Desert Gold Begins Drill Program at 1.6 Km Long Gourbassi West North Gold Discovery Following up Drill Intercepts of 1.94 g/t Gold over 30 Metres* and 2.75 g/t Gold over 12 Metres*

Delta, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2022) - Desert Gold Ventures Inc. (TSXV: DAU) (FSE: QXR2) (OTCQB: DAUGF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the resumption of drilling at its SMSZ project in Western Mali. This phase 2 program will focus on the Gourbassi West North gold discovery that had previously returned 1.94 g/t gold over 30 metres* and 2.75 g/t gold over 12 metres*. This open ended 1.6 km long zone, has been tested to just 35 metres depth, is open to depth and is up to 90 metres wide. This gold zone appears to be one of the larger gold systems on the property and has seen only limited testing.

Jared Scharf, President and CEO commented "We're very pleased to resume work at Gourbassi West North. This phase of drilling is designed to test the continuity and strength of the gold system at depth and along strike. We believe this target has the potential to significantly add to our overall mineral resources making the value proposition of the SMSZ Project even more compelling."

Technical Details

A total of 5,400 metres of drilling has been planned to test the Gourbassi West North Zone for approximately 1,900 metres along strike. The phase 2 program will consist of 2 diamond drill holes totalling 400 metres, 16 reverse circulation holes totalling 2,345 metres and 35 air core holes totalling 2,650 metres (Figure 1). The RC and diamond drill holes will test the zone to approximately 100 metres depth for 1,000 metres along strike. One diamond drill hole will test the zone to 150 metres depth. All air core holes are designed as infill holes and holes to test for extensions of the gold mineralization both along and across strike. One line of air core holes will test for inferred northwest-trending mineralization proximal to the original discovery. Four air core holes will test below grab samples that returned 11.03 g/t gold and 6.05 g/t gold, from an artisanal mining area located approximately 3,000 metres to the northwest of the Gourbassi West North Zone.

Auger drilling, to test below anomalous gold-in-soil values and geological target areas, north and west of the Gourbassi West North Zone, will restart with approximately 1,000 metres of drilling in 113 holes.

Additional holes will test the Linnguekoto West Zone where an open pit constrained, inferred mineral resource of 66,200 ounces of gold in 1.39 million tonnes grading 1.48 g/t gold, was defined. This zone is open to depth and along strike mostly to the south and returned drill intercepts to 16.07 g/t Au over 7 metres (estimated true width of 4.0 metres), 7.78 g/t Au over 19 metres (estimated true width 4.9 metres) and 3.51 g/t Au over 29 metres (estimated true width of 8 metres).

The Gourbassi West North and Linnguekoto West zones are located in the southwestern portion of Desert Gold's SMSZ property (see Figure 2).

Geological mapping is ongoing at the Mogoyafara South zone area. The Mogoyafara South Zone is the largest mineral resource on the property at 412,800 ounces in 12.29 million tonnes grading 1.05 g/t gold. This mineralized system is open along strike and to depth. Drill testing of this zone is expected to start after drilling at Gourbassi West North is finished.

* True width of the Gourbassi West North holes is estimated at 65% of drilled length

Figure 1. Plan view Gourbassi West North Zone and Gourbassi West summarized drill results and planned drilling

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:
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Figure 2. Plan Map Mineral Deposits and Zones, significant drill hole intercepts*, soil geochem summary on color-contoured analytical signal; magnetic data

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*All gold grades over width, with the exception of the Soa, Berola and Gourbassi prospects, represent drill holes with the true widths, for most holes, ranging from 65 to 95%. Estimated true widths for the Soa and Berola prospects are unknown. Estimated true widths at the Gourbassi Zones are estimated to range from 60% to 90%.

QAQC

All auger and drill samples are delivered to SGS in Bamako, Mali where they are prepped. The prepped samples, are both shipped by truck to SGS's facility in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, or remain at SGS's laboratory in Bamako, for Au determination by fire assay. Standards, assay blanks and sample duplicates, are inserted into the assay stream every 22 to 30 samples, respectively equaling one control sample for every approximately every 8 assay samples. All assay batches are reviewed for quality with re-assays requested 20 samples on either side of standards that assay more than 2 to 3 SD from an excepted value and for blanks that contain more than 10 ppb gold.

Ashanti Gold drill results QAQC Procedures for the Gourbassi East and West Zones

Certified Reference Materials and Blanks were inserted into the sample stream at the rate of 1:20 samples. Field duplicates are collected at the rate of 1:50 samples. All samples have been analyzed by SGS Laboratories in Bamako with standard preparation methods and 50g fire assay with atomic absorption finish. SGS does their own introduction of QA/QC samples into the sample stream and reports them to Ashanti for double checking. Higher grade samples are reanalyzed from pulp or reject material or both.

Hyundai QAQC Procedures

Desert Gold does not have any information regarding Hyundai's QAQC procedures at the Linnegukoto West Zone. However, based on follow-up of historic drill results in the Barani Area indicates an acceptable level of accuracy.

This press release contains certain scientific and technical information. The Company is solely responsible for the contents and accuracy of any scientific and technical information related to it. Don Dudek, P.Geo. a director of Desert Gold both Qualified Persons under National Instrument 43-101, have reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this press release.

On Behalf of the Board

"Jared Scharf"

___________________________
Jared Scharf
President & CEO

About Desert Gold

Desert Gold Ventures Inc. is a gold exploration and development company which holds 2 gold exploration permits in Western Mali (SMSZ Project and Djimbala) and its Rutare gold project in central Rwanda. In Mali, Desert Gold's SMSZ property hosts Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 8.47 million tonnes grading 1.14 g/t gold totaling 310,300 ounces and Inferred Mineral Resources of 20.7 million tonnes grading 1.16 g/t gold totaling 769,200 ounces. For further information please visit www.SEDAR.com under the company's profile. Website: www.desertgold.ca

This news release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations, are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in such statements. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, the strength of the capital markets, the price of gold; operational, funding, liquidity risks, the degree to which Mineral Resource estimates are reflective of actual Mineral Resources, the degree to which factors which would make a mineral deposit commercially viable, and the risks and hazards associated with mining operations. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available at www.sedar.com and readers are urged to read these materials. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such statements unless required by law. Neither the 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 news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States securities act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to the account or benefit of a U.S. person absent an exemption from the registration requirements of such act.

Contact
Jared Scharf, President and CEO
Email: jared.scharf@desertgold.ca
Tel. No.: +1 (858) 247-8195

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