the technical information in this news release.

Community Engagement 

Sun Summit is working to engage with First Nations whose territory includes the Buck Property, to discuss their interests and identify contract and work opportunities, as well as opportunities to support community initiatives.  We look forward to continuing to work with local and regional First Nations as the project continues.

Buck Property

The recently expanded 33,000-hectare property, approximately 12 kilometres south of Houston, British Columbia, has excellent nearby infrastructure and allows for year-round road-accessible exploration. 

Health and Safety

The Company’s exploration programs are being carried out in full compliance with federal, provincial, and municipal guidelines established in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Sun Summit has a rigorous infection prevention and control protocol in place to protect the health of employees and contractors, as well as surrounding communities in which the Company works.

About Sun Summit

Sun Summit Minerals is an exploration company focused on expanding its epithermal gold discovery at their flagship Buck Project located in north-central British Columbia. 

The Company is exploring multiple high priority gold and silver targets through methodical, well funded exploration campaigns with year round drilling access. The property has high-grade and bulk-tonnage gold and silver potential and is located in a mining-established region that includes many former operating mines and current exploration projects. 

Sun Summit is committed to environmental and social responsibility with a focus on responsible development to generate positive outcomes for all stakeholders.

Further details are available at www.sunsummitminerals.com 

Figures

Figure 1:

https://sunsummitminerals.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Buck_Fig1_Drilling_May11_NR-Au-scaled.jpg  

Figure 2:

https://sunsummitminerals.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Buck_Fig2_EW_Section_May11_NR-Au-scaled.jpg  

Figure 3:

https://sunsummitminerals.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Buck_Fig3_NS_Section_May11_NR-scaled.jpg 

For further information, contact:

Sharyn Alexander, M.Sc.

VP Technical Services

Nancy Curry

Corporate Communications

info@sunsummitminerals.com 

Tel. 778-588-9606

Forward Looking Information

Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences, without limiting the generality of the following, include: risks inherent in exploration activities; volatility and sensitivity to market prices; volatility and sensitivity to capital market fluctuations; the impact of exploration competition; the ability to raise funds through private or public equity financings; environmental and safety risks including increased regulatory burdens; unexpected geological or hydrological conditions; changes in government regulations and policies, including trade laws and policies; failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities; weather and other natural phenomena; and other exploration, development, operating, financial market and regulatory risks. Except as required by applicable securities laws and regulation, Sun Summit Minerals Corp. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.