Gold Standard Step Out Drilling Intersects Thick Intervals of Oxide Gold at Dark Star

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gold Standard Ventures Corp. (TSX: GSV; NYSE AMERICAN: GSV) (“Gold Standard” or the “Company”) today reported more oxide gold results from 11 reverse-circulation (“RC”) holes and one core hole at the Dark Star deposit on its 100%-owned/controlled Railroad-Pinion Project in Nevada’s Carlin Trend. With this news release, results have now been reported for all 143 holes completed in the 2018 Dark Star development program.

In the northern portion of Dark Star, two RC stepout holes intersected vertically-continuous zones of oxidized gold mineralization.  DR18-117 intersected 77.7m of 0.90 g Au/t, including 42.7m of 1.26 g Au/t, and DR18-113 intersected 18.3m of 0.34 g Au/t (refer to Dark Star drill hole plan map at the following link https://goldstandardv.com/lp/ds-feb04-2019-drillmaps/).  These results continue to confirm that oxide gold resource expansion remains open in multiple directions. 

Jonathan Awde, CEO and Director of Gold Standard commented: “This year’s program at Dark Star is off to an excellent start. Three rigs operating there have already completed nearly 7,000m in 47 holes testing new targets below the current resource as well as lateral expansion of the resource to the north, west and south. Near-surface structural patterns and seismic data strongly support the existence of an untested anticline below the northern portion of the Dark Star deposit. This structural setting has been known to host highly productive lower plate carbonate gold deposits elsewhere in the Carlin Trend and is one of the targets to be drilled in 2019.”

Key Highlights from Dark Star:

• In the northern portion of Dark Star, RC hole DR18-117 intersected an oxidized interval of 77.7m of 0.90 g Au/t, including 42.7m of 1.26 g Au/t.  This new stepout intercept is approximately 30m west of DS17-37 (141.8m of 3.32 g Au/t announced January 23, 2018) where mineralization remains open to the south.  Due to poor drilling conditions, the hole ended at 231.7m in 0.41 g Au/t before testing the entire target.
  
  
• Also, in the northern portion of Dark Star, DR18-113 intersected 18.3m of 0.34 g Au/t.  Oxide mineralization in this northern stepout hole remains open to the north and west.
  
  
• Results from the 2018 Dark Star development program continue to reveal a robust, vertically and laterally-extensive oxide gold system on the north end of the deposit that, at depth, transitions into higher-grade sulfide gold mineralization.  Unique geologic patterns associated with Dark Star include deep oxidation; multilithic hydrothermal breccias; and the intersection of north-, west northwest- and northeast-striking faults.  Based on 2D seismic interpretations, these geologic patterns occur in the near-surface environment above a buried and untested anticline.  Gold Standard now believes that deeper, lower plate carbonate hosted gold targets likely occur in this favorable structural setting beneath the Dark Star deposit - - similar to the structural setting in the Carlin North Area.  Drill testing of these deeper targets will be one focus of the 2019 program.
  
  
• DC18-14 was a geotechnical core hole drilled away from the resource into the proposed east highwall, to confirm geotechnical parameters in the proposed open pit highwall.  The hole intersected 33.5m of 0.29 g Au/t of oxide mineralization beginning at the current topographic surface.
  
  
• DR18-107, -108, -111 and -112 were environmental monitor holes completed west of the deposit.  Mineralization was not expected in these drill holes; however, DR18-108 intersected a reduced intercept of 7.6m of 2.43 g Au/t.
  
  
• In the current 2019 program, 3 drill rigs operating at Dark Star have completed 6,970m of drilling in 47 holes. These holes are testing new targets at depth below the current resource model, and lateral resource expansion to the north, west and south of the current Dark Star resource.  The 2019 program will infill the current resource to approximately 30m drill spacings for conversion to measured and inferred classification.

Dark Star drill results are as follows:

Gold intervals reported in this table were calculated using a 0.14 g Au/t cutoff for oxide mineralization and a 1.0 g Au/t cutoff for reduced mineralization.  Weighted averaging has been used to calculate all reported intervals.  True widths are estimated at 70-90% of drilled thicknesses.

Don Harris, Gold Standard’s Senior Development Geologist commented:  “The initial 2019 program at Dark Star is progressing very rapidly with 75% of the holes completed. This phase is designed to infill the remaining gold resource to 30m for conversion to measured and indicated. The program is also designed to test open mineralization at both North and Main to setup a phase 2 program later in 2019.”

Sampling Methodology, Chain of Custody, Quality Control and Quality Assurance 
All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the Company’s project geologists and the chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility was continuously monitored.  A blank, certified reference material, or rig duplicate was inserted approximately every tenth sample.  The samples were delivered to Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories preparation facility in Elko, NV where they were crushed and pulverized.  Resulting sample pulps were shipped to Bureau Veritas certified laboratory in Sparks, NV or Vancouver, BC.  Pulps were digested and analyzed for gold using fire assay fusion and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish on a 30-gram split.  Over limit gold assays were determined using a fire assay fusion with a gravimetric finish on a 30-gram split. All other elements were determined by ICP analysis.  Data verification of the analytical results included a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to insure accurate and verifiable results.

Drill hole deviation was measured by gyroscopic down hole surveys that were completed on all holes by International Directional Services of Elko, NV.  Final drill collar locations are surveyed by differential GPS by Apex Surveying, LLC of Spring Creek, Nevada.     

The scientific and technical content contained in this news release have been reviewed, verified and approved by Steven R. Koehler, Gold Standard’s Manager of Projects, BSc. Geology and CPG-10216, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

ABOUT GOLD STANDARD VENTURES – Gold Standard is an advanced stage gold exploration company focused on district scale discoveries on its Railroad-Pinion Project, located within the prolific Carlin Trend. Gold Standard’s successful exploration of the Pinion and Dark Star gold deposits has created potential near-term development option and further consolidates the Company’s premier land package on the Carlin Trend.

The Pinion deposit has a resource estimate prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 consisting of an Indicated Mineral Resource of 31.61 million tonnes grading 0.62 g/t Au, totaling 630,300 ounces of gold and an Inferred Resource of 61.08 million tonnes grading 0.55 g/t Au, totaling 1,081,300 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g/t Au. This resource will be re-estimated this year to include drill results from 2018.

The Dark Star deposit, 2.1 km to the east of Pinion, has a resource estimate prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 consisting of an Indicated Mineral Resource of 15.38 million tonnes grading 0.54 g/t Au, totaling 265,100 ounces of gold and an Inferred Resource of 17.05 million tonnes grading 1.31 g/t Au, totaling 715,800 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.2 g Au/t. This resource will also be re-estimated this year to include highly favourable 2018 drill results.

The North Bullion deposit, 7 km to the north of Pinion, has a resource estimate prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 consisting of an Indicated Mineral Resource of 2.92 million tonnes grading 0.96 g/t Au, totaling 90,100 ounces of gold and an Inferred Resource of 10.97 million tonnes grading 2.28 g/t Au, totaling 805,800 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g Au/t for near surface oxide and 1.25 to 2.25 g Au/t for near surface sulfide and underground sulfide respectively. 

Neither the TSX nor its regulation services provider nor the NYSE AMERICAN Exchange accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management’s current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements about our potential near term development option are forward looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.  Risk factors affecting the Company include, among others: the results from our exploration programs, global financial conditions and volatility of capital markets, uncertainty regarding the availability of additional capital, fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) and with the SEC on EDGAR (available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

CAUTIONARY NOTE FOR U.S. INVESTORS REGARDING RESERVE AND RESOURCE ESTIMATES
All resource estimates reported by the Company were calculated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Classification system. These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for descriptions of mineral properties in SEC Industry Guide 7 under Regulation S-K of the U. S. Securities Act of 1933. In particular, under U. S. standards, mineral resources may not be classified as a “reserve” unless the determination has been made that mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. Accordingly, information in this press release containing descriptions of the Company’s mineral properties may not be comparable to similar information made public by US public reporting companies.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Gold Standard,

“Jonathan Awde”

Jonathan Awde, President and Director

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Jonathan Awde
President
Tel: 604-669-5702
Email: info@goldstandardv.com 
Website: www.goldstandardv.com