Orca Confirms Gold Discovery at Morondo Permit in Cote d'Ivoire

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 31, 2018) - Orca Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE:ORG) ("Orca" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has confirmed the discovery of a significant mineralised system at its Morondo gold exploration permit in Côte d'Ivoire (Figure 1).

Highlights

• New drill intercepts of up to 48m at 1.62g/t Au (MRC054) and 94m at 1.12g/t Au (MRC053)

• Confirmation and expansion of 2010 Red Back Mining Inc. discovery

• Mineralisation over 600m strike and drilled to a depth of up to 170m

• Excellent leaching characteristics in metallurgical test work with +/- 96% recovery in fresh rock

Morondo Drilling

Mineralisation at Morondo was first discovered by Red Back Mining in 2010 with intercepts of up to 66m at 1.53g/t gold from a programme of shallow, reverse circulation ("RC") drilling (<60m vertical). Results in Table 1 below. A mineralised target over 600m in strike length was defined with a true width of up to 150m.

In December 2017, following the receipt of Ministerial approval for the acquisition of a portfolio of exploration permits and applications from Kinross Gold Corporation, Orca completed a short programme of 13 RC holes for 2,211m, testing the mineralisation at Morondo to a vertical depth of 170m. All holes successfully intersected the mineralisation (see Table 2 and Figure 2) over significant widths and up to a maximum of 170m from surface. The zone dips approximately 50° to the north west and is hosted in altered mafic volcanics containing disseminated pyrite.

In 2014, three samples of RC chips taken from fresh rock from the previous programme and containing disseminated sulphides, were submitted for leach test work at the SGS Metallurgical Laboratory in the United Kingdom. These samples returned an average recovery of 96% with moderate to low cyanide and lime consumption.

Based upon the success of our recent drilling, the next programme will include core drilling to confirm geology and provide further samples for metallurgical test work, RC drilling to expand the discovery and further surface exploration on this highly prospective permit.

Commenting on this first programme, Hugh Stuart, President and Director of Orca, said, "I have been waiting to get back on the ground at Morondo for a long time and it is great to be exploring in Côte d'Ivoire again. Our recent drilling programme clearly confirms the resource potential at Morondo first identified by the Red Back exploration team in 2009 - the wait has paid off!

Given the significant widths and shallow dip (50°) of the mineralisation combined with the excellent leach characteristics shown by early metallurgical test work, we see Morondo having the potential to be a large, low strip, bulk mineable project. Our intention is to fast track an economic analysis of this discovery starting with confirmation and expansion of the metallurgical work.

We are also active on the other properties within Orca's extensive portfolio and look forward to reporting on the results from this exciting land package."

Table 1: Previous Drill results

Hole		From		To		Metres		Au g/t
MRC002		49		63		14		0.73
MRC002		69		82		13		1.37
MRC002		92		100		8		0.65
MRC004		10		22		12		0.72
MRC005		8		20		12		0.61
MRC005		38		48		10		0.70
MRC006		2		22		20		0.70
MRC006		40		72		32		1.13
MRC007		22		66		44		0.99
MRC008		43		69		26		0.95
MRC008		76		113		37		1.08
MRC009		8		64		56		1.04
MRC009		70		88		18		0.70
MRC009		104		118		14		0.50
MRC010		2		10		8		0.63
MRC010		23		64		41		0.73
MRC010		79		83		4		3.38
MRC010		92		99		7		1.04
MRC011		47		78		31		0.47
MRC014		0		46		46		1.00
MRC014		56		66		10		1.29
MRC015		12		72		60		1.51
MRC016		0		42		42		1.08
MRC018		14		80		66		1.53
MRC019		6		44		38		1.37
MRC019		52		80		28		0.87
MRC020		0		24		24		1.33
MRC020		32		54		22		0.58
MRC021		0		20		20		1.21
MRC021		38		56		18		0.67
MRC022		0		32		32		0.81
MRC024		46		66		20		1.03
MRC026		36		64		28		0.68
MRC027		14		80		66		0.94
MRC028		2		14		12		1.15
MRC034		8		38		30		0.59
MRC050		18		62		44		0.87
Note: True widths are 90-100% of drilled intercepts

Table 2: 2017 Drill Results

Hole		From		To		Metres		Au g/t
MRC052		11		30		19		1.35
		49		54		5		1.15
		78		84		6		0.85
		101		133		32		1.23
		141		191		50		1.12
MRC053		36		43		7		1.71
		57		151		94		1.12
		168		173		5		1.10
		181		185		4		0.61
MRC054		0		13		13		0.93
		19		53		34		1.13
		61		109		48		1.62
		159		168		9		1.85
		172		180		8		0.73
MRC055		0		27		27		1.02
		36		72		36		1.39
		133		140		7		1.11
MRC056		0		30		30		1.00
		36		60		24		1.39
		68		74		6		0.57
		85		91		6		0.80
		101		109		8		0.96
MRC057		90		104		14		0.73
		111		146		35		1.09
MRC058		49		69		20		0.88
		75		128		53		1.31
		134		200		66		0.73
MRC059		0		25		25		1.56
		37		145		108		0.94
MRC060		0		33		33		1.51
		38		48		10		1.42
		57		69		12		0.81
		74		96		22		0.71
		112		122		10		0.59
MRC061		1		42		41		0.66
		55		79		24		0.61
MRC062		77		87		10		0.66
		108		115		7		0.99
		138		196		58		0.79
MRC063		75		117		42		0.83
		132		170		38		1.00
MRC064		6		86		80		0.89
Note: True widths are 90-100% of drilled intercepts

To view "Figure 1: Location of the Morondo Permit" please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1106973_Fig1.png

To view "Figure 2: Morondo Drill Section Showing 2017 Results" please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1106973_Fig2.png

About Orca Gold Inc.

Orca Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE:ORG) is a Canadian resource company focused on exploration and development opportunities in Africa, where it is currently focused on the development of its 70%-owned Block 14 project in the Republic of the Sudan. The Company has an experienced board of directors and management team and a strong balance sheet.

Qualified Person Statement

The technical contents of this release have been approved by Hugh Stuart, BSc, MSc, a Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Stuart is the President of the Company and a Chartered Geologist and Fellow of the Geological Society of London. Samples used for the results described herein are prepared and analyzed by fire assay using a 50 gram charge at the Bureau Veritas facility in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire in compliance with industry standards. Field duplicate samples are taken and blanks and standards are added to every batch submitted.

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