Drill Results And Status Of Work At Its Tonopah Gold Project

VANCOUVER - Viva Gold Corp. reported final assay results from its recently completed 11-hole reverse circulation (RC) drill program, and the initiation of core drilling and technical study activities to support a feasibility study and mine permitting at the Tonopah Gold Project located near Tonopah, Nevada.

"With the rise in gold price, we believe now is the time to move the Tonopah project towards gold production. Our 2020 work program was designed to not only increase our resource base, but to prepare the project for initiating a feasibility study and final mine permitting", said James Hesketh, President and CEO.

"Our recently completed RC drilling program was successful in demonstrating that the primary mineral trend at the Tonopah project remains open for resource extension along strike in both of its primary northwest and southeast dimensions. The program also confirmed high-grade mineralization in the bottom of the northwest resource pit zone, while also upgrading areas of inferred mineralization. We are following up on this program with a core drilling program designed to capture samples for additional metallurgical and environmental testwork and to add to our database of geotechnical data. In addition, we are moving forward on a series of other technical studies required to support our feasibility study and permitting efforts.”

A core rig has been mobilized to the site and has commenced a 5-hole PQ size (85mm) core drilling program. Core samples from this program will be utilized, after assay, for metallurgical optimization and environmental characterization testwork, as well as for geotechnical analysis. This program is targeted for completion before year end 2020. This program focused on testing the northwest and southeast extents of the primary North Pit area. Additional goals included testing the east-west extents of the South Pit area, confirmation of inferred mineralization and the testing of high-grade zones near resource pit bottoms. Initial results from this program were previously released on September 9 and October 14, 2020. Overall results and the context of those results are summarized here.

The North Pit encompasses a broad zone of northwest-southeast trending gold mineralization that is controlled by faults, splays, brecciation and a major break in the underlaying Ordovician Palmetto formation (Opa). Gold mineralization occurs in both the Opa and overlaying Tertiary Volcanics (TV) formation.

Drillhole TG2004 was drilled from inside the southeast end of the resource open pit design. This hole intercepted cumulative mineralization totaling 36.1 meters at an average grade of 0.75 grams per tonne (g/t) commencing at 100 meters depth in an area outside of the current resource model. The intercept was in TV material and clearly demonstrates the potential to further extend mineralization in this zone to the southeast and to the east of the Rye Patch fault, which had previously been considered a bounding fault at the eastern end of the North pit trend. TG 2005 was drilled on the south flank of the southeast end of the pit and defined a limit to mineralization in that dimension.

Drillholes TG2001 and TG2002, both drilled at the northwestern extent of the resource pit, respectively intercepted cumulative values of 13 meters at 0.62 g/t in the TV and 18 meters at 1.81 g/t in the Opa behind the pit wall.

Drillhole TG 2011 was drilled to test the pit bottom in the western section of the North pit and intercepted 4.6 meters averaging 1.9 gpt, including 1.5 meters at 3.2 g/t near the pit floor. This drillhole confirms the south side of a zone of high-grade mineralization found at the pit bottom.

Mineralization in the South Pit area is area defined by complex structural controls including the primary Rye Patch, Discovery and Dauntless faults as well as by numerous splays and potential east-west cross-faulting, both pre and post mineral in movement. The Opa in this area has been uplifted and lays under 10 to 30 meters of alluvial cover. The TV formation is missing. Gold mineralization in this zone occurs in three fault confined pods; the east, middle and west. The South Pit is generally lower grade than the North Pit area, but is shallow and near surface.

TG2006 and TG2009 were drilled at the eastern and western extents of this zone and confirmed the limits of mineralization in those dimensions, intercepting sporadic low-grade gold mineralization. TG2007, drilled at the west end of the eastern pod, intercepted 16.8 meters averaging 0.588 g/t starting 39.6 meters from surface, confirming and possibly upgrading a large zone of inferred mineralization.

TG2008 and TG2010 were both drilled from the same pad, located between the middle and western pods of mineralization in the South Pit. These holes tested a gap in mineralization between the pods and confirmed that this gap does exist, intercepting limited mineralization in the area including 3-meters averaging 0.39 g/t at 35 meters depth in TG2010.

Piteau Associates of Reno, Nevada have been retained to conduct hydrologic, geochemical and baseline water study analysis. They have completed an initial data consolidation and review of historical hydrologic and geochemical information and have made recommendations for additional work. Baseline water sampling is being initiated and a study has been designed for geochemical characterization of waste and mineralized rock using fresh samples from core drilling.

Call and Nicholas (CNI) of Tucson Arizona is preparing a preliminary geotechnical study with initial pit slope angle recommendations after review of 135 core holes from the project database, 90 of which have complete geotechnical data. CNI has recommended that four additional geotechnical holes be drilled and logged in order to advance the study to feasibility study level.

Great Basin Consulting Group of Carson City, Nevada has been retained to update the prior cultural resource and archaeology study completed for the Tonopah project by Newmont Gold in 2003. This study will focus on three sections of land covering the primary mineralized areas of the projects, plus potential facility locations. The goal of the study is to more clearly locate, identify and log any potential cultural sites in the immediate project area. Information generated by these studies will be utilized to support feasibility study and permitting activities at the site.