Troilus Gold drills 2.72 g/t AuEq over 34 metres at Troilus project, Quebec
Troilus Gold Corp. [TLG-TSX; CHXMF-OTCQX; CM5R-FSE] reported assay results from zone X22 at its 100%-owned Troilus project, located in north-central Quebec, Canada. The results form part of a continuing 6,500-metre drill campaign designed to define and expand this new zone of mineralization discovered in late 2022, which originates in the western wall of the formerly mined Z87 pit and now extends for one kilometre southwest into the Gap zone.
The company has completed 6,000 metres of the planned 6,500-metre drill program, with over 4,000 metres of assays pending. Based on the excellent results to date, an additional 1,300 metres of drilling is planned to continue delineating this expanding zone.
Today’s results have extended mineralization at X22 by an additional 150 metres to the southwest, for a total strike length of 1 km and remains open to the southwest and at depth. The footprint of X22 has grown significantly, with drilling demonstrating much higher-than-average grade, over significant widths. All results reported herein lie entirely outside of the preliminary economic assessment pit shells and will be included in the coming feasibility study.
Zone X22 drill intercept highlights: Hole X22-23-027 confirmed mineral continuity to the southwest by an additional 150 metres with one of the best intervals drilled at X22 to date: 34 metres at 2.72 g/t AuEq (gold equivalent), including 6 metres at 10.83 g/t AuEq, and 2 metres at 26.83 g/t AuEq.
Hole X22-23-024 intersected 34.5 metres at 1.49 g/t AuEq, including 19.5 metres at 1.66 g/t AuEq and 4.5 metres at 2.55 g/t AuEq, 150 metres beyond the PEA pit shell.
Hole X22-23-014 returned 12 metres at 1.37 g/t AuEq, within a broader intersection of 42 metres at 0.72 g/t AuEq, extending down-dip mineralization by 50 metres beyond previously reported hole X22-22-002, which intersected 2.42 g/t AuEq over 9 metres within a broader intersection of 50 metres at 0.77 g/t AuEq.
Justin Reid, CEO, commented: “These results continue to demonstrate the continuity and strong grade profile of the newly discovered X22 zone. Its proximity to surface and to the Z87 pit shell make X22 an ideal target in the early years of mine development, with strong potential to positively impact the grade profile. The team has been very successful in modelling and understanding the controls of mineralization at X22, and through targeted drilling have delineated a continuous gold zone covering a one-kilometre strike length, which remains open to the southwest and at depth. We look forward to the continued influx of assays from across X22 in the coming weeks to further understand how they can positively impact our upcoming feasibility study.”
Zone X22 is hosted within a D2 structural corridor that overprints a tonalitic body within the Troilus intrusion. Where D1 structures intersect this corridor, endowment of higher grades can occur. Similar to other zones at Troilus, the primary control on high-grade distribution is a stretching lineation, which has been measured with the use of oriented core.
This understanding will drive the optimization of subsequent drill campaigns to target higher grades. Drill hole X22-23-027 returned an interval of 10.83 g/t AuEq over six metres, one the best intervals drilled at X22 to date, and now connects mineralization of X22 with previously drilled holes located in the Gap zone, covering over one kilometre of strike length. An additional 1,300 metres of focused drilling has been allocated to expand on today’s encouraging results.
Drilling at X22 has continued to deliver excellent results marked by strong continuity of mineralization at high grades and in close proximity to the Z87 pit, which is expected to have a significant impact on the Z87 pit design, constraints and ore release early in the mine life. As a result of this rapidly evolving zone and its impact on the project, X22 drilling, including the near-complete 6,500-metre program, as well as the additional planned 1,300 metres of drilling, will be included in the coming mineral resource estimate (MRE) and feasibility study in order to deliver the most accurate representation of the project.
Troilus Gold is advancing and de-risking of the former gold and copper Troilus mine toward production. From 1996 to 2010, the Troilus mine produced over 2 million ounces of gold and nearly 70,000 tonnes of copper. Troilus covers 1,420 km2 in the Frotet-Evans greenstone belt. The company is advancing engineering studies following the completion of a robust PEA in 2020, which demonstrated the potential for the Troilus project to become a top-ranked gold and copper producing asset.