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FireFox Gold Significantly Extends the Mineralized Trend at the Mustajärvi Project, Finland

FireFox Gold Corp. (TSXV:FFOX)(OTCQB:FFOXF)("FireFox" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has extended the drill-indicated gold system by an additional 650 metres along trend from the Northeast Target at its 100%-owned Mustajärvi Project in the Central Lapland Gold Belt of Finland (See Figure 1: https:bit.ly3skzPqJ). Drill hole 21MJ004 was drilled 654 metres northeast of the previously reported bonanza-grade hole 21MJ001 (see Company news release dated June 17, 2021) and yielded 2.9 metres at 1.30 gt gold. Drill hole 21MJ005, which was collared 580 metres from 21MJ001, returned 3.79 gt gold over a 1 metre interval from 15m downhole, sitting atop a wider zone of weakly anomalous gold

Key Implications from the Newest Mustajärvi Results Include:

  • New gold mineralization revealed along the probable continuation of the shear zone delineates a stretch of more than 2.1 kilometers with gold-bearing drill intercepts;
  • Quartz-carbonate-tourmaline-pyrite veins at new East Target are lower grade (so far) but consistent in mineralogy and geochemistry with high grade veins at Central Zone & Northeast Targets;
  • The veins have variable continuity, but the larger and more sulfide-rich veins have been intersected in four drill holes (21MJ001, 21MJ002, 21MJ006, and 21MJ010) and appear to become higher grade with depth;
  • Predictive 3D modeling of dilational jogs along the Mustajärvi Shear Zone continues to yield altered country rock and significant gold in drilling, even while exploring beneath overburden; and
  • Geophysics and 3D modeling of the results indicate multiple untested targets in the vicinity of the Northeast and East Targets - another sizable drill program is planned for winter of 2021 - 2022.

"These two holes were the first to test for mineralization in this newly modeled part of the shear zone, so we are very excited to confirm new gold intercepts with similar alteration, vein mineralogy, and geochemistry to the established high-grade areas in the Central Zone and the Northeast Target. These first gold hits at the East Target are important because we know that persistence and hard work yielded bonanza grade intercepts at both the Central and Northeast Targets. Adding these new targets to the close step-outs planned around 21MJ001, we have some incredible targets lined up for the fall and winter drill program, which is fully funded," commented Carl Löfberg, President and CEO of FireFox.

In addition to the East Target holes, drill hole 21MJ006 was collared 170 metres northwest from 21MJ001, along the same drill section of the Northeast Target. It appears to have been successful in intersecting the lower grade up-dip continuation of the vein system that contained the bonanza grade, here averaging 3.0 metres of 1.31 g/t gold. Also reported herein is hole 21MJ007, which targeted interpreted structures within the gabbro on the western end of the property, but for which no significant gold results were received.

The individual veins encountered in the northeast part of the project have variable continuity, but some have been intersected along strike for more than 70 metres. The vein system hosting bonanza-grade gold that was intercepted in 21MJ001 also appears to have been intercepted down-dip in 21MJ010 (for which assays are pending). These gold-bearing veins occur in swarms with potential for expansion along strike and at depth. In addition to 21MJ010, analytical results and geological interpretations are pending for three additional holes, 21MJ008, 21MJ009 and 21MJ011.

Mustajärvi Project and Drill Program Details

The Mustajärvi Project lies along the highway between the cities of Kittilä and Sodankylä, approximately 17 kilometers east of Kittilä. The property straddles the Mustajärvi Shear Zone (MSZ), a major right-lateral shear zone that has associated second and third-order structures which further dissect the project into separate structural zones. The Sodankylä Group rocks, which are primarily to the north of the shear zone in the footwall and host most of the known mineralization, include metamorphosed sedimentary and volcaniclastic rocks. Geophysics and drilling have identified an extensive corridor of albite - sericite alteration in the footwall along more than two kilometers of the structure. The project remains at an early stage as FireFox and predecessor companies have drilled less than 7,000 metres to date.

FireFox has developed a structural model that has identified repetitive dilatant zones along the MSZ where vein swarms and higher-grade gold are concentrated. The main areas of mineralization, so far, are the Central Zone and the Northeast Target, both of which host bonanza grade gold associated with clusters of veins in the footwall of the shear zone but are separated by more than 500 metres. Including drill intercepts southwest of the Central Zone and extending through the Northeast Target, the MSZ hosts high-grade (>5 g/t) gold in arrays of narrow quartz veins along a corridor of more than 1.5 kilometers. The FireFox team predicted another dilatant zone with similar characteristics 500 to 600 metres farther northeast from the Northeast Target (See Figure 2: https://bit.ly/382lHsV). Drill holes 21MJ004 and 21MJ005 were the first holes to test this area and the results confirm this zone as a new and additional zone of gold mineralization (the East Target) - extending the favorable trend to more than 2.1 kilometers.

The Central Zone and Northeast Target have been tested by several programs since 2018 that have expanded the lateral extent of known mineralization in multiple directions. The Northeast Target returned the best intercepts in both the 2019 and 2020 drill programs, including bonanza grades in the first hole of this Phase 4 program. The initial success at the East Target has prompted planning for considerable new work.

Drill hole 21MJ004 was collared in a structural block interpreted to host the continuation of the MSZ and was directed to the northwest. The hole appears to initiate in Sodankylä Group metasedimentary rocks, variably altered intermediate tuffites, and did not pass through a major lithologic contact with mafic volcanics. The gold mineralization was hosted within an intensively deformed interval that included abundant hematite and quartz-carbonate-tourmaline-pyrite (QCTP) veining at 150.35 to 153.25 metres down hole. The 2.9-metre interval averaged 1.30 g/t gold with a few additional metres of weakly anomalous gold below. There are also several broader intervals of weakly anomalous gold higher up in the hole. The veins encountered in drill hole 21MJ004 have a similar composition to the QCTP veins noted in the Northeast Target, but hematite is notably more abundant at the East Target.

Hole 21MJ005 was collared very close to an interpreted trace of the shear zone. The hole intercepted shallow mineralization within intensively altered intermediate tuffites, where the highest gold grades were encountered at 15 to 16 metres down hole, yielding 3.79 g/t gold. Elevated gold values expanded the anomalous zone down hole to 28.4 metres, including several samples with 0.32 to 0.75 g/t Au. The shallow mineralization encountered in hole 21MJ005 was associated with breccias and QCTP veins and abundant hematite.

Drill hole 21MJ006 was drilled along the same northwest drill fence that includes 21MJ001 and 21MJ010. It was targeted on a base of till (BOT) gold anomaly and expected to test for the up-dip continuation of the vein system with visible gold reported in 21MJ001. The hole intercepted a 3-metre interval of thin QCTP veins at the approximate location where the bonanza vein was projected to occur. This 3-metre zone from 56 to 59 metres downhole averaged 1.31 g/t gold. There are numerous other narrow quartz-carbonate and quartz-tourmaline veins cutting through the altered tuffites in this hole associated with several intervals of weakly anomalous gold, including samples with 0.32 to 0.69 g/t.

Drillhole 21MJ007 was one of the first drill tests of geochemical and geophysical anomalies associated with the gabbro near the west end of the property. It was collared more than 1.5 kilometers west of the Northeast Target. While no significant gold has been encountered yet in the gabbro, the lower third of the hole encountered pervasive strong albitization.

FireFox geologists report that the three zones now known to host significant gold at Mustajärvi are quite comparable in their lithology, alteration, vein mineralogy, geochemisty, and their structural architecture. The interpreted dilational jogs correlate well with magnetic lows (Figure 2), and it is noteworthy that the strongest magnetic lows in the East Target (northeast of 21MJ004) have not yet been tested. A preliminary mineralogical report on the Northeast and East Target gold intercepts reveals that gold occurs both as free gold and as inclusions in pyrite and hematite. The Mustajärvi gold system continues to be consistently enriched in bismuth, tellurium, and cobalt, but the ongoing data compilation is highlighting many other geochemical features that may be useful pathfinder elements to help vector towards stronger gold mineralization. The team is also planning an induced polarization/resistivity (IP) survey over the Northeast and East Targets, as the pyrite-rich mineralization should generate strong anomalies. Combined with mapping and three-dimensional modeling, the new data are expected to yield more strong drill targets for the fall and winter drilling.

The table below summarizes the location information for these drill holes.

Table 1: Collar Information

Drill Hole

Easting

Northing

Azimuth

(°)

Plunge

(°)

Final Depth (m)

21MJ004

429026.0

7500993.2

335

45

211.9

21MJ005

428849.7

7501105.8

333

45

120.5

21MJ006

428416.6

7500790.2

340

45

123.9

21MJ007

427193.3

7499874.2

345

45

200.1

Quality Assurance

The core was transported from the rig to the Company´s core storage facility in Sodankylä, where FireFox's exploration team conducted the geological and geotechnical logging and selected the assay intervals. Assay intervals were generally 1 metre but in some circumstances were modified according to lithological boundaries and other factors. FireFox geologists maintained chain of custody and sampling procedures according to best industry practice and with due attention to quality assurance and quality control, including sampling field duplicates and insertion of certified standard and blank samples.

FireFox team members transported the samples to an ALS sample prep lab in Sodankylä. The samples were first crushed to -2 mm, split and pulverized into 1kg pulps, before being shipped to a facility in Ireland for gold by fire assay of 50 gm aliquots with AAS finish (method Au-AA24). Other elements, altogether 48, were measured after four-acid digestion by ICP-AES and ICP-MS (method ME-MS61).

ALS Laboratories is a leading international provider of assay and analytical data to the mining industry. All ALS geochemical hub laboratories, including the Irish facility, are accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for specific analytical procedures. The FireFox QA/QC program includes the insertion of certificated standard material and blanks into the analytical batches, and none of the analytical control samples in these reports showed deviations from recommended values.

Patrick Highsmith, Certified Professional Geologist (AIPG CPG # 11702) and director of the Company, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Highsmith has helped prepare, reviewed, and approves, the technical information in this news release.

About FireFox Gold Corp.

FireFox Gold Corp is listed on the TSX Venture stock exchange under the ticker symbol FFOX. FireFox also trades on the OTCQB Venture Market Exchange in the US under the ticker symbol FFOXF. The Company has been exploring for gold in Finland since 2017 where it holds a project portfolio that includes over 80,000 hectares of prospective ground.

Finland is one of the top mining investment jurisdictions in the world as indicated by its multiple top-10 rankings in recent Fraser Institute Surveys of Mining Companies. Having a strong mining law and long mining tradition, Finland remains underexplored for gold. Recent exploration results in the country have highlighted its prospectivity, and FireFox is proud to have a Finland based CEO and technical team.

For more information, please refer to the Company's website and profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Carl Löfberg"
Chief Executive Officer

CONTACT:
FireFox Gold Corp.
Email: info@firefoxgold.com
Telephone: +1-778-938-1994

Forward Looking Statements

The information herein contains forward looking statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include: the receipt of the assay results, changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, the extent of work stoppage and economic impacts that may result from the COVID 19 virus, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry.

Forward-looking statements in this release may include statements regarding: the intent to conduct additional geophysics and drilling, expectations for the receipt of assays on samples already submitted to the lab; the belief as to the location of the most prospective gold targets; the location of possible new targets for the 2021 - 2022 drill program; the current and future work program, including the extent and nature of exploration to be conducted in 2021 - 2022; and the potential expansion of the same and the significance of the most intense mineralization occurring at depths below previous drilling at the Northeast Target. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, results may vary.

The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the expectations of FireFox as of the date of dissemination and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking statements and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. FireFox does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.

SOURCE: FireFox Gold Corp



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TomaGold

Overview

Quebec and Ontario are more than Canada’s most populous provinces. They are also hosts to some of the country’s most prolific mining jurisdictions, combining the perfect storm of stability, government support in mining and high-grade mineralization discovery potential. Jumping onto investment opportunities in these provinces can present investors with a head start on the next new commodity cycle.

TomaGold (TSXV:LOT,OTCQB:TOGOF) is a well-funded mineral exploration company focused on acquiring and developing highly prospective gold mineral properties. The company combines an excellent asset profile with impressive strategic partnerships and trading volume.

The company currently has five gold projects under development near the Chibougamau mining camp in Northern Quebec: Obalski, Monster Lake East, Monster Lake West, Hazeur and Lac Doda. These assets leverage great infrastructure and resource networks within Northern Quebec’s safe mining-friendly jurisdictions.

TomaGold’s expertly chosen projects have fast-track potential, with many groundwork milestones already achieved. Ongoing GIS data collection and 3D modeling have helped determine overarching geochemical properties and recalibrate future drilling campaigns.

In January 2021, the company reported positive preliminary results from its 2,500-meter drilling program at its wholly-owned flagship Obalski gold project. DAS Vision3D induced polarization (IP) survey carried out on the southern portion of Obalski property revealed the presence of at least six strong chargeability and/or resistivity anomalies south of the APo zone.

Commencing drill campaigns for this property could present similar copper-gold mining success as seen in the project’s past-producing history and neighboring development projects. The Obalski is strategically positioned near the highly prospective Philibert deposit and the Nelligan gold project currently operated by IAMGOLD (TSX:IMG) and Vanstar Mining Resources (TSXV:VSR).

TomaGold has a joint venture with Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) and New Gold (TSX:NGD) that gives the company 24.5 percent interest in the resource-rich Baird property near the Red Lake mining camp in Ontario. Exploration work on the property from the 1980s returned assay values of 172 g/t gold over 1.2 meters and 19 g/t gold over 1.8 meters.

In 2022, TomaGold acquired the Star Lake property composed of 96 map-designated claims covering an area of 4,962.6 hectares (50 square kilometers). Star Lake is located 120 kilometers southeast of Radisson and approximately 15 kilometers south of the recently acquired claims in James Bay. It has been the subject of geophysical surveys that have identified six rare earth element showings.

The company also reported positive prospecting sampling results which doubled the size of its Star Lake property to 214 map-designated claims over an area of 10,906 hectares (109 square kilometers), the largest land position in the sector. The property is characterized by multiple under-explored outcropping pegmatite intrusions that host unusual enrichment of rare earth elements.

TomaGold is very well positioned for growth and project advancement as a junior mining company. It currently has over C$8 million in liquidity and cash for intended project funding and operates with a tight and deeply connected shareholder structure. Major shareholders include IAMGOLD, closely tied family offices, family members and management.

TomaGold’s management team comprises world-class experts in capital markets, geology and mineral exploration. The company’s solid technical team primes it for significant mining success and economic prosperity.

Company Highlights

  • TomaGold is a Canadian company focused on acquiring, exploring and developing highly prospective gold mineral properties. The company currently has interests in five gold properties close to the resource-rich Chibougamau mining camp in Northern Quebec.
  • The company’s valuable project profile includes Lac Doda, Monster Lake East, Monster Lake West and Hazeur, as well as its flagship Obalski project.
  • TomaGold also has a joint venture and 24.5 percent ownership in the Baird property with Evolution Mining and New Gold. The property is located in the prolific Red Lake gold belt 14 kilometers southwest of the Goldcorp Red Lake mine.
  • The company is well-funded, with over C$8 million in cash and short-term investments. Funds are intended for project advancement and development.
  • TomaGold has strong management and stakeholder foundations. The company has a tight-knit shareholder portfolio with significant shareholders, including family offices, family members and the mining heavyweight IAMGOLD.
  • TomaGold acquired a 100 percent interest in 38 claims from Noranda Royalties and 69 map-designated claims covering a total area of 5,487.52 hectares.

Key Projects

Obalski Project

TomaGold’s wholly owned Obalski property hosts seven separated mineralized zones, one mining concession and one 85-meter shaft adjacent to two ramps. The property had seen limited exploration since the late 1980s when it was a considerable copper-gold producer. Covering approximately 345 hectares south of Chibougamau, Quebec, the project leverages strong government support, access roadways and rich resource networks close to major populous areas.

In 1964, United Obalski Mining mined 90,093 tonnes grading 3.0 g/t gold, 6.2 g/t silver and 1.53 percent copper. Since then, extensive drilling campaigns have resulted in 230 new open targets on the property for a total of more than 60,000 meters, most of which involves shallow drilling. A 2017 drill campaign later presented grades of 15.0 g/t gold, 46.8 g/t silver and 10.4 percent copper over two meters.

The property hosts widespread gold-copper mineralization with sulfide-rich quartz-carbonate veins and pyritized shear zones. This favorable geological profile primes the project for advanced development, including the continuation of a 2,500 drilling program to better define Obalski’s main PO zone.

The company began its 10,000-meter drilling program at Obalski in 2021, which was later expanded to 11,500 meters that same year. Strong geophysical anomalies at Obalski’s southern portion were reported. In 2022, DAS Vision3D induced polarization (IP) survey revealed the presence of at least six strong chargeability and/or resistivity anomalies south of the APo zone, which extend downward from peaks located at a vertical depth of 100 to 150 meters and remain open at an average depth of 325 meters. A number of less-strong anomalies were also found.

Lac Doda Project

The highly prospective Lac Doda project operates in the resource-rich Chibougamau mining camp in Northern Quebec. The property consists of eight mineral claims over an area of 4,478 hectares. Located approximately 20 kilometers southwest of the Monster Lake property, the Lac Doda property leverages many of the same existing infrastructure and geographical advantages.

TomaGold owns 100 percent interest in the project. In July 2020, the company announced an option agreement to sell up to 80 percent interest in the Lac Doda property to Goliath Resources (TSXV:GOT). This agreement presents an exciting stage in the project’s growth.

Monster Lake East and Monster Lake West Properties

TomaGold strategically positions both projects to leverage the valuable mineralization of the Monster Lake property. Monster West consists of 21 mineral claims covering an area of 1,172.51 hectares and Monster East consists of 69 mineral claims covering an area of 4,269 hectares. The company owns 100 percent interest in both properties.

Monster Lake East is separated into three main sectors: Cookie Monster, Little Monster and Monster Island. A July 2018 IP survey revealed a large copper geochemical anomaly with a striking distance of several kilometers. Surveying also identified gold assay results just below 1 g/t gold and 14 potential high-priority gold and copper targets at depths of 100 to 350 meters.

Future plans include detailed airborne and ground geophysical surveying data compilation. TomaGold intends on using this analysis for drill recommendations and target generation for both properties.

Hazeur Project

The Hazeur project consists of 61 mineral claims and covers 2,863 hectares along the southern border of the Monster Lake property. TomaGold currently has 70 percent interest in the property and is strategically positioned as the project operator. The project covers the Joe Mann-Guercheville corridor with numerous gold occurrences along the property’s deformation zone.

Regional mineral grades include 0.24 g/t gold over 80.4 meters and 0.30 g/t gold over 70 meters. The company hopes to mimic some of its best drilling results of 24.55 g/t gold over 0.50 meters and 7.66 g/t gold over 1.25 meters in future development campaigns.

Since 2015, Hazeur has seen successful high-definition magnetic VTEM-type airborne surveying over the property and advanced drilling. This exploration reported significant gold intersections across seven drill holes. Baird Property

TomaGold is currently in a joint venture with Evolution Mining and New Gold for the Baird property. The company holds a 24.5 percent interest in Baird, with Evolution owning a majority 51 percent as the project operator.

The Baird property lies in the prolific Red Lake gold belt 6 kilometers north of the Madsen Mine and 14 kilometers southwest of the Red Lake mine. The asset’s geological profile includes volcanic rock coverage and the famous structural and alteration system characteristics of Red Lake and Campbell mines. This profile could explain the impressive assay values of 172 g/t gold over 1.2 meters and 19 g/t gold over 1.8 meters reported from early drilling programs.

Management Team

David Grondin - President and CEO

David Grondin has worked in the financial and mining sectors for over 20 years. He has been the president and CEO of TomaGold since December 2011 and is a director of AM Resources. He was also president and CEO of NQ Exploration Inc. and has acted as a financial analyst for CTI Capital Inc. Grondin has a bachelor degree in business administration (finance) from HEC Montréal and experience in initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and reverse takeovers.

Martin Nicoletti - CFO

Martin Nicoletti is a certified general accountant with more than 22 years of experience. He has been involved in global exploration activities with public junior mining companies since 2004. His duties include financial controls and financial reporting. He presently acts as CFO for several public companies.

André Jean - Director of Exploration, Quebec

André Jean was the chief engineer geologist for the Monster Lake project from its commencement until his departure in 2018. He has over 35 years of geology experience, having worked for multiple mining companies located in Quebec, Central and South America and Africa, including Les Mines Seleine, Louvem, Lac Minerals and Osisko.

Caitlin Jeffs -Director of Exploration, Ontario and Rest of Canada

Caitlin Jeffs has worked for several junior and major companies since 2002 in both gold and base metal exploration. Most of her experience has been with Placer Dome CLA Inc. and Goldcorp Inc. managing all aspects of in-depth exploration projects and specializing in GIS technology and 3D modeling of ore bodies. She is a founding partner and 33 percent owner of Fladgate Exploration Consulting Corporation of Thunder Bay, ON, a full-service mineral exploration consulting firm.

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Steppe Gold

Steppe Gold

Overview

Steppe Gold (TSX:STGO) is a precious metals development company and gold and silver producer in Mongolia. The company owns the Altan Tsaagan Ovoo (ATO) and the Uudam Khundii (UK) gold projects in Mongolia.

Steppe Gold commenced gold production in April 2020, at its flagship Altan Tsagaan Ovoo (ATO) Gold Mine. As at December 31, 2022, the company had mined 3.4 million tonnes, crushed and stacked 2.8 million tonnes @ 1.92 g/t for approximately 173,958 oz of gold on the leach pad and 498,000 tonnes of ore at an average grade of 0.79 g/t on the ROM pad. At an estimated 70 percent recovery, the total inventory from oxide ores is approximately 80,000 oz of recoverable gold inclusive of 16,000 oz in situ based on internal reserve estimates.
Operational progress at ATO Gold Mine

Operational progress at ATO Gold Mine

The 100-percent-owned flagship ATO Gold Mine’s Phase 2 expansion project has been updated to approximately 103,000 oz of gold per annum, with a 12 year mine life, for a total of 14 years to 2036 at AISC of US ~$850

Existing defined fresh rock resources are expected to be supplemented by the new discovery of high-grade gold and silver mineralization on the Mungu trend. Steppe Gold’s exploration is showing that the high-grade Mungu discovery is semi-continuous to the structurally-controlled mineralization drilled at the ATO 4 deposit and that significant resource expansion is possible.

The UK gold project is the first-of-its-kind joint venture (80/20) between Steppe Gold and the Bayankhongor Provincial Government. The company has completed an initial exploration program on this project consisting of IP and magnetic surveys, as well as rock chip and soil geochemical programs. The program resulted in four discoveries that the company plans to further explore with an extensive program of trenching and drilling in the near-term.

Steppe Gold is continuing to assess a number of additional opportunities to acquire exploration licenses and mining projects across Mongolia, led by a management team with a track record of success in the country. As of March 2023, the Steppe team has also entered into a binding agreement with Anacortes Mining, to further the company’s growth strategy beyond Mongolia.

Company Highlights

  • Steppe Gold is a gold producer in Mongolia.
    • Initial capital cost of approximately US$20 million, average cash costs less than US$500 per ounce.
  • As of December 31, 2022, the company has mined 3.4 million tonnes (Mt), crushed and stacked 2.8 Mt @ 1.92 grams per ton (g/t) for approximately 173,958 ounces (oz) of gold on the leach pad and 498,000 tonnes of ore at an average grade of 0.79 g/t on the ROM pad.
  • In 2022 alone, Steppe Gold produced 33,500 oz of gold, a 180 percent increase over 2021.
  • US$28 million gold and silver streaming agreement with Triple Flag Mining Finance Bermuda Ltd. in place.
  • Updated resource estimate and feasibility study underway for the larger fresh rock project underlying the current mining project at open cuttable depths. This larger Phase 2 expansion would involve the construction of a grinding and CIL circuit and has now been updated with an expected life-of-mine of 14 years and an annual production profile that could reach approximately 103,000 oz on a gold equivalent basis.
  • Joint venture partnership in place for the UK project with the Mongolian government.
  • Management has a proven track record of success in Mongolia.
  • Entered a binding agreement to acquire Anacortes Mining, to fulfill its vision of becoming a multi-asset, multi-jurisdictional gold mining company

Key Projects

Mongolian Assets

Steppe Gold Mongolian Assets

The 5,493-hectare ATO gold-silver project is located in the Dornod province of eastern Mongolia. Steppe Gold’s mining license for the project is fully permitted for 30 years.

Steppe Gold commenced gold production at the ATO project in April 2020. As of December 31, 2022, the company has mined 3.4 Mt, crushed and stacked 2.8 Mt @ 1.92 g/t for approximately 173,958 oz of gold on the leach pad and 498,000 tonnes of ore at an average grade of 0.79 g/t on the ROM pad. At an estimated 70 percent recovery, the total inventory from oxide ores is approximately 80,000 oz of recoverable gold inclusive of 16,000 oz in situ, based on internal reserve estimates.

In 2023, Steppe Gold plans to complete the financing for the Phase 2 expansion and start construction of the new flotation plant to increase annual production to approximately 103,000 oz gold equivalent, according to company CEO Bataa Tumur-Ochir.

ATO Mine Mineral Reserves and Resource

As at August 27, 2022, the ATO gold deposit contains combined proven and probable mineral reserves totaling 29.1 million tonnes (Mt) at 1.13 g/t gold and 12.43 g/t silver, containing 1.1 million ounces of gold and 11.7 million ounces of silver. The reserves have been classified as approximately 59 percent proven and 41 percent probable on a tonnage basis. The mineral reserve within the 2022 reserve pit shell was based on a AuEq cut-off grade of 0.43 g/t AuEq for Fresh material and 0.40 g/t AuEq for Oxide material and revenue of $1,700 per ounce gold, $20 per ounce of silver, zinc price of $2,500/t and lead price of $1,970/t. as the price assumptions.

Mineral Reserve Estimate, Effective August 27, 2022

Mineral Reserve Estimate, Effective August 27, 2022

Exploration

Centerra Gold (TSX:CG), the prior operator and owner of the ATO project, spent over US$25 million on exploration, including the completion of 67,000 meters of drilling and 28,421 meters of trenching. Since acquiring the property, Steppe Gold has completed an additional 20,000 meters of drilling.

ATO4 & Mungu Discovery

The Mungu discovery is located northeast of the current resource from the ATO 4 deposit. The discovery is located on a 20-kilometer-long structurally controlled, north-trending, mid-sulfidation epithermal gold-silver system. Steppe Gold believes that the ATO 4 deposit may be semi-continuous to the mineralization at the Mungu discovery. The ATO 4 Deposit currently remains open along strike to the north and at depth.

Moving Forward

Now that the company has been in production for three years, Steppe Gold plans to turn its focus towards exploration at the ATO deposits and Mungu discovery. The company is also working towards releasing an updated feasibility study for the fresh rock project that is expected to include the Mungu discovery. Steppe Gold is also looking to complete the following activities at ATO:

  • Receive cyanide permit, begin leaching and pour first gold.
  • Complete maiden mineral resource on Mungu deposit.
  • Restart exploration program at ATO and Mungu deposit.

The UK Gold Project

The 14,397-hectare Uudam Khundii property consists of one exploration license and is located 800 kilometers southwest of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The property is an 80/20 joint venture with the Provincial Government of Bayankhongor.

The property is located between Erdene Resource Development Corporation’s (TSX:ERD) Bayan Khundii gold discovery and Altan Nar epithermal gold deposits.

Steppe Gold has completed an initial exploration program on the property that included geological mapping, geochemical sampling and geophysical surveys. The company expects to commence its trenching and drill programs in the near term. Steppe Gold is also looking into expansion opportunities to further consolidate its footprint in the area.

To date the company has completed:

  • 1,940 line kilometer ground magnetic survey
  • 12-line kilometer IP survey
  • 346 rock chip samples
  • 8,427 soil geochemical samples

A maiden program commenced in July 2022 with the drilling of 3,000 meters with assay results pending.

Management Team

Matthew Wood - Executive Chairman

Matthew Wood is a mineral resource explorer and developer with over 25 years of global industry experience in mining and commodities investments. He has managed investment deals in diamonds, coal, energy, ferrous metals, base and precious metals, among other commodities.

His unique skills in technical and economic evaluation of resource opportunities have resulted in a record of nurturing resource deals from early-stage, to market listings and exit strategies for his investors.

He was formerly the founder and executive chairman of the Mongolian coal company, Hunnu Coal Limited. Hunnu Coal was IPO of the year for all sectors on the ASX in 2010, and its sale for approximately A$500 million in 2011 to Banpu PCL was recognized as the Mines and Money 2012 Deal of the Year. Wood has founded and been involved in many other resource companies and investments over the years. He has extensive experience and many key relationships in Mongolia and was recently awarded the Order of the Polar Star, the highest state honor that can be awarded to a non-citizen of Mongolia. He has an Honors Degree in Geology from the University of New South Wales and a Graduate Certificate in Mineral Economics from the Western Australian School of Mines.

Bataa Tumur-Ochir - President and CEO

Bataa Tumur-Ochir is responsible for new business acquisitions, development, government and community relations and the daily operations in Mongolia. He has strong relationships with all levels of government in Mongolia and was recently appointed independent advisor to the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry responsible for foreign investment and promotion.

He is currently a director at GCD Mongolia and CEO and executive director of ASX-listed Wolf Petroleum. Under his guidance, Wolf Petroleum was awarded the “Operator of the Year Award” from the Petroleum Authority of Mongolia, and today, Wolf Petroleum is recognized as the fastest-growing petroleum exploration company with the largest petroleum exploration acreage in Mongolia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and graduate certificates in international business and marketing from Australia and Singapore.

Aneel Waraich - Director and Executive VP

Aneel Waraich is the founder of ATMA Capital Markets and ATMACORP LTD. He is a financial service professional with progressive experience in asset management and corporate finance businesses. Waraich focuses primarily on advising public and private companies in the natural resource sector.

In previous roles at Goodman and Company Investment Counsel and Dundee Capital Markets, he worked as an analyst valuing private companies. Most recently he worked as an investment banker focusing on deal origination, going-public transactions and financings for both public and private companies in the resource and technology sectors. He completed his MBA from the Goodman Institute of Investment Management at the John Molson School of Business.

Jeremy South - Senior VP and CFO

Jeremy South has been a director of Steppe Gold since March 2017. He has over 33 years of experience in M&A, capital markets and private equity in Europe, North America and Australia, including senior positions in investment banking at Deutsche Bank, NatWest Markets and Deloitte. For 10 years, he was a Global Leader and Mining M&A Advisor at Deloitte.

Based in Beijing for four years, he advised leading Asian trading houses and financial investors on mining M&A, financing and strategy, and he has worked with some of Asia’s largest companies. He acted as chairman of Aldridge Minerals Inc. up until its recent sale to Trafigura Ventures. South is a chartered accountant and holds a Bachelor of Economics from Monash University (Australia). He holds the ICD.D designation as a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Greg Wood - VP Operations

Gregory Wood is an Australian citizen and was appointed as Vice President of Operations of Steppe Gold LLC in 2016. He is responsible for all mining-related operations in Mongolia. Before joining Steppe, he held positions as director and non-executive chairman of Carajas Copper Company, operations manager of Harvest Minerals and as CEO of Black Star Petroleum. He has extensive experience in the oil and gas industry through his past family oil business and has completed the Petroleum Engineering for non-engineers programmer in Houston, Texas.

Wood was a systems accountant with over 12 years of extensive experience in financial reporting, financial analysis, developing key performance indicators and modeling of financial reports over several industries including transport, media and infrastructure. He held management positions at Asciano and Patrick Stevedores.

Enkhtuvshin Khishigsuren - VP Exploration

Enkhtuvshin Khishigsuren has over 30 years of Mongolian mineral exploration experience. He spent the first 10 to 12 years of his career at Central Geological Expedition doing regional geological mapping in various areas of Mongolia, followed by seven years as senior exploration manager on the exploration of precious metal in Mongolia for Harrods Minerals.

Since 2005, he has been running his own company, Erdenyn Erel, which provides exploration and consulting services to western exploration and mining companies. He is responsible for identifying targets and properties based on his knowledge and experience. His experience has resulted in the discovery of several prospective gold and copper deposits in Mongolia; such as the multimillion-ounce gold deposit Olon Ovoot, the Zuun mod molybdenum porphyry deposit and the Shand copper porphyry deposit. He holds a bachelor's degree in geological exploration from Azerbaijan State University and a Master’s in geological science from Shimane University, Japan.

Patrick Michaels - Director

Patrick Michaels is the Chairman of Zuri-Invest AG and the Chairman of Asty Capital AG in Zurich, Switzerland. He has been involved in numerous financings of gold mines in North America, among others. He is a well-respected financial adviser and fund manager throughout Europe.

Michaels has extensive experience in the fields of mining finance, fund management and asset allocation. He has a background in law and economics and did his training in the areas of private banking and investment research at UBS in Zurich. Additionally, he attended post-graduate courses at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

Dr. Zamba Batjargal - Director

Dr. Zamba Batjargal has over 35 years of experience working for the government in Mongolia, dealing with issues of environmental protection and climate change. He was the Minister of the Environment of Mongolia from 1990 to 1996 and Director General of the National Agency for Meteorology, Hydrology and Environmental Monitoring from 1996 to 2001. Dr. Batjargal has experience in working outside of Mongolia due to his engagement in international bi-and multilateral cooperation activities.

He was the Ambassador of Mongolia to Japan from 2001 to 2005. Between 2005 and 2011, he worked in New York as a Representative of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to the UN. Since 2014, he has served as an independent consultant on climate change and the development of green policy for public institutions and non-profit organizations. He was also an advisor at the Office of the President of the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) in Ulaanbaatar (2014 to 2016). He received his Ph.D. in physics and mathematics in 1978 from the Hydrometeorological State University, St.Petersburg, Russia.

Batukhuu Budnyam - Director

Batukhuu Budnyam is a successful entrepreneur and financial expert who has extensive experience in the banking and finance sectors in Mongolia. Until recently, Budnyam served as Advisor to Chinggis Khaan Bank. Prior to joining Chinggis Khaan Bank, he was Managing Director of Organic Solutions Mongolia LLC and previous to that, he was Managing Director of MFS Capital LLC. Budnyam is a Mongolian native and speaks fluent English, Russian and German. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the National University of Mongolia.

Sereenen Jargalan - Director

Sereenen Jargalan has been a professor at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology since September 2003 and head of the Department of Mineral Exploration since 2011 where she teaches ore geology and metallogeny to bachelors, masters and doctorate students and supervises Ph.D. student research projects. She has a Ph.D. and Master’s in Earth Science from the Institute of Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology at Tohoku University in Japan, focused on petrology of igneous rocks and a Bachelor of Mineral Exploration from the Mongolian Polytechnical University.

She completed postdoctoral work focused on the REE potential in Mongolia at the Mineral Resources Research Group, Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan. She has co-authored or contributed to over 50 academic books, articles and other publications. She has been the recipient of numerous academic awards and honors in both Magnolia and Japan.

Steve Haggarty – Director

Steve Haggarty is the Managing Director of Haggarty Technical Services Corporation and a registered member of the Professional Engineers Ontario. He has over 35 years of industrial experience both on-site and at a corporate level, involving several precious metal and copper producers, with a background in project design, commissioning, start-up, metallurgy, process optimization, project management, reclamation and closure.

With a mining career spanning nearly four decades, Haggarty’s industry experience includes 24 years in operations and 14 years in corporate and EPCM-related roles. Most recently, he was Senior Director for the Metallurgy at Barrick Gold Corp. In this role, he was responsible for operational performance improvements, defining GeoMet models, processing strategy and risk mitigation. Haggarty has worked at multiple mine sites around the world, including as General Manager of Barrick Gold’s Veladero heap leach project in Argentina. He is considered a technical leader in heap leach processing, implementation and optimization.

NOVAGOLD Announces Election of Directors and Voting Results from 2023 Virtual Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

  • A total of 284,457,954 or 85.17% of the Company's issued and outstanding shares were represented at the Meeting
  • All six proposals to shareholders were approved, including the election of all eleven director nominees; Hume Kyle, Daniel Muñiz-Quintanilla, and Dawn Whittaker join the Board
  • During the 2023 proxy season, NOVAGOLD placed outreach calls to shareholders holding approximately 92.21% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares entitled to vote

NOVAGOLD RESOURCES INC. ("NOVAGOLD" or the "Company") (NYSE American, TSX: NG) is pleased to announce the detailed voting results on the items of business considered at its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on May 18, 2023 (the "Meeting"). All proposals were approved and all eleven director nominees were elected. A total of 284,457,954 or 85.17% of the Company's issued and outstanding shares were represented at the Meeting.

Hume Kyle, Daniel Muñiz-Quintanilla, and Dawn Whittaker join the Board Directors of NOVAGOLD

News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

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