Aurvista Gold Corporation Expands Mineral Resources at Douay
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Feb 28, 2017) -
- New defined Mineral Resources of 130 million tonnes @ 1.06 g/t gold for 4.4 million ounces using a 0.5 g/t gold cut-off grade
- Increasing the cut-off grade to 0.7 g/t gold results in a 30% grade increase to 1.38 g/t gold for 3.4 million ounces in 77 million tonnes
- The New Mineral Resources scenario is limited to the current drill-hole perimeter, with mineralization open in all directions beyond the average -250 meter depth, and 7,000 meter strike length, which has never been mined
Aurvista Gold Corporation ("Aurvista" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:AVA)(OTCQB:ARVSF)(FRANKFURT:AV2) is pleased to announce the New Mineral Resource Estimates (the "New Estimates") as received from Micon International Limited ("Micon"), for the Company's Douay Gold Project ("Douay"). The New Estimates extends from surface to an average -250 meters in vertical depth, 7,000 meters in surface length and remains open in all directions (refer to appended Figure 1), which includes higher and lower gold grades that have never been mined. The following table summarizes the New Estimates for Douay under cut-off grades of 0.5 g/t gold and 0.7 g/t gold:
| 2017 NEW MINERAL RESOURCES ESTIMATES, INFERRED CATEGORY* | |||
| CUT-OFF GRADES | TONNES | GOLD (G/T) | GOLD (OUNCES) |
| > 0.5 g/t | 129,979,000 | 1.06 | 4,416,000 |
| > 0.7 g/t | 76,726,000 | 1.38 | 3,411,000 |
| *Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of mineral resources may also be materially affected by other relevant factors or issues. The mineral resource estimate has been prepared without reference to surface rights or the presence of overlying public infrastructure. There has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an indicated or measured mineral resource category. |
Mr. Jean Lafleur, President and CEO of Aurvista stated: "The significant increase in mineral resources generated at cut-off grades consistent with other projects in the region are indicative of what we consider to be the outstanding potential for an economic bulk tonnage deposit at Douay, should a PEA or mining study establish the economic viability and technical feasibility of the project, with the potential to add additional ounces and higher grades within this substantial mineralized system. Our improved understanding of mineralizing controls together with an appreciation of the internal gaps in the drilling will allow us to develop an effective and efficient drill campaign to expand and upgrade this significant resource."
The appended Table 1 details the New Mineral Resources Estimates for each of the 8 gold zones covering the Douay West, Porphyry, 531, 10, 20, Main, North-West and Central zones, by cut-off grade ranging from 0.3 to 5.0 g/t gold; and the criteria used to determine the New Estimates and the resources statement for the Inferred category. Micon developed a three-dimensional block model of Douay based, in part, on Aurvista's 2016 interpretation of the geology and structural controls on gold mineralization over the 7,000 meter trend. Micon is currently completing the National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report supporting the Estimates which will be filed within 45 days of this news release on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Comparison Between the Current 2017 and Historical 2012 Mineral Resource Estimates
In 2012, Aurvista filed a Technical Report on the updated Mineral Resource Estimates from Riverbend Geological Services Inc. ("Riverbend") for Douay - refer to the Technical report titled "Douay Deposit, National Instrument 43-101 Compliant Technical Report" dated August 10, 2012, prepared by Cliff Duke, P. Eng., Riverbend Geological Services Inc., under Aurvista Gold Corp., at www.sedar.com), now considered historical Mineral Resource Estimates.
The following table compares the current 2017 Micon Estimates with the historical 2012 Riverbend Estimates:
| MINERAL RESOURCES CATEGORY | CUT-OFF GRADE (G/T) | TONNES | GOLD GRADE (G/T) | GOLD METAL (OUNCES) | TONNES | GOLD GRADE (G/T) | GOLD METAL (OUNCES) |
| CURRENT 2017 MICON | HISTORICAL 2012 RIVERBEND* | ||||||
| INDICATED | > 5.0 g/t | - | - | - | 413,000 | 7.87 | 104,578 |
| > 3.0 g/t | - | - | - | 855,000 | 5.82 | 160,042 | |
| > 1.0 g/t | - | - | - | 1,953,000 | 3.56 | 223,472 | |
| > 0.7 g/t | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| > 0.5 g/t | - | - | - | 2,458,000 | 2.98 | 235,466 | |
| > 0.3 g/t | - | - | - | 2,689,000 | 2.76 | 238,433 | |
| > 0.0 g/t | - | - | - | 3,062,000 | 2.44 | 239,923 | |
| INFERRED | > 5.0 g/t | 909,000 | 6.91 | 202,000 | 537,000 | 20.38 | 351,904 |
| > 3.0 g/t | 4,084,000 | 4.56 | 599,000 | 1,317,000 | 10.55 | 446,684 | |
| > 1.0 g/t | 42,767,000 | 1.82 | 2,506,000 | 15,840,000 | 2.12 | 1,080,930 | |
| > 0.7 g/t | 76,726,000 | 1.38 | 3,411,000 | - | - | - | |
| > 0.5 g/t | 129,979,000 | 1.06 | 4,416,000 | 61,574,000 | 1.06 | 2,093,290 | |
| > 0.3 g/t | 231,101,000 | 0.76 | 5,671,000 | 114,652,000 | 0.75 | 2,754,554 | |
| > 0.0 g/t | - | - | - | 262,886,000 | 0.40 | 3,406,436 | |
| * The Historical 2012 Riverbend Mineral Resource Estimates are historical in nature. They are an indication of the gold mineralization at Douay. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves; and Aurvista is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. |
The current 2017 Micon Estimates and historical 2012 Riverbend Estimates used similar statistical criteria to build the resource block model. However, the 2017 Micon model benefited from the new interpretation based on the re-logging, re-description and assaying of previously un-assayed mineralized intervals of drill core from Douay. This work showed a greater lateral and vertical continuity of rock units, structural trends and gold mineralization, which were non-existent in the historical 2012 Riverbend model (refer to appended Figure 1); hence, the greater volume/tonnage of mineralization in the current 2017 Micon model: 130 million tonnes of Inferred resources in the 0.5 g/t cut-off grade versus the historical 2012 Riverbend study at 61.5 million tonnes, both at the same grade of 1.06 g/t gold.
About Micon International Limited
Micon International Limited (Micon), mineral industry consultants, is an independent firm of senior geological, mining, metallurgical and environmental consultants. The firm operates from integrated offices in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada and Norwich and Cornwall, United Kingdom. The professionals of Micon have extensive experience in the mining industry with both mining companies and leading consultancy firms.
Douay Gold Project and Company Profile
Aurvista Gold Corp. is a junior gold exploration and development Company advancing one of the largest undeveloped gold projects in Quebec. The Company has 134,034,900 shares outstanding trading on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and OTCQB in the US. Aurvista's Douay Gold Project consists of a 100% owned interest in 250 contiguous claims totaling 133.1 km2, plus a 90% interest in 5 contiguous claims totaling 0.2 km2 and a 75% interest (25% held by SOQUEM) in 32 contiguous claims totaling 11.9 km2. In total, there are 287 claims covering 145.3 km2 located along a 20 km segment of the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone in the prolific Abitibi Belt of northern Quebec. Douay is located 40 km SW of the Matagami Base Metal Camp and 150 km N of the Val-d'Or-Malartic Gold Camp (both in Quebec). For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.aurvistagold.com.
Qualified Persons
The technical contents in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Mr. Jean Lafleur, M. Sc., P. Geo., President and CEO for Aurvista Gold Corp., and Mr. William Lewis, B.Sc., P. Geo., of Micon, who is independent of Aurvista and who is responsible for the Mineral Resource Estimate. Both individuals are Qualified Persons under National Instrument 43-101.
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 PRESS RELEASE.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. When used herein, words such as "anticipate", "will", "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Aurvista Gold Corp.'s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company's website at www.aurvistagold.com.
Table 1. 2017 Micon Mineral Resource Estimates * in the Inferred Category for the Douay Gold Project.
| ZONE | CUT-OFF GRADE (G/T) | TONNES | GOLD GRADE (G/T) | GOLD METAL (OZ) |
| Douay West | 5.0 | 554,000 | 7.52 | 134,000 |
| 3.0 | 1,546,000 | 5.07 | 252,000 | |
| 1.0 | 5,593,000 | 2.60 | 467,000 | |
| 0.7 | 7,668,000 | 2.12 | 524,000 | |
| 0.5 | 9,969,000 | 1.77 | 566,000 | |
| 0.3 | 13,496,000 | 1.41 | 611,000 | |
| Porphyry | 5.0 | 79,000 | 5.81 | 15,000 |
| 3.0 | 907,000 | 3.83 | 112,000 | |
| 1.0 | 26,227,000 | 1.60 | 1,350,000 | |
| 0.7 | 50,326,000 | 1.23 | 1,991,000 | |
| 0.5 | 89,538,000 | 0.95 | 2,730,000 | |
| 0.3 | 174,291,000 | 0.67 | 3,777,000 | |
| 531 | 5.0 | 69,000 | 6.37 | 14,000 |
| 3.0 | 260,000 | 4.47 | 37,000 | |
| 1.0 | 2,619,000 | 1.80 | 152,000 | |
| 0.7 | 4,278,000 | 1.43 | 196,000 | |
| 0.5 | 6,453,000 | 1.15 | 238,000 | |
| 0.3 | 8,881,000 | 0.94 | 269,000 | |
| 10 | 5.0 | 24,000 | 6.08 | 5,000 |
| 3.0 | 140,000 | 4.06 | 18,000 | |
| 1.0 | 1,066,000 | 1.92 | 66,000 | |
| 0.7 | 1,699,000 | 1.52 | 83,000 | |
| 0.5 | 2,419,000 | 1.24 | 96,000 | |
| 0.3 | 3,792,000 | 0.93 | 113,000 | |
| 20 | 5.0 | 22,000 | 6.74 | 5,000 |
| 3.0 | 72,000 | 4.66 | 11,000 | |
| 1.0 | 1,392,000 | 1.49 | 67,000 | |
| 0.7 | 3,672,000 | 1.05 | 124,000 | |
| 0.5 | 7,947,000 | 0.81 | 207,000 | |
| 0.3 | 11,819,000 | 0.68 | 257,000 | |
| Main | 5.0 | 128,000 | 5.62 | 23,000 |
| 3.0 | 880,000 | 4.58 | 130,000 | |
| 1.0 | 3,025,000 | 2.47 | 240,000 | |
| 0.7 | 4,279,000 | 2.00 | 275,000 | |
| 0.5 | 6,295,000 | 1.54 | 313,000 | |
| 0.3 | 8,429,000 | 1.26 | 340,000 | |
| North-West | 5.0 | 32,000 | 6.20 | 6,000 |
| 3.0 | 243,000 | 4.42 | 35,000 | |
| 1.0 | 2,000,000 | 1.88 | 121,000 | |
| 0.7 | 3,461,000 | 1.45 | 161,000 | |
| 0.5 | 5,115,000 | 1.17 | 192,000 | |
| 0.3 | 6,999,000 | 0.96 | 216,000 | |
| Central | 5.0 | - | - | - |
| 3.0 | 37,000 | 3.31 | 4,000 | |
| 1.0 | 846,000 | 1.59 | 43,000 | |
| 0.7 | 1,343,000 | 1.31 | 57,000 | |
| 0.5 | 2,242,000 | 1.03 | 74,000 | |
| 0.3 | 3,394,000 | 0.81 | 88,000 | |
| Total (all zones) | 5.0 | 909,000 | 6.91 | 202,000 |
| 3.0 | 4,084,000 | 4.56 | 599,000 | |
| 1.0 | 42,767,000 | 1.82 | 2,506,000 | |
| 0.7 | 76,726,000 | 1.38 | 3,411,000 | |
| 0.5 | 129,979,000 | 1.06 | 4,416,000 | |
| 0.3 | 231,101,000 | 0.76 | 5,671,000 |
| Notes: |
| 1. The global resource model are not constrained by a pit shell. |
| 2. The mineralized envelopes were modelled using Leapfrog Geo. |
| 3. The Estimates include all drilling completed to the end of 2016 comprising 705 holes of which 399 holes were used in the estimate containing 14,334 samples or 11,101 1.5 m composites. The remaining drill holes cover other areas or potential zones within Douay. |
| 4. Resources are contained in eight separate Zones (10, 20, 531, Central, Douay West, North-West, Porphyry and Main) and the zones may consist of a number of sub-parallel or parallel lenses. |
| 5. Varying densities were used depending on the mineralized zone, Douay West = 2.88, Porphyry = 2.81, MZ10 = 2.94, MZ20 = 2.67, North-West Zone 2.78, Main Zone = 2.77, with the Central Zone and Waste using the global average of 2.82 as no specific gravity test work was conducted for these areas and the overburden was assigned a density of 1.5. |
| 6. Only the mineral resources for the Douay West, Porphyry and 531 zones were estimated using Ordinary Kriging with the remaining zones estimated using Inversed Distance Cubed, due to the amount of data points for each zone. |
| 7. A block size of 10 x 2 x 5 meters was used for the initial interpretation. |
| 8. The mineralized material was classified into the Inferred mineral resource category on the basis of a combination of the following factors: (a) confidence in the geological and mineralization continuity, (b) position of blocks in relation to the range of influence as defined by the variographic analysis and (c) and the search ellipse ranges. |
| 9. The search ellipses ranged from 50 m to 300 m and used three passes to fill the blocks within the model. The search ellipses varied per zone, and sometimes for each of the mineralized lenses within the zones. |
| 10. The figures have been rounded following National Instrument 43-101 practices to reflect that they are estimates and therefore, they may not total. |
| 11. The effective date of the current 2017 Micon Estimates is February 15, 2017. |
| * Mineral Resources Estimates which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Mineral Resources Estimates may also be materially affected by other relevant factors or issues. The Mineral Resources Estimates have been prepared without reference to surface rights or the presence of overlying public infrastructure. There has been insufficient exploration to define these Inferred Mineral Resources as Indicated or Measured Mineral Resources, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to Indicated or Measured Mineral Resources. |
Figure 1. Longitudinal section covering the 7,000 meter mineralized trend of the Douay Gold Project comparing the extent of the 2017 Micon and 2012 Riverbend models: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/7146m.jpg
Contact
Mr. Jean Lafleur, P. Geo.
President and CEO, Director
Cell: +1 514 927 3633
Mr. Keith C Minty, P. Eng., MBA
Chief Operating Officer
Phone: +1 416 682 2671
