Westhaven Drills 5.50 Metres of 4.58 g/t Gold and 267.40 g/t Silver at the Newly Discovered FMN Zone at Shovelnose
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westhaven Gold Corp. (TSX-V:WHN) is pleased to announce assay results from its ongoing drill program at its 17,623-hectare Shovelnose gold property. Shovelnose is located within the prospective Spences Bridge Gold Belt (SBGB), which borders the Coquihalla Highway 30 kilometres south of Merritt, British Columbia.
This newly discovered FMN zone is the third gold zone discovered since the initial high-grade gold discovery at South Zone in late 2018 (SN18-14: 17.70m of 24.50 g/t Au) and the recent discovery at Franz Zone which reported 7.78m of 14.84 g/t Au in September of this year.
Recent Highlights:
- SN20—139 (FMN)
- (271.15 – 291.0m): 19.85 metres (m) of 2.62 g/t gold (Au) and 139.75 g/t silver (Ag)
- Including: 10.44m of 3.67 g/t Au and 209.04 g/t Ag.
- Including: 5.50m of 4.58 g/t Au and 267.35 g/t Ag.
- 3rd highest silver intercept drilled to date on this property (0.58m of 581 g/t Silver)
- SN20—112 (Franz)
- (68.40 – 77.37m): 8.97m, of 2.38 g/t Au and 63.59 g/t Ag.
- Including: 5.72m of 3.46 g/t Au and 87.38 g/t Ag.
- SN20—134 (Franz)
- (80.26 – 98.00m): 17.74m of 2.85 g/t Au and 56.24 g/t Ag.
- Including: 9.00m of 4.15 g/t Au and 89.26 g/t Ag.
- Also including: 2.50m of 9.29 g/t Au and 172.38 g/t Ag. - Westhaven completed 43,166 metres of diamond drilling in 2020. Assays are pending for 24 drill holes completed in the FMN and Franz zones.
Please click the following link to the 2020 drill database table of assay results:
https://www.westhavengold.com/projects/shovelnose-gold/maps/
Gareth Thomas, President & CEO of Westhaven Gold adds: “With the discovery of high-grade gold and silver at the FMN zone there are now four separate zones of high-grade mineralization at Shovelnose. Vein zone 1 now spans approximately 4 kilometres, is open along strike, and appears to be strengthening as drilling continues northwest from the FMN zone towards the Franz zone. With the discovery of three new gold zones in 2020, and several new zones to test in early 2021, we continue to increase the size and scale of mineralization on this largely underexplored property.”
Peter Fischl, Exploration Manager for Westhaven Gold stated: “Recent drilling on the FMN and Franz targets continues to return significant gold and silver assays. Continuing along strike to the northwest, the Franz Zone has been extended farther northwest with the drilling of hole SN20-124. This hole, collared 500m northwest of the Franz discovery hole, SN20-101 (14.84 g/t Au over 7.78m), encountered a 4.7m calcite vein assaying 0.71 g/t Au and 0.60 g/t Ag over 3.53m, including 1.51 g/t Au over 0.62m. This vein also contains elevated mercury, up to 0.27 ppm. This vein intersection is now interpreted to represent the upper most part of the vein zone that has been preserved in a down-dropped fault block, potentially preserving a zone of boiling and gold deposition. Follow-up drilling will test the zone down-dip and along strike to the northwest.”
FMN (Forget Me Not)
The FMN target represents the northwestward extension of Vein Zone 1 from the Tower/Mik and South zones. Quartz veining comprising Zone 1 has now been traced continuously from South Zone through FMN for 2.8 kilometres of strike. Vein Zone 1 remains open to the northwest where stronger mineralization is now being intersected. Hole SN20-139 for example, encountered 3.67 g/t Au and 209.04 g/t Ag over 10.44m. This intersection is centred at 1200m elevation, the same level at which stronger mineralization at South Zone occurs. Follow-up step-outs to the northwest have intersected Vein Zone 1 at shallower depths, such as in hole SN20-147, collared 90m northwest of hole 139, which intersected 35m of colloform/crustiform banded cm to metre-scale quartz/chalcedony veins centred at 1330m elevation. Follow-up drilling will continue northwest into the untested 700m long gap between FMN and Franz targets.
Qualified Person Statement
Peter Fischl, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 has read and takes responsibility for this release.
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.
QA/QC
Core samples were prepared using the PREP-31 package in ALS’s Kamloops facility. Each core sample is crushed to better than 70 % passing a 2 mm (Tyler 9 mesh, US Std. No.10) screen. A split of 250 g is taken and pulverized to better than 85 % passing a 75-micron (Tyler 200 mesh, US Std. No. 200) screen. 0.75g of this pulverized split is digested by Four Acid and analyzed via ICP-MS (method code ME-MS61m (+Hg)), which reports a 49-element suite of elements. All samples are analyzed by Fire Assay with an AES finish, method code Au-ICP21 (30g sample size). Additional Au screening is performed using ALS’s Au-SCR24 method, select samples are dry screened to 100-micron. A duplicate 50g fire assay is conducted on the undersized fraction as well as an assay on the entire oversize fraction. Total Au content, individual assays and weight fractions are reported. All analytical and assay procedures are conducted in ALS’s North Vancouver facility. A QA/QC program included laboratory and field standards inserted every 25 samples. At least one field blank is inserted in every batch of 25 samples, with additional blanks inserted following samples with visible gold.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
WESTHAVEN GOLD CORP.
"Gareth Thomas"
Gareth Thomas, President, CEO & Director
About Westhaven Gold Corp.
Westhaven is a gold-focused exploration company advancing the high-grade discovery on the Shovelnose project in Canada’s newest gold district, the Spences Bridge Gold Belt. Westhaven controls 37,000 hectares (370 square kilometres) with four 100% owned gold properties spread along this underexplored belt. The Shovelnose property is situated off a major highway, in close proximity to power, rail, large producing mines, and within commuting distance from the city of Merritt, which translates into low cost exploration. Westhaven trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol WHN. For further information, please call 604-336-6921 or visit Westhaven’s website at www.westhavengold.com
Maps accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6f103ace-ff93-45fd-ab1b-d6b8a28ef8cb
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1d85848a-75ed-4d21-9dac-ea5e710cce76
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/19306be1-91b5-4e62-9f3e-c2b8b5feb8ff
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4f7a3b5a-0c16-4e72-8e51-dd788451538f
Map 1
PLAN MAP OF RECENT DRILLING
Map 2
3 NEW ZONES DISCOVERED IN 2020
Map 3
CROSS-SECTION OF HOLE SN20-139
Map 4
