Nighthawk Intersects 68.00 Metres of 2.24 Gpt Gold (uncut), Including 6.40 Metres of 5.70 Gpt Gold and expands Colomac's Zone 3.5 down plunge

TSX: NHK

TORONTO, Sept. 11, 2018 /CNW/ - Nighthawk Gold Corp. ("Nighthawk" or the "Company") (TSX: NHK; OTCQX: MIMZF) is pleased to report drill results from seven holes (2,325 metres) recently completed within high-grade Zone 3.5, part of its 100% owned Colomac Gold Project ("Colomac"). Drilling focused on expanding the high-grade mineralization that was intercepted in the Company's 2012 program and which returned several extensive gold intercepts (Table 1).

Zone 3.5 lies within the southern portion of the Colomac sill, 2.8 kilometres south-southwest of high-grade Zone 1.5 (Figure 1). Current driling targeted and intersected the northward extension of the zone, highlighted by hole C18-09 which tracked mineralization further down plunge to the north intersecting 68.00 metres of 2.24 grams per tonne gold ("gpt" "Au"), including 32.00 metres of 3.59 gpt Au, and 6.40 metres of 5.70 gpt Au. 

HIGHLIGHTS OF DRILLING:

• Hole C18-04 intersected 41.85 metres (10.00 metre true width) of 2.81 gpt Au, including 22.80 metres of 4.04 gpt Au, and 6.15 metres of 5.60 gpt Au;
• Hole C18-06 intersected 71.50 metres (27.00 metre true width) of 1.53 gpt Au, including 23.75 metres of 2.46 gpt Au, and 9.65 metres of 3.58 gpt Au;
• Hole C18-07 intersected 36.50 metres (17.00 metre true width) of 1.84 gpt Au, including 25.75 metres of 2.25 gpt Au, and 16.75 metres of 2.55 gpt Au;
• Hole C18-09 intersected 68.00 metres (19.00 metre true width) of 2.24 gpt Au, including 32.00 metres of 3.59 gpt Au, and 6.40 metres of 5.70 gpt Au – with a further downhole intersection of 31.75 metres (9.00 metre true width) of 2.46 gpt Au, including 13.00 metres of 3.26 gpt Au, and 4.50 metres of 4.34 gpt Au;
• Hole C18-12B intersected 85.50 metres (22.00 metre true width) of 1.15 gpt Au, including 25.50 metres of 2.49 gpt Au, and 9.75 metres of 4.48 gpt Au;
• Confirmation of the steep northern plunge to high-grade Zone 3.5;
• Zone appears to widen at depth to upwards of 80.00 metres true width; and
• Mineralization remains open down plunge, with resource expansion potential to depth

Note: All assays are uncut (see Table 1)

Dr. Michael Byron, President and CEO commented, "Zone 3.5 was the first area within the Colomac sill that showed the capacity to host discrete higher-grade domains. Our drill results to-date have confirmed this and demonstrated that the zone shows a high degree of consistency and continuity of mineralization to depth, mimicking in many ways what we have shown to be true for high-grade Zone 1.5.  Our work in both of these areas has delivered a solid understanding of the exploration and resource growth potential that these higher-grade gold domains represent for the Colomac sill, and remain key areas of focus for exploration at Colomac."

Table 1. Zone 3.5 Drill Results (uncut)

Zone 3.5

Nighthawk previously drilled Zone 3.5 in 2012 (see press releases dated August 30, 2012; September 19, 2012; and October 10, 2012), a total of thirteen holes were drilled (4,635 metres) all of which intersected mineralization. The 2012 drilling tested for the existence of a higher-grade zone within the southern portion of the Colomac sill, and explored the zone's continuity of mineralization along strike and to depth. That work established the northward expansion of Zone 3.5 (see press release dated August 20, 2012), and the discovery of another possible higher-grade gold zone plunging to depth beneath Zone 3.0. Results also verified the broadening of Zone 3.5 to the north, and its possible convergence with Zone 3.0.

In 2012 Nighthawk drilled one subvertical hole into the core of Zone 3.5 to investigate for possible variations in mineralized quartz vein/stringer density and to test grade continuity.  Hole C12-15 was drilled from the hanging wall of the sill through to the footwall and intersected greater vein densities and higher overall average grades, returning 203.40 meters grading 2.49 gpt Au including higher-grade subintervals of 69.35 meters of 4.12 gpt Au, 25.75 meters of 7.78 g/t gold and 33.85 meters of 3.03 g/t gold, thereby confirming the zone's consistency and high-grade character from surface to a vertical depth of 400 metres (see press release dated October 10, 2012).

The holes reported herein were laid out to better define the dimensions and exploration potential of Zone 3.5, and to infill gaps in near surface drill coverage in the current resource.  Hole C18-04 targeted a void within the southern part of the zone (Figure 1) positioned between historical drill holes that cut shallow mineralization and Nighthawk's 2012 drilling that intersected better mineralization to depth. Hole C18-04 intersected two bands of mineralization, a shallow one to 90 metres vertical depth and a deeper one from 140 metres to 210 metres vertical that returned 41.85 metres of 2.81 gpt Au, including 22.80 metres of 4.04 gpt Au, and 6.15 metres of 5.60 gpt Au, confirming that the gap on this section relates to a non-mineralized quartz gabbro unit lying between a mineralized upper and lower quartz diorite (Figure 2).

Two additional holes were laid out to test the northern extension of the resource gap. Hole C18-06 was collared 40 metres north of C18-04 and hole C18-07 another 45 metres north of C18-06. Hole C18-06 intersected 71.50 metres of 1.53 gpt Au, including 23.75 metres of 2.46 gpt Au, and 9.65 metres of 3.58 gpt Au; and C18-07 intersected 36.50 metres of 1.84 gpt Au, including 25.75 metres of 2.25 gpt Au, and 16.75 metres of 2.55 gpt Au, collectively infilling the gap upwards of 100 metres along strike and to 150 metres vertical depth.

Hole C18-09 probed the projected down plunge extension of the zone 60 metres north of C18-07 and infilled a substantial opening in the current resource. The hole intersected two broad mineralized zones to 425 metres depth and confirmed the zone's steep northern plunge intersecting 68.00 metres of 2.24 gpt Au, including 32.00 metres of 3.59 gpt Au, and 6.40 metres of 5.70 gpt Au; and a lower intersection of 31.75 metres of 2.46 gpt Au, including 13.00 metres of 3.26 gpt Au, and 4.50 metres of 4.34 gpt Au (Figure 3).  The zone shows a widening to depth on this section to upwards of 80 metres true width.

Holes C18-12 and C18-12B were collared 50 metres northeast of C18-09 to continue testing the northern down plunge extension of the zone.  The shallower C18-12 hole appears to have overshot the plunge of the zone intersecting weakly mineralized quartz diorite, while the steeper C18-12B hole intersected 85.50 metres of 1.15 gpt Au, including 25.50 metres of 2.49 gpt Au, and 9.75 metres of 4.48 gpt Au (Figure 4), clearly demonstrating the steeply north plunging trajectory of the zone.

Drilling to-date has established Zone 3.5 as a higher-grade domain of strong continuity and expansion potential. Nighthawk's repeated discovery and recognition of the association between distinct higher-grade plunging domains within more extensive and broadly mineralized zones continues to point to the widespread resource expansion opportunities at Colomac. The higher-grade domains defined to date support the likelihood that similar mineralized gold shoots exist along the intrusion's 9 kilometre strike length.

Technical Information

Nighthawk has implemented a quality-control program to comply with best practices in the sampling and analysis of drill core.  Drill core samples were transported in security-sealed bags for analyses at ALS Chemex Assay Laboratory in Vancouver, BC ("ALS Chemex").  ALS Chemex is an ISO 9001:2000 certified laboratory. Pulp and metallics assaying for gold was conducted on the entire pulverized sample.

As part of its QA/QC program, Nighthawk inserts external gold standards (low to high grade) and blanks every 20 samples in addition to the standards, blanks, and pulp duplicates inserted by ALS Chemex.

About Nighthawk

Nighthawk is a Canadian-based gold exploration company with 100% ownership of a district-scale land position within the Indin Lake Greenstone Belt, located approximately 200 km north of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Nighthawk is focused on advancing the Colomac Gold Project with a current inferred resource of 2.6 million ounces of gold (50.3 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.62 grams per tonne gold), as well as advancing its other regional gold deposits and showings within this largely underexplored Archean gold camp.

The Company has an experienced and dedicated team and is well funded to complete its goals and objectives over the next 18-24 months.

Qualified Person

Dr. Michael J. Byron, Ph.D., P.Geo., President & Chief Executive Officer of Nighthawk, who is the "Qualified Person" as defined by NI 43-101 for this project, has reviewed and approved of the technical disclosure contained in this news release. Please refer to NI 43-101 technical report "Technical Report and mineral resource estimate update on the Colomac Property of the Indin Lake Project", dated June 17, 2013, as filed under the company's profile on www.sedar.com.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange has neither reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information with respect to the Company's exploration plans and its drilling program, the timing and results thereof; and any ability to add tonnes and ounces in any future resource update for Colomac. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate", or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will be taken", "occur", or "be achieved".

Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is made, and is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Nighthawk to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including risks associated with the exploration, development and mining such as economic factors as they effect exploration, future commodity prices, changes in foreign exchange and interest rates, actual results of current exploration activities, government regulation, political or economic developments, environmental risks, permitting timelines, capital expenditures, operating or technical difficulties in connection with development activities, employee relations, the speculative nature of gold exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities of grades of reserves, contests over title to properties, and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined as well as those risk factors discussed in Nighthawk's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2016, available on www.sedar.com. Although Nighthawk has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Nighthawk does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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SOURCE Nighthawk Gold Corp.