First Mining Gold (TSX:FF) has reported results from its 2023 drilling program, aimed at progressing its Saddle drilling target, part of the Birch-Uchi Greenstone Belt Project situated in northwestern Ontario, Canada. The Saddle target is around 12 kilometres southwest of the company’s Springpole Gold Project.

Dan Wilton, CEO of First Mining Gold, commented in a press release: “Our regional exploration efforts are demonstrating the ability to identify mineralization settings that support new discoveries and potential satellite opportunities in this emerging gold district. In only our second drill target tested, we are seeing the strength of gold endowment hosted in the Birch-Uchi Greenstone Belt where First Mining has focused exploration surrounding its flagship Springpole Gold Project.”

During the winter drilling operation at the Birch-Uchi Project, eleven drill holes totaling 2,760 meters were drilled at three targets: Saddle, Horseshoe, and Atlantis. The first drilling by First Mining Gold at Saddle incorporated five drill holes totaling 842 meters. These operations identified a substantial gold mineralization system, yielding grades of 0.92 g/t Au over 114.0 meters in hole SAT23-001, and 0.75 g/t Au over 57.7 meters in drill hole SAT23-002.

The Saddle target is nestled within the Birch-Uchi Greenstone Belt (“BUGB”), a significant host for granodiorite intrusive that is intensely deformed and mineralized in contact with sedimentary lithologies. Mineralization correlates with heightened silica and carbonate alteration, robust quartz veining, and sulphides. Dominantly, the sulphide mineralization consists of pyrite, with fine to coarse-grained disseminations averaging an abundance of 1-7%, and localized up to 15-20%. The 2023 drilling results show a mineralization envelope that is continuous on both sides of the shear zone.

The Saddle target is a lesser-known opportunity that has witnessed historical prospecting and geoscience programs such as induced polarization, airborne magnetic geophysics, and diamond drilling during the 1980s. Since then, exploration activities in this promising area have been scarce.

In 2021, First Mining concluded a concentrated field campaign following up on the Rice Lake, Green Camp, Exit Bay, and Trench Grid gold occurrences that align notably with the Saddle Target over a projected 1 km strike length. The potential to expand the mineralization system and prospect within a related structural setting has increased the regional prospectivity in promoting the area.

During 2022, the company carried out additional airborne geophysics surveys that facilitated improved targeting resolution for exploration drilling. This data was useful in designing step-out exploration plans for the Saddle target.

In the 2023 winter program, First Mining successfully completed 842 m of drilling in five exploration drill holes centred on the Saddle target. The operation was designed to confirm the newly created 3D exploration model, drawing on historical drilling and field-based data collection, and testing extensions along strike, at depth, and across an interpreted fault offset.

The winter drilling’s outcomes highlight robust intervals of consistent gold mineralization over significant widths. The program has been successful in confirming the continuation of the mineralization envelope along the shear structure, thus expanding the exploration growth potential around the Saddle target.

The company plans to continue its geological mapping and data collection efforts around the Saddle target in its 2023 summer field programs, with a particular focus on the quartz stockwork and chlorite alteration on the surface within areas of anomalous geophysical signatures.

First Mining Gold is also looking forward to disclosing the results from an additional six holes totalling 1,938 meters completed at the Horseshoe and Atlantis targets during the winter season once the company finalizes assay reviews.

Highlights from the results are as follows:

• Initial drilling campaign on the Saddle target since property acquisition returned consistent gold mineralization over meaningful widths that remains open for expansion
• Historical grab rock samples validated by field program follow-up
• Employed geoscience systems approach to characterize the target geology, supporting additional exploration opportunities in close proximity to the immediate drill area
• BUGB Project is proving to be prospective with a second drilled target delivering meaningful opportunity

Table 1: Selected Significant Drill Intercept Results at Saddle Target 

The above references an opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a licensed professional for investment advice. The author is not an insider or shareholder of any of the companies mentioned above.