➔ Phase 1 exploration and drilling program started in early January
➔ Surface and near-surface campaigns commencing in Q3 of this year
➔ Testing of historic near-surface targets as the Tombill Main Group has not received the benefit of modern exploration
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 25, 2021) - Tombill Mines Limited (TSXV: TBLL) (the "Company" or "Tombill"), is pleased to announce that, in addition to its current ongoing drilling program, its plans for an extensive surface and near-surface exploration program at its flagship royalty-free and patented Tombill Main Group property within the Geraldton Gold Camp starting Q3, including testing of historic near-surface targets.
Exploration and Drilling Plan Highlights
● Fully funded Phase 1 exploration and drilling program at Tombill Main Group started early January
- 15 drill holes campaign over ~16,000 m
- Focus on defining continuity of the adjacent Hardrock deposit's mineralization, intersected in their western most drill holes, onto Tombill Main Group
- The first drill rig is responding well with directional drilling and the initial hole is on its way to intersecting the first deep target
● Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Magnetometer Survey ("UAV-MAG Survey") carried out in February to cover high priority targets on the Tombill Main Group
- Identification of cross-cutting features, and structures on the Tombill Main Group property will help refine and identify current and additional drill targets for the drill program
● Surface and near-surface exploration campaigns commencing in early Q3
- 8 targets defined, including the past producing Talmora Mine
- Testing of historic near-surface targets since Tombill has not seen modern exploration
- Further potential for lower-grade near-surface gold deposits
● Near surface drilling program
- 8 targets, to test by drilling to 300m below surface
Adam Horne, CEO commented, "In addition to the successful launch of our drilling program, we look forward to diversifying and doing modern near-surface work in Q3 on the Tombill Main Group for the first time. Our neighbour, the Hardrock Project, has identified 16 ore zones, and we are excited to begin exploring the Tombill Main Group that we believe could have similar potential. The table below outlines our total exploration program over the near-term."
Tombill Exploration and Drilling Program
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Summary: Phase 1 and Phase 2 Drilling Program
● Phase 1 drill program started in early January, and in progress
● Focus on defining extension and continuity -- especially the F-zone -- from the neighbouring Hardrock Project's east to west resource plunge, including their western most drill hole (MM170 18.49 g/t - 20.5m), and additional zones that may continue onto the Tombill Main Group property
● Initial drill holes are directly adjacent to the Hardrock Project claim border
● Phase 1 plan comprises: 15 drill holes (5 hub-holes + 10 daughter holes) campaign over ~16,000 m
● Phase 2 plan comprises: 63 drill holes campaign over ~70,000 m
Tombill Phase 1 and Phase 2 Drilling Program
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Surface and Near-Surface Exploration Campaigns
● Beginning in early Q3, of which preparation work and UAV-MAG work is complete
● Much of the Tombill Main Group has not seen modern exploration
- Further potential for lower-grade near-surface gold deposits historically mined in the district
- Last surface exploration was conducted with antiquated methods
● Past producers and explorers in the district historically devoted no emphasis to looking for open-pittable low grade gold resources
● This strategy was successful at the adjacent Hardrock Property in the delineation of 5 million ounces of open pit reserves associated with the past-producing mines with the identification of 16 separate ore zones
Tombill Surface Exploration Program
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Near-Surface Drilling Campaigns
● Embarking, concurrently with near-surface exploration, in early Q3
● Tombill identified 8 additional and potential targets for shallow surface drilling
- Of the multiple Hardrock zones, a good portion are quite close to the Tombill Main Group border
- Present underground grades at Hardrock (not near-surface) were comparable to those mined from 1930s to 1970s
Tim Twomey, Tombill Technical Advisor stated that, "It is remarkable that the Tombill Main Group property is so underexplored given its location right beside the Hardrock gold deposit. The potential at Tombill Main Group is therefore quite high for discovering more gold and we have high expectations that this will be realized using our planned drill-holes from the 'truth machines'."
Tombill Near Surface Drilling Program
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Highlights of Historical Work at Tombill Main Group
Previous explorers at Tombill Main Group focused on narrow higher-grade quartz veins and structures and ignored the possibility of wide low-grade gold that could be amenable for open pit-type deposits. This is evidenced by Tombill Main Group's neighbour Greenstone Gold Mines who is developing an open pit mine with 5 million ounces of gold reserves, in the middle of historic underground mines that previously produced 2 million ounces of gold.
Most of the Property has not seen modern exploration since the Ontario government geologist, E.G. Pye published his report in 1951 on the Geology of Errington Township, Ontario Department of Mines, Annual Report Volume 6, part 6. Pye described the exploration history of Tombill Main Group's near-surface exploration targets in his publication, with some excerpts shown as below:
1) East Porphyry: "In the south part of claim 10737, is altered and mineralized, occurring along the contact between sheared porphyry and iron formation. Several diamond-drill holes were bored to test the zone, but the intersections showed only a sporadic occurrence of gold. The best results were found in discontinuous quartz stringers in the porphyry, which returned 0.74 oz/ton gold over 2.0 feet and 0.87 oz/ton gold over 1.9 feet."
2) 10736 I.F. Zone: "In 1946, the northernmost of the two bands of iron formation striking easterly across claims T.B. 10736, 10734, and 10737 was drilled and explored by trenching and stripping. This work disclosed the local occurrence of quartz stringers and sulphide mineralization." (Page 133, pt VI, 1951.)
3) Central Porphyry. "The mineralized zone, originally revealed by surface trenching has been traced by diamond-drilling for a length of approximately 1,500 feet. Throughout this length, the zone consists of sheared and brecciated porphyry, impregnated with small amounts of pyrite and arsenopyrite and cut by numerous but narrow and discontinuous stringers of quartz. The wall rock adjacent to the quartz stringers has been somewhat sericitized and, locally, carbonatized. The best drill intersection, at the east end of claim T.B. 10112, returned 0.26 ounces of gold per ton across a width of 2.5 feet." (Page 133, pt VI, 1951.)
4) McLellan East: "Consists of a shear zone about 150 feet in width in dark slaty greywacke and iron formation. The mineralization is largely pyrite with which the gold values are apparently associated. Native gold has been reported in the drill cores. This gold zone has a length of about 1,300 feet on McLellan and extends eastward into . . . [the Tombill Main Group] for another 700 feet." (Page 117, pt VI, 1951.)
5) West Zone: "Along the boundary between claims T.B. 10849 and 10854, in the western part of the claim group, surface trenching and diamond-drilling have disclosed the presence of several quartz veins and stringers scattered along a zone of shearing in conglomerate." (Page 133, pt VI, 1951.)
6) Talmora Mine: "Several auriferous quartz veins were found within a west plunging, saddle-shaped mass of diorite. These veins have been opened up and tested by Talmora Longlac Gold Mines. Irregular fractures and shear zones, containing quartz veins and stringers of limited lateral and vertical extent, occur in both the greywacke and the diorite. These sections, according to the management, averaged 0.64, 0.63, and 0.75 ounces of gold per ton across widths of 1.57, 1.98, and 1.30 feet, respectively. A raise driven through the ore shoots indicated that these averages persisted between the two levels. On the 515-foot level… opened up several discontinuous and irregularly arranged vein zones…averaged 0.12 ounces of gold per ton across a width of 5.8 feet, for a horizontal length of 296 feet. Farther east along the zone, the other section, 226 feet in length, averaged 0.113 ounces per ton across a width of 4.2 feet." (Pages 126-127, pt VI, 1951.)
Tombill cautions that historical results were collected and reported by past operators and cannot be verified nor confirmed by a Qualified Person, but form a basis for ongoing work in the Property area.
Qualified Person
Glen Kuntz, P.Geo, of Nordmin, is the Company's designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has reviewed and approved its scientific and technical content.
The Company cautions that its Qualified Person has been unable to verify the information concerning the Hardrock Project and that this information is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on the Tombill Main Group.
About Tombill
Tombill owns various royalty-free mineral exploration and past-producing gold properties in the Geraldton and Beardmore Camp, Ontario. The Company's business is mineral exploration, primarily gold. It has 74 claims: 60 are owned and patented, five leased, and nine where it owns the mineral rights. Of these, the Tombill Main Group property comprises 58 claims: 54 owned patents, and four owned mineral rights. The Tombill Main Group claims were originally staked in the first Geraldton Gold Rush in the 1930's by Tom Johnson and his brother Bill.
For more information, please visit www.tombillmines.com, and contact:
Adam Horne
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Email: adam@tombillmines.com / Tel: +44 (0) 207 529 2351
Reda Jalabi
Strategic Development & Investor Relations
Email: reda@tombillmines.com / Tel: +44 (0) 207 529 2361
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the trading date of the Company's common shares on the TSXV. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.
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