International Millennium Mining Corp. (“IMMC” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: IMI) reports on the results from the first of two 2017 geology programs on its Silver Peak, Nevada, Property, a property consisting of approximately 4,000 contiguous acres covering no less than fourteen (14) fault/vein structures, of which two (2) zones have historically produced 9.8 million oz of silver and 52.9 thousand oz of gold (see Silver Peak Property Map).
During its 2017 Summer program, the Company completed prospecting, rock sampling and geological mapping over the southern portion of its Silver Peak Project to:
A) Evaluate the fifty (50) newly acquired contiguous lode claims to the south and east of the Nivloc Property, which acquisition was announced in the Company’s April 11, 2017 news release;
B) Prospect for the extension of the Nivloc Zone detailed in the Company’s July 2012 NI 43-101 Inferred Mineral Resource technical report; and,
C) Delineate targets for the Company’s 2018 drill program, which program is rescheduled to late Spring 2018, largely due to the Company’s focus on completing the acquisition of an additional thirty-nine (39) contiguous claims to the north of the Nivloc 172 claims block, announced on December 4, 2017, and completion of the 2017 Winter prospecting, rock sampling and geological mapping program.
At the Guisti Zone, an area acquired by the Company in early 2017 (see the Company’s April 11, 2017 news release), the work program examined two historic adits on the Guisti Vein and identified a very strong alteration zone with excellent gold values along its northern extension. Gold values ranging from 0.12 to 11.35 g/t were obtained from the vein and from narrow, parallel veins within the altered wall rocks. This vein system is very strong. The Guisti Vein, where observed at surface, consists of 2 parallel quartz veins separated by approximately 1.5 m of deformed and altered breccia. The west vein is 0.3 to 0.5 m wide and, where sampled, assayed from 1.64 to 12.25 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) and from 6.0 to 42 grams per tonne silver (g/t Ag). The east vein assayed from 0.12 to 4.35 g/t Au and 1.4 to 18 g/t Ag. As with other surface samples in the Silver Peak Project, there is a strong possibility that these narrow veins will increase in both thickness and grade with increasing depth.
In the Guisti West area, subparallel to the Guisti Vein, within the footwall of the Nivloc structure, there are scores of quartz veins, veinlets and swarms of veinlets. A 0.8 m wide chip sample from a trench along one of these veins, the Tailings Vein, assayed 1.81 g/t Au and 134 g/t Ag.
The summer geology program located the primary Nivloc Vein and traced its surface exposure for 500 meters to the northeast and 200 meters to the southwest, before it disappeared under extensive talus and post mineral volcanic rocks. Towards the northeast, the sampling program focused on the area between the Main Nivloc Shaft (east of the drilled resource blocks), and the top of the hill above the Bighorn Adit, a distance of approximately 500 meters. Samples from vein and altered hangingwall rocks assayed from no detectable gold and one (1) gram of silver to 6.27 g/t Au and 912 g/t Ag. Considering that these samples were from surface or near surface, the potential for strong mineralized zones down dip in this area, east of the Nivloc Main Shaft, is very high.
Sampling of the Nivloc West, which included four separate areas, was intended to locate the southwest extension of the Nivloc Structure, and to test the existence of what appears to be a “Gold Cap,” a zone of high gold values, overlying the resource blocks identified by the Company’s 2011/2012 drilling program (see the Company’s 2012 43:101 Inferred Mineral Resource technical report). Gold values from this sampling program ranged from trace to 5.55 g/t and silver values ranged from 0.9 to 474 g/t. Outcropping of the Nivloc Footwall Vein at the east side of the Gold Cap assayed 3.93 g/t Au and 172 g/t Ag over a sampled width of 8.0 meters. Twenty-five meters along strike, up the hill from that sample, a 5 meter wide section of the Nivloc Footwall Vein assayed 5.55 g/t Au and 474 g/t Ag. Further to the southwest, approximately 200 meters, at the last known exposure of the Nivloc Vein, sampling of narrow quartz veins that are part of a wider fractured zone up to 15 meters wide, produced sample assays ranging from 0.06 g/t to 3.8 g/t Au and from 3.4 g/t to 89 g/t Ag. All of the quartz vein samples contained elevated Au and Ag, and management expects, based on historical records and IMMC’s 2011/2012 drilling program, that these veins will coalesce into thicker veins at depth.
Approximately 400 meters to the west of the Silver Pond Creek, where the last known exposure of the Nivloc Vein was observed and sampled, there is an erosional window that exposes favorable underlying sedimentary rocks, but very limited outcrop. There is evidence, in the form of strong southwest trending fracturing and abundant calcite and gypsum in the overburden, which indicates that the Nivloc Fault Structure may extend beneath a southwest trending ridge in this area. The rocks to the south of this structural trend contain numerous crosscutting veins with elevated values of Ag and Au and may be targets for further sampling. The work program examined the north-south trending Martin Adit Vein located on the western end of the Nivloc Structure, as currently defined. Three channel chip samples across the Marten Vein above the adit contained a weighted average grade of 1.13 g/t Au and 85 g/t Ag over a width of 3.0 metres.
The work program also located a swarm of quartz-calcite veins in the hangingwall of the Nivloc Vein that may represent a sub-parallel vein system. This area lies to the north of the main Nivloc shaft and is referred to as the “Million Dollar Pit” area (MDP Zone). Samples from surface ranged from <0.05 to 0.29 g/t Au and from 0.6 to 9.0 g/t Ag. This area is important since it may represent the surface expression of a hangingwall vein encountered in the IMMC 2011-2012 drilling program from which values ranging from 0.14 to 5.46 g/t Au and 65 to 563.4 g/t Ag were obtained from intersected widths of 1.1 to 15.1 metres.
The 2017 Summer field program evaluated the potential for extending the mineral resource area outlined in the Company’s 2011/2012 drilling program. The mapping and sampling program located the lowermost vein (footwall vein) within the Nivloc Structure and traced its surface exposure to the east and west of the IMMC 2011/2012 drilled resource area for a total length of 1,400 meters. Further, the program provided evidence that the Nivloc Structure continues towards the southwest either beneath overlying volcanic rocks or offset towards the north, and verified strong gold values in the “Gold Cap”, a near surface zone of high gold values located directly above the IMMC 2011/2012 drilled resource area.
The second part of the 2017 Summer program evaluated the Guisti Zone. Acquired in early 2017, this region of very strong alteration zones, with excellent gold and silver values, requires significant follow-up, including mechanical stripping and channel sampling work, followed by a shallow drill hole program. Of particular interest, is the swarm of Au-Ag bearing quartz-calcite veins located to the west of the Guisti Zone. These vein swarms may expand to economic widths as they approach or intersect the Nivloc Structure.
The host vein material located within the Silver Peak Project area are classic epithermal veins. The veins display distinct vertical zoning, consisting principally of quartz and adularia at the bottom, and calcite and gypsum nearer the surface. In addition, the upper parts of the vein systems in this area have been weathered and leached near surface and oxidized to depths of 200 to 300 meters. The higher grades of known Ag and Au mineralization appear to occur within the interval from 50 meters below surface to the base of the oxidized zone, a distance of 150 to 250 metres. Below that point, grades of Cu, Pb and Zn appear to increase and precious metals decrease, although there is very little drill data from below the oxidized zone to assess the economic viability of these zones. As a general rule, the mineralized veins in the Silver Peak Project area are narrow in surface exposures, but increase dramatically in width a short distance down dip.
As an example, the surface exposures of the Nivloc Vein rarely exceed 1.0 m in width compared to widths of up to 2.5 to 11.0 m at depth. The historic mining at Nivloc was focused on the Footwall Vein which had a mining width ranging from 2.0 to 4.0 m. The recently acquired “16 to 1” vein, located immediately to the northwest of Nivloc, ranges from 0.3 to 1.0 m at surface, but reaches a width of more than 15 m at a depth of 50 m. The narrow surface expression of the veins is attributed to weathering and leaching, but in some cases it may be a result of rock type. The veins often present themselves as narrow chalcedonic quartz and calcite stringer swarms when observed in a very siliceous rhyolitic unit that occupies much of the higher terrain in the area. The mineralizing fluids may have been ponded beneath this unit, resulting in the increased vein thickness at shallow depths.
Seymour Sears, P. Geo, the Company’s consulting geologist since 2004, completed the field work for the Company’s second 2017 geology program on its Silver Peak property in late December 2017. The Company anticipates the results will be compiled and reported by the end of February 2018. Upon receipt of the results of the Winter 2017 program, the Company will complete its planning for a 2018 infill definition drilling program, which program is anticipated to begin following receipt of a temporary water use permit from the Nevada Division of Water Resources.
International Millennium Mining Corp. (TSX-V: IMI) is focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metal deposits in the Americas, such as its Silver Peak silver-gold project in southwest Nevada. The Company’s common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol: IMI and on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol: L9J.
Seymour Sears, P.Geo, a qualified person as defined by Nation Instrument (“NI”) 43-101, reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
”John A. Versfelt”
John A. Versfelt
President and CEO
Further information about the Company can be found on the Company’s website (www.immc.ca) and SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or by contacting Mr. John Versfelt, President & CEO of the Company at 604-527‑8135.
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Neither 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. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, potential mineral recovery processes and other business transactions timing. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.