79North Discovers Two New Gold Occurrences With Rock Chip Samples Up to 7.39 Grams Gold Per Tonne at the Nassau Project, Suriname


TORONTO, June 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 79North Inc. (CSE: JQ; OTCQB: SVNTF; FRA: 6120) (“79North” or the “Company”) is pleased to report that it has discovered two new gold occurrences in the Witlage area of the Nassau gold project (Exhibit 1). The newly discovered 6 occurrence is 900 metres south of the Witlage shear zone and consists of a quartz vein stockwork in argillite with samples containing up to 7.39 grams gold per tonne. The newly discovered Marinara gold occurrence is in an area where vertical hollow stem auger drill holes drilled in 2016 (by another company) contained anomalous gold. Rock chip samples contain up to 3.44 grams gold per tonne. Continued sampling of the recently discovered Ziti gold occurrence and the northwest extension of the Witlage shear zone continue to provide good results with rock chip samples containing up to 8.33 and 3.89 grams gold per tonne respectively. For context of these sample grades, the grade of the Newmont Merian Mine, 20 kilometres northeast of the Nassau concession is approximately 1.2 grams gold per tonne.

Jon North, President and CEO, commented “Once again, good people in the field doing reconnaissance mapping and sampling have discovered new surface gold occurrences that are potential drilling targets for the ongoing drilling program. The success rate of finding new surface gold occurrences in the Witlage area is quite remarkable and underscores the fact that these bedrock gold occurrences are part of a large mineralized system that is shedding gold into the countless placers of the area that have reportedly been mined by artisans for a century.”

Filini gold occurrence – new discovery
The Filini gold occurrence is a quartz vein stockwork in altered argillite. At this time, we are uncertain as to how this gold occurrence is related to the Witlage and Ziti gold zones, however it has been added to the drilling target list of the current Phase 2 drilling program that is underway. Selected samples from the Filini gold occurrence are listed in the table below.

Results of sampling of the newly discovered Filini gold occurrence

SampleGold ZoneTypeDescriptionAu ppm (g/t)
59775FiliniRock chipbleached wall rock saprolite hosting quartz stockwork2.26
59776FiliniRock chip20 cm smoky quartz vein with minor pyrite boxworks3.34
59777FiliniRock chipaltered saprolite wall rock to quartz vein, foliated and bleached7.39
59778FiliniRock chipquartz veinlets in sheared host rock between 2 quartz veins0.89
59779FiliniRock chip20 cm quartz vein within bleached foliated slate2.06
59780FiliniRock chipsheared, foliated rock with iron oxide laminae, slightly silicified0.55
59781FiliniRock chipdeep purple saprolite with quartz veinlets and iron oxides after pyrite0.67
59782FiliniRock chipquartz veins within altered saprolite with magnetite- goethite alteration1.03

Marinara gold occurrence – new discovery
In May 2022, local prospectors took us to a place on Nassau Mountain 5 kilometres south of the Witlage gold zone where they had excavated two vertical shafts on some quartz veins approximately 7 years ago. The area was completely overgrown with thick jungle however we managed to find one of the shafts and sampled the fly rock from the shaft and a 10 cm quartz vein in an excavator trail near the shaft. We have always been interested in this area and have always had a target box for future exploration of the area. In 2016, a previous company conducted a 55 hole, 1,379 metre vertical hollow stem auger sampling program of this area and several drill holes intersected gold mineralization in saprolite with the best result being 1.34 ppm gold over 8.0 metres (in hole MNA-12). This is the first time a bedrock surface gold occurrence has been documented in this area. Selected samples from the Marinara gold occurrence are listed in the table below.

Results of surface sampling of the newly discovered Marinara gold occurrence

SampleGold ZoneTypeDescriptionAu ppm (g/t)
59882MarinaraRock chipquartz vein from vertical shaft within very fine grained dark purple saprolite0.62
59884MarinaraRock chip10 cm quartz vein within purple mudstone saprolite3.44

Continued sampling of the recently discovered Ziti gold occurrence
The Company continued to prospect and sample the argillite-sandstone contact of the Ziti structure. The latest results indicate that the contact between argillite and sandstone is silicified with secondary pyrite in both lithologies. Four drill holes (approximately 400 metres) of drilling are planned to test the Ziti gold occurrence. It is anticipated that the drilling will be completed in June as part of the current Phase 2 drilling of the high grade Witlage Target. Selected samples from the Ziti gold occurrence are listed in the table below.

Results of new samples from the recently discovered Ziti gold occurrence

SampleGold ZoneTypeDescriptionAu ppm (g/t)
59843ZitiRock chipsandstone near contact with argillite0.66
59844ZitiRock chipgeochem sample from various run of mine boulders of highly silicified argillite0.96
59846ZitiRock chipsilicified mudstone2.16
59859ZitiRock chipsilicified arkose0.62
59860ZitiRock chipchloritic mudstone2.90
59866ZitiRock chipsilicified mudstone with 5% pyrite1.16
59873ZitiRock chipsilicified argillite8.33
59876ZitiRock chipsilicified mudstone0.49

Results of additional sampling of the northwest extension of the Witlage Shear Zone
Additional rock chip sampling was completed along the Witlage shear zone corridor where local miners have made new exposures of the northwestern extension of the shear zone. High grade quartz veins and stockworks were sampled and previously reported (May 24, 2022). Selected samples from the northwestern extension of the Witlage gold zone are listed in the table below. Drilling has commenced in this area (Hole NP-22-05) and at least five drill holes will be drilled over a strike length of 200 metres. The total known strike length of the Witlage gold zone is 500 metres.

Results of new sampling of the northwest extension of the Witlage Gold Zone

SampleGold ZoneTypeDescriptionAu ppm (g/t)
59904WitlageRock chip3 cm fractured quartz vein in reddish brown foliated very fine grained mudstone3.89
59905WitlageRock chipfractured quartz veinlet in reddish brown foliated very fine grained mudstone1.80
59907WitlageRock chip10 cm fractured quartz vein in orange to white very fine mottled clay0.88
59908WitlageRock chip10 cm fractured quartz vein in reddish white very fine mottled clay0.61
59911WitlageRock chip10 cm fractured quartz vein in very fine mottled clay0.72

Update on Phase 2 drilling
Phase 2 drilling at the Nassau project commenced May 9, 2022, and to date approximately 400 metres of drilling in 4 holes have been completed. The drilling around previous high-grade intersections from the Phase 1 program in 2021 has been completed and the drilling is now testing the Witlage northwest extension and the area with the surface results reported above. It is anticipated that the results of the first five drill holes will be reported in the next few weeks.

About 79North Inc.
79North is led by a team with extensive mineral exploration expertise and a track record of discoveries and exits in South America and globally. 79North currently holds an indirect interest in mineral concessions in northern Suriname and aims to become the premier junior exploration company in this under explored district of the prolific Guiana Shield. 79North’s growing portfolio of high-quality targets which have not undergone modern exploration or drilling have a long history of artisanal mining and are strategically located near modern gold mines operated by major mining companies. 79North is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of properties for the mining of gold and other minerals. 79North has 91,547,241 common shares issued and outstanding and 145,759,276 common shares on a fully diluted basis.

Statement of the Qualified Person – The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been supervised, reviewed, and approved by Jon North, P.Geo., who is 79North’s Chairman, President, and CEO and a Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.

Please refer to the technical report of 79North entitled “NI-43-101 TECHNICAL REPORT – NASSAU GOLD EXPLORATION PROJECT, SIPALIWINI DISTRICT, SURINAME SOUTH AMERICA” dated effective May 14, 2020 for further details. The technical report is available in 79North’s SEDAR profile at www.SEDAR.com.

Further Information
For further information please visit www.79North.ca or contact: Jon North, President and Chief Executive Officer
Telephone:(416) 786-6348
Email:jon@79north.ca

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation, including information with respect to the exploration program at the Nassau gold project. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “expects”, or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “believes” or “intends” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may” or “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties, including related to Covid-19; and the delay or failure to receive board, shareholder, or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, 79North assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

Exhibit 1. Geologic map with sampling and proposed drill holes of the Witlage, Ziti, and Filini gold occurrences is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d6b6da4-a199-4d43-b280-48c0ae71b85f


Exhibit 1.