Originally shared on libertygold.com
Permitted Exploration Area Increases by 51% to 37.3 km2 with Drilling to Commence mid-June 2024 on Seven High-Priority Targets
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Liberty Gold Corp. (TSX:LGD; OTCQX:LGDTF) (“Liberty Gold” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has received from the United States Forest Service (“USFS”) the final approval for an amendment to the current exploration Plan of Operations (“POO”) at the Black Pine Oxide Gold Project, Idaho (“Black Pine”). This approval authorizes exploration activities on USFS lands where the Company holds mineral title but was not previously permitted to drill. Additionally, the Company has added a Director of Regulatory Affairs and Sustainability to advance mine permitting with the federal and state agencies.
Plan of Operations & Land Position Expansion
This new permit amendment from the USFS expands the current area for permitted exploration from 24.7 square kilometres (“km2”) by 51% to 37.3 km2 (see Figure 1 below). This will allow the Company to explore seven new target areas where the prospective and permissive gold host-rock carbonate sequence (“middle plate”) is known to occur at shallow depth beneath sandstone cover rock (“upper plate”).
In addition, the amended POO further directs the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) to begin the process of issuing a Hardrock Prospector Permit (“HPP”) over contiguous, highly prospective, areas. The HPP would open a further 7.1 km2 of ground to approved exploration activities.
The Company has additionally staked 46 unpatented mining claims in the southwest of the project area, totalling 3.3 km2. These claims are contiguous with the existing project area and cover the projected southern extension of the prospective middle plate host rock carbonate sequence, identified by field & structural mapping and soil geochemistry. The newly acquired ground expands the total project area to 69.3 km2.
Pete Shabestari, Vice President of Exploration commented, “We wish to thank the US Forest Service for processing this amendment diligently and efficiently. The amendment approval reflects the collaborative relationship established with the agencies over the last seven years and the well-managed and straightforward nature of permitting at Black Pine. With this new approval, we can now turn the exploration drill rigs towards gold discovery in these highly prospective target areas.”
FIGURE 1 – BLACK PINE PROJECT AND PERMITTING AREA MAP
For a map showing the Black Pine Project and Permitting area, click here: https://libertygold.ca/images/news/2024/June11/BlackPineMap06112024.pdf
Field Operations 2024
Field operations have begun at Black Pine in earnest, with the first reverse circulation (“RC”) drill rig expected to arrive mid-June and a second arriving in mid-July. The first phase of planned exploration drilling is budgeted at 20,000 meters (“m”) and will focus on new discovery in the seven outlying target areas with the key objective of growing the current Black Pine resource base which already exceeds 3 million ounces. (see press release dated February 15, 2024)
Appointment of Matt Zietlow as Director, Regulatory Affairs & Sustainability
The Company is also pleased to announce that Matthew Zietlow has joined Liberty Gold as the Director, Regulatory Affairs & Sustainability, based in Idaho. He will be responsible for leading the mine permitting process at Black Pine, with the objective of submission of the Mine Plan of Operations (“MPO”) to the respective regulatory agencies by Q4, 2024.
Mr. Zietlow has over 30 years of experience in mine permitting, operational compliance, reclamation and closure at multiple active and idled locations throughout the western United States. He has held senior roles in community affairs, media relations, and academic advisory boards related to the mining sector, and also served as State chair of the Nevada Mining Association Executive Environmental Committee.