Major New Gold Feeder Structure At Tuvatu Akaline Gold Project In Fiji


N. VANCOUVER - Lion One Metals Limited reported the discovery of a major new feeder structure at its Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. Hole TUG-141, targeting a complex network of high-grade structures called the 500 Zone, has encountered the longest high-grade intercept yet recorded at Tuvatu, 20.86 g/t Au over 75.9m, including 43.62 g/t Au over 30.0m which includes 90.35 g/t Au over 7.2m. The new discovery is located at depth beneath the current resource fully within the permit boundaries of the Tuvatu mining lease.

CEO, Walter Berukoff, said, "Like the initial discovery of the high-grade 500 Zone drilled two years ago, I believe this new robust high-grade gold feeder mineralization encountered by hole TUG-141 represents a substantial discovery for Lion One. The notable high grades and continuity of mineralization of this intercept demonstrate Tuvatu's potential to become a large-scale, high-grade underground gold mine. I have long encouraged our team to find that "gold room" at Tuvatu, and hole TUG-141 leads me to believe they have found it. We have only to look at other notable large alkaline Au deposits as direct analogues to better understand what this latest discovery tells us, and it is clear that the discovery of a major high-grade feeder such as this should be viewed as very promising. I am confident that Tuvatu will one day fall in the ranks of notable multi-million ounce Au deposits such as Porgera and Vatukoula. I commend our team on this truly outstanding discovery and I look forward to continued successful execution of both our exploration strategy to realize growth at Tuvatu and our development strategy targeting the commencement of gold production in the second half of 2023."

Lion One is concurrently undertaking a two-pronged exploration drill campaign: 1) shallow infill drilling to enhance definition of its current resource in preparation for mine planning, and 2) deep drilling focussed on better understanding the geometry and extent of the underlying high-grade feeder network. As part of the latter program, hole TUG-141 targeted the upper portion of the 500 Zone at depths between approximately 450-550m where it is projected to connect with the base of lodes making up the Inferred resource. As discussed above, TUG-141 drilled into a very wide and exceptionally high-grade zone, 20.86 g/t Au over 75.9m, cored by hydrothermal breccia. Such a zone of extreme fracturing and brecciation has never before been observed at Tuvatu. It is significant to note that the bulk of this mineralized interval is hosted within andesite rather than by intrusive monzonite, the typical host rock for many lodes at Tuvatu. The significance of this observation has yet to be determined.

Furthermore, it is also notable that the nearest drill holes to TUG-141 are TUG-135 (70m below), TUG-136 (45m to the E), and TUG-138 (60m to the W), indicating that there is considerable space for a substantial increase in the ultimate size of the feeder conduit.

In aggregate, all mineralized intercepts reported from hole TUG-141 total 1,909 g/t Au-meters.

Complete results, received to date, from hole TUG-141. This is the first drill hole in this part of the Tuvatu alkaline gold system, and as such, orientation and true thicknesses of mineralized intercepts discussed above are not known at this time. Further drilling is required to better understand this new discovery. At the time of writing, hole TUG-141 is still being drilled, and is currently >600m in depth with other mineralized structures yet to be assayed.

Mineralization is observed as two generations of pyrite; an earlier bright euhedral pyrite that forms coarse crystals in the core of the veins and breccia, and a darker brownish, spongy pyrite that typically forms extremely fine-grained encrustations or overgrowths on earlier pyrite and wallrock fragments, as well as lining the edges of most veins. Quartz occurs commonly as bluish grey, amorphous to locally colloform silica. Open space vuggy textures are common, as are visible gold grains. Highest grades (up to 600 g/t Au) appear to be associated with an interval of intense pervasive silicification and sulfidation by up to 30% or more extremely fine-grained pyrite developed throughout the host rock, giving the rock an overall massive chocolate brown appearance. The intensity of replacement suggests this is a zone of very high and sustained fluid flux.