TORONTO, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: BMK, OTC: MCDMF) (“MacDonald Mines” or the “Company”) announces results from 3 channel samples taken at the Glade East Showing as part of its ongoing mechanized stripping and channel sampling program at its 100% owned SPJ Project, 30 km east of Sudbury, Ontario. Channel AGT-21-002B returned 7.19 g/t gold over 4.0 m, including 12.4 g/t gold over 1.0 m. Gold mineralization at Glade East appears to be associated with a quartz vein system similar to the one discovered in holes AG-21-096 and AG-21-097 (see May 13, 2021 News Release), located 225 m away (Figure 1). Diamond drilling is expected to begin in the coming month at Glade and along the 2.3 km Alkin-Glade trend.
Mia Boiridy, President and CEO, comments, “Following the successful initial winter 2021 drilling at Glade, we immediately started mechanized stripping to uncover historical trenches and outcrops in the area. The 9 trenches uncovered are now being systematically mapped and sampled. Today’s results show a potential extension, 225 m to the east, of the quartz veining system that was discovered at Glade West. Our ongoing surface exploration work at Glade is helping us identify drilling targets for our upcoming summer drilling program and is designed to test these gold-bearing structures at depth. Following drilling at Glade, we plan to begin drilling at and around the historical Alkin Mine and continue along the 2.3 km Alkin-Glade trend.”
Channel AGT-21-002B sampled the core of a network of quartz veins with localized visible gold (Figure 2 and Image 1). Channel sampling and mapping will continue in the coming weeks to define the geometry and grade of the gold-bearing quartz veins and shear systems at Glade in preparation for the upcoming drilling program. Ground exploration will also focus on identifying new targets along the 2.3 km Alkin-Glade trend.
Figure 1. Location of reported channel samples
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Figure 2. Plan map of reported results
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Image 1. Sample from AGT-21-002B showing visible gold in quartz vein
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Table 1. Reported channel sampling assay results
| Channel Sample | From (m) | To (m) | Length* (m) | Gold (g/t) | Structure |
| AGT-21-002A | 0.00 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 5.03 | Alkin-Glade Trend |
| AGT-21-002B | 0.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 7.19 | |
| Including | |||||
| 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 12.40 | ||
| 3.10 | 4.00 | 0.90 | 9.36 | ||
| AGT-21-002C | 2.40 | 3.60 | 1.20 | 2.78 | |
*Assay results are presented over the apparent length of the channel samples. Additional work is necessary to define the true width of the zone of mineralization.
Table 2. Coordinates of reported channel samples
| ID | X | Y | Z | Azimuth | Length (m) |
| AGT-21-002A | 529327 | 5165506 | 305.0 | 320 | 3.80 |
| AGT-21-002B | 529324 | 5165502 | 305.0 | 316 | 4.00 |
| AGT-21-002C | 529322 | 5165498 | 302.9 | 335 | 3.60 |
Alkin-Glade
The Alkin-Glade trend is located at the contact between a Nipissing intrusion and sedimentary rocks. The structure hosts two significant zones of mineralization - the historic Alkin Mine and the Glade showings. In the Glade area, Ontario Geological Survey maps and historical exploration identified a broad zone of disruption, alteration, deformation and mineralization that extends over a strike length of 300 m. High-grade gold in quartz veins were reported historically.
The historical Alkin gold mine is located 2.3 km W-NW of the Glade showings. At the Alkin Mine, gold mineralization occurs as a network of quartz veins hosted in the felsic phase of the Nipissing Diabase intrusion that also hosts the Glade showings. Reconnaissance work by the Ontario Geological Survey reported gold assays up to 38.8 g/t gold in grab samples taken from the veins exposed at the Alkin Mine (OFR 5771). The reader is cautioned that grab samples are selective by nature and do not represent the actual grade of the targeted mineralization. In addition, the reader is cautioned that the qualified person has not done enough work to validate the accuracy of the historical results.
MacDonald Mines’ diamond drilling under the Glade West Showing in holes AG-21-096 and AG-21-097 revealed a large alteration and mineralization system where shear-hosted quartz veins are surrounded by networks of gold mineralized, multidirectional and variably spaced quartz tension veins concentrated in the Nipissing intrusion at its northern contact with the Bruce conglomerate. Diamond drilling also identified that mineralization extends in the Espanola limestone along the southern contact of the Nipissing diabase hosting the networks of gold-bearing shear zones and quartz veins. Visible gold was observed in many quartz veins in both holes AG-21-096 and AG-21-097 and in the channel samples taken at Glade East. Surface work at the Glade East showing confirmed comparable mineralization 225 m east of the Glade West discovery.
In some quartz veins, visible gold is associated with iron-rich chlorite alteration emplaced and crosscutting the quartz veins. This association between gold and iron-rich chlorite observed at the Glade West Showing is similar to the association between iron-chlorite and gold at the Scadding Deposit. The potential relationship between the mineralization observed at Glade and the Scadding Deposit, located 800 m north, could represent a considerable extension to that mineralized system.
Upcoming Webinar
MacDonald Mines is providing an opportunity for shareholders and other interested parties to participate in a webinar on Thursday, June 10, 2021, at 4:00 pm EDT. Click on the following link https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cMTqjqvyQoqhkWgM855_nw to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Qualified Person
Jean-François Montreuil, P.Geo., Chief Geologist of MacDonald Mines, is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, responsible for preparing, supervising, and approving this news release’s scientific and technical content.
On-site Quality Assurance/Quality Control (“QA/QC”) Measures
Channel samples were transported in security sealed bags for analyses to Actlabs in Ancaster, Ontario. Individual samples are labelled, placed in plastic sample bags and sealed. Groups of samples are then placed into durable rice bags and then shipped. The samples transported to Actlabs were dropped in rice bags with security seals by Manitoulin Transport. The remaining coarse reject portions of the samples remain in storage if further work or verification is needed.
MacDonald has implemented a quality-control program to comply with best practices in sampling and analyzing channel samples. As part of its QA/QC program, MacDonald inserts external gold standards (low to high grade) and blanks every 20 samples in addition to random standards, blanks, and duplicates. All samples over 10 g/t gold or with visible gold are analyzed using a 1 kg metallic screen.
COVID-19 Precautions
MacDonald Mines has developed and implemented precautions and procedures that are compliant with Ontario’s health guidelines. Strict protocols are in place to ensure the safety of all staff, thereby reducing the potential for community contact and spreading of the virus.
About MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd.
MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. is a mineral exploration company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, that trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “BMK”.
The Company is focused on developing its 100%-owned SPJ Project in Northern Ontario. Following up on its successful 2019/20 exploration and drilling campaigns, MacDonald Mines is focused on what it theorizes to be a large gold system at work on the 18,930 ha property with high-grade gold surrounding the past-producing Scadding Gold Mine and gold/polymetallic mineralization over several kilometres around it.
To learn more about MacDonald Mines, please visit www.macdonaldmines.com
For more information, please contact:
Mia Boiridy, President & CEO, (250) 575-3305, mboiridy@macdonaldmines.com
This News Release contains forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.