Murchison Minerals Releases Assays for Remaining Holes Drilled at Barre de Fer Zone, Confirms High-Grade Near Surface Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Sulphide Mineralization
January 17th, 2023 (Burlington, Ontario): Murchison Minerals Ltd. (“Murchison” or the “Company”) (TSXV: MUR | OTCQB: MURMF) is pleased to announce assay results for the remaining eight diamond drillholes, from the Barre de Fer (“BDF”) Zone, drilled as part of the 2022 Summer Exploration Program on the 100% - owned HPM (Haut-Plateau de la Manicouagan) Project, located in Quebec.
The drillholes from today’s release successfully expanded mineralization down dip as well as along strike to the north and south of the Barre de Fer (BDF) Zone. The results confirm the previously released pXRF results and further demonstrate that the BDF Zone remains open and unconstrained, along strike, and at depth. Future drilling will continue to focus on systematically expanding and delineating the BDF Zone.
Highlights
- BDF22-010 intersected multiple strong intervals of massive to semi-massive mineralization including:
- 19.92 m at 1.17% NiEq or 3.49% CuEq (29.71m to 49.63 m)
- including 4.66 m at 2.55% NiEq or 7.59 CuEq (41.34 m to 46.0 m)
- 7.59 m at 1.78% NiEq or 5.31% CuEq (56.41 to 64.0 m)
- including 4.03 m at 3.15% NiEq or 9.37% CuEq (56.41 m to 60.44 m)
- 19.92 m at 1.17% NiEq or 3.49% CuEq (29.71m to 49.63 m)
- BDF22-003 intersected multiple shallow intervals of mineralization including:
- 5.5 m at 0.77% NiEq or 2.29% CuEq (8.5 m to 14.00 m)
- 2.3 m at 3.56% NiEq or 10.60% CuEq (25.37 m to 27.67 m)
- 4.31 m at 2.39% NiEq or 7.13% CuEq (36.69 m to 41.0 m)
- BDF22-007 intersected extensive amounts of disseminated to stringer mineralization including:
- 55.98 m at 0.44% NiEq or 1.32% CuEq (256.5 m to 312.48 m)
- including 16.0 m at 0.62% NiEq or 1.84% CuEq (258.5 m to 274.5 m)
- 39.05 m at 0.41% NiEq or 1.21% CuEq (366.5 m to 405.55 m)
- including 9.31 m at 0.81% NiEq or 2.41% CuEq (379.60 m to 388.91 m)
- 55.98 m at 0.44% NiEq or 1.32% CuEq (256.5 m to 312.48 m)
- The results to date have successfully expanded the preliminary modelled mineralization, the current dimensions of the BDF Zone are:
-
- Mineralization at depth has now been extended down to 475 m, versus the preliminary model at 295 m
- Along strike, the zone of mineralization has been extended from 315 m to 370 m
- Mineralization was expanded along the width of the mineralized zone from 150 m to 200 m, with individual lenses now modelled up to 48 m in thickness, compared to the 28 m in the preliminary version
”“The 2022 Summer Exploration program had three main objectives: expansion and delineation of the Barre de Fer Zone, discovery of new nickel-sulphide showings on surface via prospecting, and the identification of additional EM anomalies through property wide geophysics – with today’s release I am pleased to report all objectives were achieved and have surpassed our expectations. Today’s results from Barre de Fer demonstrate the Zone is near-surface and contains high-grade nickel-sulphide mineralization throughout its footprint - furthermore, the Zone remains open and unconstrained, and primed for future expansion. The opportunity at HPM is huge, with the BDF Zone as HPM’s flagship, and a pipeline of de-risked nickel-sulphide showings, our aim is to make 2023 a banner year for the Company. In an industry where nickel projects are scarce, and with Quebec being one of the top mining jurisdictions globally, HPM is an emerging nickel district that should not be overlooked.”
Troy BoisjoliMurchison Minerals President and CEO
”“Today’s results mark the finalization of assay data from our highly successfully expansion and delineation program at the Barre de Fer Zone. Results from the assays continue to prove the exceptional nature of BDF and expand our understanding of the geology and geometry of the Zone. Crucially, as we expand our understanding at BDF, this is helping guide our planning for the 2023, with respect to future expansion of the Zone and regionally along trend. We are just scratching the surface, and what we are seeing has excited that the best is yet to come.”
John ShmyrMurchison Minerals Vice-President of Exploration
Figure 1: Location map of Barre de Fer looking down, showing drill holes BDF22-001 to BDF22-010 with the updated preliminary mineralized domain model.
Figure 2: Long Section View of the Barre de Fer Zone mineral zone looking South-west showing the previous model (left) and updated model (right) of the nickel mineralization, 2022 drill holes highlighted in black on the right.
Table 1: BDF22-003 to 010 Highlighted Results
* Reported as core length, true thickness is not known. **Nickel Equivalent (NiEq) & Copper Equivalent (CuEq) values were calculated using the following USD metal prices from Oct 7, 2022: $10.145/lb Nickel, $3.4067/lb Copper, and $23.566/lb Cobalt. NiEq.% was calculated using Ni%+((Cu Price/Ni Price) *Cu %)+((Co Price/Ni Price) *Co %). CuEq.% was calculated using Cu%+((Ni Price/Cu Price)* Ni %)+((Co Price/Cu Price)*Co %).
2022 Summer Diamond Drilling
During the 2022 summer exploration program at HPM, a total of 13 diamond drillholes were completed, comprising 4,316 metres. This includes 1) drill holes at BDF, and an additional 3 holes at Syrah. The pXRF results for the ten holes drilled at BDF were previously released and lab assays have now been released for all drilling completed at BDF.
Today’s release of lab assay results as well as the previously released assay results from BDF22-001 & 002 validate the rigorous Direct Rock Sampling (DRS) Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) process that the Company developed in advance of the 2022 Summer Exploration Program. The DRS process allowed the Company to produce near laboratory quality results in the field. In turn, this process enabled the Company to model zones of mineralization in real time, creating a dynamic exploration process which was unaffected by laboratory delays faced by many industry peers.
Murchison expects to release the assay results from the remaining 3 drillholes completed at the Syrah target once results have been finalized and interpreted.
Table 2: Drillhole Information
*UTM Projected Coordinate System: NAD83 UTM Zone 19N
BDF Mineralization
The mineralization observed at BDF occurs predominantly as two different types: i) Meter to multi-metre intervals of massive and brecciated sulphide within zones of stringer and disseminated sulphide mineralization, hosted in gabbronorite and peridotite, ii) Disseminated sulphide with lesser stringer to net sulphide, over broad intervals, hosted within a gabbronorite. The sulphide mineralization consists of pyrrhotite with granular pentlandite and stringer chalcopyrite, or as chalcopyrite loops with pentlandite within massive pyrrhotite.
QA/QC
Murchison has implemented and is adhering to a strict Quality Assurance/Quality Control program. NQ-size core was drilled, and mineralized intervals were marked by geologists during core description. The marked intervals were sampled using a core saw, one-half is kept as a witness sample at core facility in Saguenay, Quebec and the other assigned a unique number and placed within a plastic bag. The specific gravity of every 10th sample was measured using the mass-in-air / mass-in-water method. Samples were shipped directly to SRC Geoanalytical Labs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The samples were ground and prepared for analysis by the lab using total digestion. Analyzes were performed using ICP-OES for nickel, copper, and cobalt. Every 25th sample sent to the lab was a field duplicate (quarter core), blanks and certified reference material were also submitted approximately every 25th sample.
About HPM Project
The HPM Project is located within the Haut-Plateau de la Manicouagan area, east of the Manicouagan structure, the site of a major 215 Ma impact event. The extensive reservoir at Manicouagan supports five hydro-power plants. The existing Quebec Cartier rail line, located within the HPM Project area, links Labrador City to Port Cartier and Sept Iles, two major iron ore port facilities.
The claims host prospective gabbroic, ultramafic and anorthositic bodies within the Manicouagan metamorphic complex and are associated with significant nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide mineralization first identified by Falconbridge in 1999, where they discovered extensive nickel-bearing sulphide mineralization at BDF during drilling in 2001 – 2002. Murchison Minerals Ltd.’s predecessor – Manicouagan Minerals – drilled in the area in 2008 and 2009. The majority of the past drilling at the HPM Project targeted the BDF geophysical conductor and confirmed the presence of nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide mineralization over approximately 300-metres strike length to a depth of 295 metres. The mineralization remains open at depth and partially along strike.
Figure 3: HPM Location Map.
In March of 2022, the Company completed a comprehensive data compilation, verification and modelling program, comprising all previous drill hole data from the BDF Zone. The modelling program consisted of developing a preliminary 3D interpretation of nickel mineralization at BDF. Based on the modelling, the Zone outcrops on surface, extends to a vertical depth of 295 m, has a strike length of 315 m, and is composed of multiple stacked lenses over a maximum footprint width of 150 m. Individual lenses have a maximum thickness of 28 m. During the 2022 Summer Exploration Program, diamond drilling focused on the expansion and delineation of mineralization at BDF. Those results are currently being evaluated and the Preliminary model will be updated as results become available. No resource estimates have been completed on the Zone to date.
After Murchison acquired 100% ownership of the property in 2019, the Company focused exploration work on the camp-scale potential of the region. Aerial EM surveys completed in the spring of 2021 identified more than 50 anomalous conductors. Prospecting crews were able to traverse three (3) of the more than 50 anomalies, and discovered new outcrops of nickel-bearing sulphide mineralization in the process. The prospecting program was followed by an inaugural drill program at the PYC Target area – an EM anomaly with a 1.95-km strike length. Subsequent to the completion of the drill program at PYC, the Company increased its dominant land position in the Haut-Plateau region from 139 km2 to 576 km2. Finally, as a result of the spring 2022 VTEM survey, completed over the remaining 85% of the HPM property area, the Company further increase its land holdings at HPM to 648 km2.
Qualifying Statement
The foregoing scientific and technical disclosures on the HPM Project have been reviewed by John Shmyr, P.Geo., VP Exploration, a registered member of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan and current holder of a special authorization with the Ordre des Géologues du Québec. Mr. Shmyr is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. The Qualified Person has verified the data disclosed in this release, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information contained in this release. Mr. Shmyr consents to the inclusion in the announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
Some data disclosed in this News Release relating to sampling and drilling results is historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a qualified person has yet verified this data and therefore investors should not place undue reliance on such data. In some cases, the data may be unverifiable due to lack of drill core. Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby and/or geologically similar properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company’s properties.
About Murchison Minerals Ltd.
(TSXV: MUR, OTCQB: MURMF)
Murchison is a Canadian‐based exploration company focused on nickel-copper-cobalt exploration at the 100% – owned HPM Project in Quebec and the exploration and development of the 100% – owned Brabant Lake zinc‐copper‐silver project in north‐central Saskatchewan. The Company also holds an option to earn 100% interest in the Barraute VMS exploration project also located in Quebec, north of Val d’Or.
Murchison Minerals