PRESS RELEASE

from Eskay Mining Corp. (isin : CA2964371066)

Eskay Mining Confirms New Precious Metal Rich VMS Discoveries at its Consolidated Eskay Project, Golden Triangle, BC

  • Drill intercepts of 6.28 gpt AuEq over 15.00m, 2.96 gpt AuEq over 22.52m, 2.00 gpt AuEq over 61.23m and 1.39 gpt AuEq over 45.67m encountered at Cumberland
  • Rock chip samples of 37.23, 23.34, 20.34 and 20.23 gpt AuEq from Scarlet Knob

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / November 2, 2023 / Eskay Mining Corp. ("Eskay" or the "Company") (TSXV:ESK)(OTCQX:ESKYF)(Frankfurt:KN7)(WKN:A0YDPM) is pleased to announce it has received very encouraging assay results from its 2023 diamond drill and exploration campaign at its 100% controlled Consolidated Eskay Gold Project in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia. Precious metal-rich volcanogenic massive sulfide ("VMS") deposits are the focus of Eskay's exploration.

Cumberland VMS Discovery

Nine short diamond core holes were completed at the Cumberland Showing in 2023 (Figure 2), several of which encountered very promising precious and base metal-rich stockwork and massive mineralization. Notable results include:

  • 3.02 gpt Au, 68.66 gpt Ag, 0.24% Cu, 0.73% Pb and 4.86% Zn (6.28 gpt AuEq) over 15.00m including 8.48 gpt Au, 103.27 gpt Ag, 0.23% Cu, 1.08% Pb and 4.16% Zn (12.02 gpt AuEq) over 3.41m in hole CBL23-28.
  • 1.21 gpt Au, 29.22 gpt Ag, 0.12% Cu, 0.32% Pb and 2.94% Zn (2.96 gpt AuEq) over 22.52m including 3.45 gpt Au, 108.21 gpt Ag, 0.65% Cu, 0.54% Pb and 19.40% Zn (13.24 gpt AuEq) over 1.75m in hole CBL23-29.
  • 0.68 gpt Au, 15.72 gpt Ag, 0.07% Cu, 0.27% Pb and 0.90% Zn (1.39 gpt AuEq) over 45.67m in hole CBL23-30.
  • 0.95 gpt Au, 29.04 gpt Ag, 0.07% Cu, 0.29% Pb and 1.31% Zn (2.00 gpt AuEq) over 61.23m including 1.57 gpt Au, 58.80 gpt Ag, 0.16% Cu, 0.60% Pb and 3.13% Zn (3.91 gpt AuEq) over 20.08m in hole CBL23-31.

Cumberland lies approximately 6km due south of the TV deposit and is similarly situated along the east side of the Eskay anticline. Eskay's geologic team thinks this discovery opens up considerable exploration potential in areas between Cumberland and the TV-Jeff VMS complex (Figures 3 and 4). It is notable that mineralization at Cumberland displays very high base metals, an indicator of high formational fluid temperatures, a potential sign that this area lies in proximity to a major feeder vent or vents.

Based upon data from this limited first phase drill program, the Cumberland VMS deposit is interpreted to be tabular with a N-S orientation and a near vertical dip, perhaps slightly overturned. It remains open along strike and at depth. A review of historic soil data (Figures 3 and 4) from areas up to 1.5 km south of Cumberland indicates a broad area of strongly anomalous geochemistry, especially elevated silver values, confirming a likely extension of mineralization in this direction. Eskay's geologic team observed significant outcropping sulfide mineralization while conducting traverses in this region south of Cumberland.

While prospecting late in the season, a notable area of outcropping sulfide mineralization was observed approximately 2.5 km to the northeast of Cumberland and is potentially part of the same VMS system. This area has been named Mahogany Ridge. Historic rock chip sample data from the broader Cumberland trend includes samples grading 25.0, and 27.9 gpt Au.

Given the strong drill and rock chip sample results from the Cumberland-Mahogany Ridge area, Eskay Mining views this discovery as a high priority exploration target. Compelling evidence is emerging that the corridor starting at TV-Jeff in the north through Mahogany Ridge and Cumberland and continuing a further 1.5km south of Cumberland is highly prospective for further precious metal-rich VMS discoveries. Eskay Mining thinks this corridor requires urgent follow up work including drilling in 2024.

"Cumberland is shaping up to be a very compelling and unique target", commented John DeDecker, Eskay's VP of Exploration. "Intense polymetallic sulfide mineralization ranges from stockwork-style, to massive seafloor-hosted mineralization. The seafloor-hosted mineralization is associated with barite breccia, and is capped by a non-mineralized and highly magnetic pillow basalt. Drilling and field investigations have defined the orientation of the mineralized seafloor horizon, and have shown that Ag anomalies in historic soil samples, and a pronounced magnetic anomaly evident in the 2021 EM survey lie along the trend of mineralization extending at least 300 m south of Cumberland. Our team looks forward to investigating this area further in 2024. The confirmation of another mineralized seafloor horizon at Scarlet Knob, and extensive disseminated Au mineralization at Tarn Lake opens these areas up to targeted exploration in 2024."

Summary of significant results from nine core holes completed at the Cumberland Showing in 2023:

Hole

From (m)

To (m)

Length (m)

Au (gpt)

Ag (gpt)

Cu (%)

Pb (%)

Zn (%)

Au Eq (gpt)

CBL23-26

NSV

CBL23-27

1.26

8.15

6.89

0.58

16.93

-

-

-

0.79

22.57

25.76

3.19

0.33

12.50

-

0.25

0.34

0.70

30.50

35.39

4.89

0.43

11.80

-

0.10

0.61

0.85

71.83

92.65

20.82

0.28

1.11

0.06

0.08

2.00

1.16

includes

73.63

76.71

3.08

0.17

6.62

0.08

0.04

2.80

1.44

includes

84.90

85.90

1.00

1.78

23.00

0.35

0.25

11.85

7.13

103.98

121.03

17.05

0.34

10.12

-

-

-

0.47

CBL23-28

1.29

16.29

15.00

3.02

68.66

0.24

0.73

4.86

6.28

includes

5.68

16.29

10.61

4.11

92.84

0.30

0.92

6.33

8.39

includes

9.86

13.27

3.41

8.48

103.27

0.23

1.08

4.16

12.02

CBL23-29

1.69

24.21

22.52

1.21

29.22

0.12

0.32

2.94

2.96

includes

1.69

4.79

3.10

2.90

14.18

0.06

0.29

0.49

3.44

and

14.94

24.21

9.27

1.70

53.89

0.23

0.51

0.62

3.07

includes

22.46

24.21

1.75

3.45

108.21

0.65

0.54

19.40

13.24

CBL23-30

0.89

46.56

45.67

0.68

15.72

0.07

0.27

0.90

1.39

includes

0.89

2.79

1.90

2.72

5.03

0.02

1.46

0.19

3.37

and

17.12

46.56

29.44

0.84

21.40

0.11

0.38

1.56

1.97

CBL23-31

1.22

62.45

61.23

0.95

29.04

0.07

0.29

1.31

2.00

includes

1.22

2.22

1.00

9.84

6.78

0.02

0.15

0.06

10.02

and

30.20

50.28

20.08

1.57

58.80

0.16

0.60

3.13

3.91

includes

30.20

35.20

5.00

1.36

57.82

0.48

0.43

8.75

6.18

and

36.20

38.25

2.05

4.64

155.07

0.07

1.16

1.34

7.57

85.00

95.00

10.00

0.48

13.07

-

0.08

0.17

0.74

CBL23-32

NSV

CBL23-33

NSV

CBL23-34

114.28

117.28

3.00

0.20

7.42

-

0.09

1.38

0.85

127.61

136.65

9.04

0.14

3.42

-

0.02

1.01

0.58

NSV = No Significant Values; AuEq values have been calculated using a Ag-to-Au ratio of 80:1, Cu-to-Au ratio of 8,100:1, Pb-to-Au ratio of 29,800:1 and Zn-to-Au ratio of 26,050:1 for this news release.

Scarlet Knob-Bruce Glacier Discovery

Near the end of the exploration season at a time of maximum snowmelt, Eskay Mining's exploration team found outcrops of metal-rich VMS mineralization immediately adjacent to the eastern margin of Bruce Glacier. This area is called Scarlet Knob and is located in the northeastern part of the Consolidated Eskay Gold Project approximately 7km southeast of the Eskay Creek mine. Four rock chip samples collected from a 100 m long, 5 m wide sulfide replacement body (Figures 6 and 7) returned very strong precious and base metal values as presented below:

Sample

Au (gpt)

Ag (gpt)

Cu (%)

Pb (%)

Zn (%)

Au Eq (gpt)

1001A

11.71

199.03

0.33

7.77

8.16

20.34

1001B

22.26

461.97

0.22

14.57

10.50

37.23

1001C

10.04

169.50

0.16

12.00

10.02

20.23

1001D

14.80

160.82

0.16

9.53

8.18

23.34

Although this outcropping sulfide body is small, it appears to occur at or near the paleo-sea floor interface, a stratigraphic position conducive for hosting a deposit like that at the nearby Eskay Creek mine. Given the very strong precious metal values from these samples, Eskay mining's geologic team takes a strong view that this occurrence suggests a bigger system may be present in this area.

Early in the drill season, four core holes were drilled in an area approximately 200 m south of this high-grade discovery. These holes were drilled based upon a conceptual view formed by Eskay Mining's geologic team that the paleo-seafloor position, possibly mineralized, should be hiding under Bruce Glacier. All four of these drill holes indeed pierced the contact between volcanic rocks and sea floor mudstone, and two of these holes encountered highly elevated precious and base metal values as seen in the table below:

Hole

From (m)

To (m)

Length (m)

Au (gpt)

Ag (gpt)

Cu (%)

Pb (%)

Zn (%)

Au Eq (gpt)

SKN23-01

172.92

174.10

1.18

0.24

46.90

-

1.93

1.19

1.93

255.32

257.51

2.19

0.40

49.66

-

0.45

0.47

1.35

SKN23-02

188.81

191.43

2.62

0.52

33.75

-

0.62

1.63

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