TORONTO, June 23, 2023 /CNW/ - Orford Mining Corporation (TSXV: ORM) (Orford) is pleased to report that it has received all pending assays from its 2023 drilling program on its Joutel Eagle Property ("Joutel Eagle") located along the prolific Casa-Berardi Structural Zone in the Abitibi region of Quebec.

• Results from assays have confirmed, extended, and better defined a series of thick, near-surface mineralized zones ("South Gold Zone") within 150 metres of surface including: 
• Gold mineralization intersected in the top 40 metres in hole 23-JE-008 which reported 1.7g/t Au over 15.7m from 21.65 to 37.35 m, including 5.8g/t Au over 4.1m (Table 1).
• 23-JE-004 that reported 4.1g/t Au over 14.6m from 100.30 to 114.90m including higher grade intervals (Table 1).
• Newly received assay results (Table 1) include 3.8 g/t Au over 10.0 m from 108.0 m to 111.0 m in hole in 23-JE-016.
  
  
• Thick mineralized intersections of up to 1.1g/t Au over 54.7m including higher grade intervals of 1.7g/t Au over 28.6m (23-JE-015, Table 1) were reported from the South Gold Zone.
  
  
• Drilling down-dip of shallow mineralization at the South Gold Zone has confirmed the extension of mineralization at depth (e.g., 22-JE-001 & 22-JE-002, Figure 2) with all intercepts remaining open at depth. Historical drilling indicates that mineralization continues to 300m depth and is open below that (Figure 2).
  
  
• Drilling to the north of the South Gold Zone has identified a new mineralized trend ("North Gold Zone", Figure 1) which reported 1.3g/t Au over 16.1m (23-JE-007, Table 1).

Note that all drilling intervals are down-hole lengths. True thicknesses cannot be estimated with available information.

David Christie, President and CEO of Orford, commented, "The results from the 2023 drilling campaign on the South Gold Zone at the Joutel Eagle property has proven our hypothesis of a shallow and thick zone hosting continuous gold mineralization. These results will be used to plan infill drilling and expand results at depth in order to achieve a resource estimate. We look forward to also drill testing the newly discovered North Gold Zone along strike."

The 15 holes drilled at the South Gold Zone during the 2022¹ and 2023² programs have shown that the South Gold Zone hosts higher grade gold mineralization over wider intervals than had been reported historically. The South Gold Zone mineralization is open at depth and is observed as deep as 300m in historical drilling reporting 2.9g/t over 6.3 including 5.3g/t Au over 2.3m in hole 83-03³ (Figure 2). Gold mineralization is associated with sulphides, sericite and quartz-pyrite with associated quartz-carbonate veins of similar style to the nearby Eagle-Telbel Mine.

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¹ Orford Mining News Release dated June 7, 2022.
² Orford Mining News Release dated March 30, 2023, April 20^th 2023, May 10, 2023
³ GM40302. Theberge, Donald. Journal de Sondages, Propriete Valrennes A, Agnico Eagle, 1983.

Two holes (23-JE-006 and 23-JE-007, Table 1) from the 2023 program were drilled to the North of the South Gold Zone in a previously untested area of the property. These holes intersected a new gold-bearing horizon 150 metres to the north of the South Gold Zone and reported 1.3 g/t Au over 16.1 metres from 201.0 metres depth including higher grade intervals of up to 4.5 g/t Au over 1.1 m (Hole 23-JE-007, Table 1).

Measurements were collected during the drill program with a core orientation tool and a full structural interpretation will be completed. Future drill programs will aim to extend the South Gold Zone at depth to provide a basis for a resource estimation, and to make additional discoveries along the North Gold Zone.

Table 1: Highlights of Joutel Eagle drill hole assays received to date. All drilling intervals are downhole lengths. True thicknesses cannot be estimated with available information. Composited intervals above 1.0 g/t Au are reported based on a cut-off of 0.2g/t with maximum internal dilution of 2m.

Table 2: Joutel Eagle: South Gold Zone Drill Hole Coordinates (UTM NAD83 Zone 17)

Sample shipments were sealed and shipped to AGAT Laboratories, Val-d'Or, Québec. All gold assays reported were obtained by standard fire assay on 50 gram nominal weight with an atomic absorption spectroscopy finish or by gravimetric finish in the case of overlimit and on request (methods 202551 and 202564) at AGAT Laboratories, Mississauga, Ontario. All samples were also analyzed for multi-elements, including copper and silver, using a four-acid method with an ICP-OES finish (method 201070) at AGAT Laboratories, Mississauga, Ontario. 

Drill program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control ("QA/QC") and interpretation of results are performed by qualified persons employing a QA/QC program consistent with NI 43-101 and industry best practices. Standards and blanks are inserted at a minimum of 10% for QA/QC purposes in addition to those inserted by the lab. A subset of samples has not yet been sent for a verification assay at another lab. AGAT Laboratories are accredited by the Standards Council of Canada and found to comply with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017. 

The property is situated just to the northwest of Agnico Eagle's past producing Eagle-Telbel operation which produced in excess of 1.1 Moz of gold⁴ from 1974 to 1993. The Joutel Eagle property covers 11 km of the Casa Berardi structural zone south splay (CBSZ) which is associated with several gold deposits and, together with our McClure East property, gives Orford over 17 km coverage on the prolific CBSZ ). The Joutel Eagle Property sits to the north of Orford's 100% owned Joutel South Property and to the west of Orford's 100% owned McClure East property. Information from neighbouring properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on Orford Mining's properties. On November 30, 2021 Orford announced that it had entered an option to acquire 100% of the 50 square kilometer Joutel Eagle Project from Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. (TSX: GMX) (OTCQX International: GLBXF) (Frankfurt: G1MM). 

Orford Mining is a gold and critical mineral explorer focused on highly prospective and underexplored areas of Northern Quebec. Orford's principal assets are the Qiqavik, West Raglan and lithium exploration projects comprising a land package totaling over 111,000 hectares in the Cape Smith Belt of Northern Quebec. The Qiqavik Project hosts several new high-grade gold discoveries along a mineralized trend in excess of 40 km. The West Raglan Project hosts a number of high-grade Raglan-style nickel/copper/platinum group metal discoveries along a 55 km mineralized trend. In early 2023 Orford acquired large claim blocks targeting Lithium in the Nunavik Region. These Lithium claim blocks have been carefully selected as having promising lithium potential after an exhaustive compilation of available data. Orford also has four property positions in the Joutel region of the Abitibi District of Northern Quebec, which hosts historical deposits such as the Eagle/Telbel, Joutel Copper, Poirier Copper, and Vezza deposits. Orford continually seeks new gold exploration opportunities in North America. Orford's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ORM. This information from neighbouring properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on Orford Mining's properties.

The disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Alger St-Jean, P.Geo., Chief Geoscientist of Orford, a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. The historical assays referred to in this release and shown in this figure were obtained from historical work reports filed with the Quebec Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and has not been independently verified by a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43- 101.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" including without limitation statements relating to the liquidity and capital resources of Orford and potential of one or more of the Qiqavik, and West Raglan, properties.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Orford to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals. 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 Orford's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Although Orford has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Orford disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

SOURCE Orford Mining Corporation

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