MONTREAL, Nov. 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midland Exploration Inc. (“Midland”) (TSX-V: MD) is pleased to announce the completion of several exploration programs on its active projects in the Abitibi region. These gold projects are located in the Detour Lake belt (Sunday Lake and Lower Detour faults), in an area southwest of Chapais, and along the prolific Cadillac Break.

In the Detour Lake belt, several exploration programs were conducted this fall, with drilling on the Samson project, geophysical and geochemical surveys on the Gaudet-Fenelon and La Peltrie properties in partnership with Probe Metals Inc. (“Probe”), as well as compilation and targeting work on the Casault project, in partnership with Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd (“Wallbridge”). Drilling was also conducted with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (“Agnico Eagle”) on the Maritime-Cadillac project, as well as mechanical stripping on the Lewis project located southwest of Chapais.

Due to current delays experienced in assay laboratories, all assay results from these various exploration programs are expected to come in early December.

Highlights:

• Two (2) drill holes (1, 311 m) completed on Maritime-Cadillac
• Seven (7) drill holes (1,810 m) completed on Samson – Golden Delilah
• Geophysical and geochemical surveys conducted on La Peltrie and Gaudet-Fenelon
• Stripping completed on a new gold showing on Lewis
• Assay results expected in early December for all these programs
• Several drilling campaigns to come in the winter of 2021 with a minimum of 5,000 metres

Cadillac Break

The Maritime-Cadillac property, a joint venture between Agnico Eagle (51%) and Midland (49%), is located along the Cadillac Break in Abitibi, Quebec.

A drilling campaign consisting of two (2) drill holes totalling 1,311,0 metres was conducted this fall on the Maritime-Cadillac JV property in partnership with Agnico Eagle. The drilling program included one drill hole (121-20-41) totalling 879.0 metres and testing the down-plunge extension of the Dyke East zone at a vertical depth of 700 metres. The drill hole intersected the target over approximately 15 metres core length: an intermediate intrusion altered to biotite-carbonate-chlorite and containing up to 2% pyrite-pyrrhotite mineralization with trace arsenopyrite, from 761.5 to 776.5 metres depth.

The second hole in the program was drilled to a final depth of 432.0 metres and was designed to test two parallel gold-bearing zones associated to mafic volcanic rocks and ultramafic talc-chlorite carbonate schists contact (the South and North zones), identified in drill hole in a historically underexplored area south of the Maritime-Cadillac zone. Drill hole 121-20-40 intersected mafic volcanic rocks alternating with sediments locally altered to biotite and containing up to 2-3% pyrite-pyrrhotite mineralization over metre-scale intervals and both South and North volcanic rocks and ultramafic schists contact zones.

Detour Lake belt

On the Samson project, wholly owned by Midland, a second drilling campaign was completed in early October. This campaign was designed to follow up on the new gold discovery, named Golden Delilah, made in the summer of 2020. This new discovery consists of a quartz-albite vein intersected over a core length of 1.60 metres, hosted in ultramafic intrusive rocks, which graded 99.1 g/t Au, 71.3 g/t Ag and 0.17% Pb over 0.40 metre from 106.45 to 106.85 metres (see press release by Midland dated September 1, 2020).

The drilling campaign conducted in early October included seven (7) drill holes totalling 1,810.0 metres. Three (3) drill holes tested the strike extensions of the Golden Delilah zone at a 50-metre spacing, whereas three (3) other drill holes tested the possible extensions of the Golden Delilah fault, respectively 500 metres west and 350 and 550 metres southeast of the gold showing. The remaining drill hole tested an induced polarization (IP) anomaly located approximately 850 metres southeast of Golden Delilah. A minimum of 2,000 metres drilling program is planned for the winter of 2021. This drilling program will test the lateral and depth extensions of the Golden Delilah gold-bearing structure.

The Casault project, currently optioned by Wallbridge, is located along the Sunday Lake Fault, approximately 40 kilometres east of the Detour Lake mine. In 2017, Midland discovered the Vortex zone, a major gold-bearing system associated with alkaline intrusions. Wallbridge is currently conducting a thorough property-scale compilation in an effort to define the next drilling targets that will be tested during a diamond drilling program planned for the late winter of 2021. Wallbridge will incur a minimum of $750,000 in exploration expenditures before June 30, 2021 (First year firm commitment).

The Gaudet-Fenelon project is a 50/50 joint venture between Midland and Probe. Geophysical surveys conducted in the summer of 2020 included a new OreVision IP survey totalling 42.5 kilometres and covering a structural domain similar to the Fenelon-Tabasco-Area 51 gold zone held by Wallbridge. Interpretation of the OreVision IP survey conducted in the summer of 2020 shows several high-chargeability axes, commonly combined with resistivity highs. High-priority gold targets are located in prospective areas characterized by a high degree of structural complexity. This complexity is mainly the result of a higher density of NW-SE, E-W and ENE-WSW-trending structures. In addition, a geochemical sampling program covering the IP grid is also underway. A drilling program is planned for the winter of 2021, to test the best targets combining geophysical and geochemical anomalies and structural complexities.

The La Peltrie project is wholly owned by Midland and is currently optioned by Probe. This project is located south of the Lower Detour Fault, approximately 25 kilometres southeast of Zone 58N. The entire northern part of the La Peltrie project covers a highly prospective area for gold mineralization associated with subsidiary faults similar to the Zone 58N deposit. A high-resolution magnetic survey and a geochemistry survey are currently underway to define high-priority targets that will be further tested with geophysical IP surveys and drilling next winter. Probe will incur a minimum of $500,000 in exploration expenditures before July 31, 2021 (First year firm commitment).

Following a reassessment of the potential on the Jouvex property recently conducted by Midland, two main areas are now targeted for upcoming exploration campaigns. The first target area consists of a NW-SE-trending structure called the Casa Berardi North Fault, which can be traced over more than 10 kilometres on Jouvex and which locally marks the southern contact of the sedimentary Taïbi Group. The second target area corresponds to a regional structural lineament trending E-W, extending from the Casa Berardi mine over a distance of more than 65 kilometres. This lineament may be traced over a strike length of more than 15 kilometres in the north part of the Jouvex property and locally marks the northern contact of the Taïbi Group sediments. Midland is currently assessing the possibility of testing several new drilling targets that are favourably located near historical gold occurrences proximal to the E-W-trending lineament. These drilling targets mainly consist of induced polarization (IP) anomalies located along the direct extensions of historical gold showings.

Chapais area

During the month of October, mechanical stripping was conducted on the Lewis project on new gold showings discovered by prospecting in the summer of 2020 (see press release by Midland dated October 15, 2020). These new showings, spaced approximately 400 metres apart, were discovered on surface in the northwest part of the Lewis project, approximately 8 kilometres northeast of the former Lac Shortt mine. The showings yielded several anomalous gold values in grab samples, ranging from 0.2 g/t Au to 2.1 g/t Au. The two showings, characterized by the presence of numerous quartz-carbonate veins with pyrite mineralization, may be part of the same ENE-trending corridor, which has never been drill-tested. During the winter of 2021, Midland will complete a geophysical (IP) survey covering this new discovery. A first diamond drilling program will also be conducted to test the best geophysical, geological and geochemical targets.

Cautionary statements:

Grab samples are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades of the mineralized zones.

The true thickness of reported drill intercepts cannot be determined with the information currently available.

Mineralization occurring at the mines and deposits listed above is not necessarily indicative of mineralization that may be found on properties held by Midland described in this press release.

About Midland

Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, platinum group elements and base metals. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as BHP Canada Inc., Probe Metals Inc., Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd, SOQUEM INC., Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund, and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Company portfolio and generate shareholder value.

This press release was prepared by Mario Masson. P.Geo., VP Exploration for Midland and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, who also approved the technical content of this press release.

For further information, please consult Midland’s website or contact:

Gino Roger, President and Chief Executive Officer
Tel.: 450 420-5977
Fax: 450 420-5978
Email: info@midlandexploration.com

Website: www.midlandexploration.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midland’s periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1835ee01-544e-469d-bbb6-65296a8f3cf1