Big Ridge Completes Stage 1 Earn-In at Hope Brook Gold Project
Toronto, September 13, 2022 - Big Ridge Gold Corp. (TSXV: BRAU) (OTCQB: ALVLF) ("Big Ridge") is pleased to announce that it has met the requirements of the first stage earn-in at the Hope Brook Gold Project (the "Project"), located in southwestern Newfoundland and Labrador. The Stage-1 earn-in set out in the company's earn-in agreement (the "Earn-in Agreement") with, among others, First Mining Gold Corp. ("First Mining"), included a requirement to incur eligible expenditures on the Project amounting to $10 million, to issue a total of 15 million common shares of Big Ridge to First Mining and to grant a 1.5% net smelter return royalty on the Project to First Mining, of which 0.5% can be bought back for $2 million. As a result of these actions, Big Ridge now owns a 51% interest in the underlying mineral claims which make up the Project with an option to earn-in up to 80%.
Mike Bandrowski, President & CEO of Big Ridge, commented, "We completed the Stage-1 earn-in requirements for an initial 51% stake in the Hope Brook Gold Project roughly two years ahead of schedule. This significant milestone is the result of hard work by the Big Ridge team and the support of our shareholders. Since completing the Stage 1 spending requirements we have been busy with the Phase I drill program and advancing Hope Brook toward the Project's maiden resource estimate and preliminary economic assessment which is expected to be released in 2023."
Under the terms of the Earn-in Agreement, in order to complete the Stage-2 earn-in to increase its ownership in the Project to 80%, Big Ridge must incur an additional $10 million in exploration expenditures and issue up to an additional 10,000,000 common shares of Big Ridge to First Mining by June 8, 2026. Upon completion of the Stage 2 earn-in, First Mining will be free carried on its 20% ownership interest until Big Ridge completes a Feasibility Study on the Hope Brook Gold Project.
To date, Big Ridge has completed 61 diamond drill holes and released results of 33 of those holes, focusing on connecting the Main Zone and 240 Zone near surface and at depth respectively, and testing the down dip extensions to both the Main and 240 Zones. Results from the Phase 1 drill program will be included in the updated mineral resource estimate that Big Ridge expects to update in H1 2023.
About Hope Brook
The Hope Brook Gold Project is an advanced stage, high-grade gold project that produced 752,162 ounces of gold from 1987 - 1997. Hope Brook hosts an indicated gold resource totalling 5,500,000 tonnes grading 4.77 grams per tonne gold for 844,000 ounces and inferred resources totalling 836,000 tonnes grading 4.11 grams per tonne gold for 110,000 ounces based on a 3.0 gram per tonne cut-off grade and a long-term gold price of US$1,200, according to a technical report for Big Ridge Gold Corp., prepared by authors Michael Cullen, P. Geo., and Matthew Harrington, P. Geo., of Mercator Geological Services Limited and Jeffrey Burke, P. Geo., and titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Hope Brook Gold Project, Newfoundland And Labrador, Canada", April 6, 2021.
The Hope Brook gold deposit is a high-sulfidation epithermal gold deposit hosted in the Proterozoic aged Whittle Hill Sandstone and is intruded by a Late Proterozoic quartz-feldspar porphyry sill-dike complex of the Roti Intrusive Suite. The deposit in located adjacent to and within an extensive advanced argillic alteration envelope which includes pyrophyllite, kaolinite, andalusite, and alunite. The principal gold mineralization occurs in a buff-colored massive, vuggy silicic alteration with an associated, less developed grey silicic alteration with pyrite, chalcopyrite and lesser bornite. Gold mineralization is also found with pyrite in units of advanced argillic alteration adjacent to or near silicic alteration horizons. The altered and mineralized zone is cut by mafic dykes whose contacts are often mineralized. All of the altered and mineralized sequences and the intruded dykes have been folded.
Hope Brook is located 85 kilometers east of Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. The project has well maintained infrastructure on site, including an operational 28-person camp, an 1,100-meter airstrip, ice-free docking facility and importantly, connection to the provincial electrical power grid via an on-site substation.
Significant exploration potential remains on the 26,000-hectare concession providing a great opportunity to expand the mine area as well as surface showings throughout the concessions.
About Big Ridge Gold Corp.
Big Ridge Gold Corp. is an exploration and development company managed by a disciplined and experienced team of officers and directors. The Company is committed to the development of advanced stage mining projects using industry best practices combined with strong social license from our local communities. Big Ridge owns a 100% interest in the highly prospective Oxford Gold Project located in Manitoba and the Destiny Gold Project in Quebec. Big Ridge is the operator of the Hope Brook Gold Project located in Newfoundland and Labrador.
For more details regarding the Company's projects, please visit our website at www.bigridgegold.com
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,
Mike Bandrowski,
President & CEO
For further information, including a copy of the corresponding report filed with Canadian securities regulators, please visit www.sedar.com or contact:
Mike Bandrowski,
President & CEO
Big Ridge Gold Corp.
18 King St. East, Suite 1400
Toronto, ON, M5C 1C4
Tel: 416-540-5480
Email: Mike@bigridgegold.com
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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events, and include, without limitation, statements with respect to Big Ridge's intentions with respect to Caprock's shares. All forward-looking statements are based on Big Ridge's and its employees' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Big Ridge, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Big Ridge does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law.
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