MONTREAL, Sept. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Harfang Exploration Inc. (“Harfang” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: HAR) is pleased to announce it has resumed its summer-fall program on its lithium and gold projects southeast of the Radisson locality in the northwestern region of Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Québec. The Government of Québec has recently lifted all restrictions including travel and access to the forest in force since early June in response to the forest fire situation. Work will continue up to the end of the prospecting season on different projects throughout the entire region (Figure 1).

Mr. Ian Campbell, President and CEO, commented: “We are both relieved and excited to resume our field exploration activities in this part of James Bay where the bulk of our gold and lithium projects are located. The program is a “boots on the ground” approach including both a prospecting and geological evaluation combined with onsite geochemistry with the focussed objective of rapidly developing high-priority drill targets on our lithium and gold projects. Our team has extensive operational experience which will be invaluable in making up for lost time during the fire ban.”

Ongoing Lithium and Gold Exploration

The field crew is actually based in Radisson and accesses the different properties by helicopter on a daily basis. Prospecting will continue for as long as the weather conditions permit it.

A first-phase surface exploration campaign (prospecting, mapping, rock sampling) is in progress on the La Passe, Ewart and Sakami properties where large pegmatite occurrences are known but have never been explored for their lithium potential. Ongoing prospecting has confirmed the presence of tourmaline, garnet, apatite and beryl in muscovite-bearing peraluminous pegmatites at La Passe and Ewart.

Harfang also continues surface exploration in the eastern part of the Serpent-Radisson property where several pegmatite dykes were sampled in 2022. Some of them contain highly anomalous beryllium (up to 25,000 ppm), lithium (up to 1,420 ppm), cesium (up to 998 ppm), tantalum (up to 173 ppm), niobium (up to 278 ppm) and rubidium (up to 1,095 ppm). The main objective of this program on lithium assets is to find Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum Pegmatites (“LCT Pegmatites”) warranting more advanced exploration, including drilling.

Harfang is also continuing targeted exploration on its Lake Menarik and Serpent-Radisson gold assets (see news release dated June 8, 2023).

At Lake Menarik, the surface work is a follow-up on the drill and geophysical programs completed last winter and focuses primarily on prospecting the Induced Polarization (“IP”) anomalies detected in the Timiskaming-type conglomerate and along the ankerite-rich shear zone which was discovered during summer 2022 (see news releases dated January 12 and May 11, 2023).

The 2023 winter program included the Company’s first drill program on the project which successfully demonstrated that wide zones of gold mineralization associated with increasing intensity of alteration extend at depth in the southeast area of the Pierre monzonite. Drilled highlights include 21.0 metres grading 1.75 g/t Au including 14.1 metres grading 2.49 g/t Au (LMN-23-001), 75.0 metres grading 0.54 g/t Au including 3.0 metres grading 6.75 g/t Au and 1.0 metres grading 12.65 g/t Au (LMN-23-004), and 47.0 metres grading 1.15 g/t Au including 7.0 metres grading 3.75 g/t Au (LMN-23-017) (see news release dated May 11, 2023).

The Lake Menarik Property is characterized by multiple high-grade gold occurrences hosted in intermediate intrusive (syenite, monzonite and monzodiorite) and volcano-sedimentary rocks in a geological setting reminiscent of the Timmins gold mining camp.

On Serpent-Radisson, the gold exploration is being conducted specifically in an area where 65 soil samples (up to 2.27 g/t Au), spatially associated with gold-rich till samples, define a strong gold anomaly covering 2.2 km² where no drilling has taken place yet (see news release dated October 5, 2022).

The intent of the exploration program on these two gold assets is to define priority drill targets. Harfang will also proceed to a geological assessment of the data collected during previous programs to generate these targets.

Update on Conviac, Ross and Lemare

Harfang has just completed a five-week field program on the new Conviac, Ross and Lemare properties in Eeyou Istchee James Bay. All operations were conducted from the Nemiscau camp located 290 kilometres north of Chibougamau along the Route du Nord. These properties were recently acquired from map designation based on the occurrence of calculated lithium anomalies in lake sediments, known pegmatite outcrops and the proximity of limits between subprovinces. The field intervention confirmed the presence of pegmatite dykes, up to 30 metres thick, intruded into paragneiss (a metamorphosed sedimentary rock) and granitic rocks. No spodumene or other lithium-bearing minerals have been observed. A total of 226 rock samples were sent to ALS (Val-d’Or) and all results are pending. Harfang will evaluate the next exploration phase to be conducted on these three properties according to the analytical results.

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release was prepared and approved by François Huot, professional geologist and Vice President Exploration of Harfang, who is a non-independent qualified person for the technical disclosure as defined by the National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI43-101”).

About Harfang Exploration Inc.

Harfang Exploration Inc. is well financed with approximately $6.2 M in the treasury as of September 1, 2023 and is a technically driven mineral exploration company with the primary mission to discover ore deposits in Québec and Ontario. The Company is managed by an experienced team of industry professionals with a proven track record of success, controls a portfolio of highly prospective projects and has a strong financial position. Harfang is dedicated to best practices through engagement with all stakeholders and commitment to the environment.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and for further information, please contact:

Ian Campbell
President and Chief Executive Officer
Tel: 647-680-3820
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.harfangexploration.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management’s view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although Harfang believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, Harfang disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

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.