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:

 

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: 

 

Although these intercepts are not long, the strong precious and base metal contents encountered in these holes are considered the sort of values that might occur proximal to a much stronger VMS system. Combined with the latter surface discovery of high-grade precious and base metal mineralization discussed above, this lends further strong evidence for a larger VMS system in this area. Eskay Mining’s geologic team takes the view that more exploration including core drilling is warranted at Scarlet Knob in 2024. 

Tarn Lake

Four diamond drill holes were completed at Tarn Lake during the 2023 drill campaign (Figure 5) to follow up on encouraging drill results from this area in 2022. While all four holes encountered short to moderate length intervals of mineralization, two holes, TN23-14 and TN23-16 encountered short high-grade intervals, 4.84 gpt Au and 8.14 gpt Ag (4.94 gpt AuEq) over 2.00m in TN23-14 and 7.83 gpt Au and 6.96 gpt Ag (7.92 gpt AuEq) over 2.45m in TN23-16. These can be seen in the table below: 

 

Given the most promising results from Tarn Lake to date come from feeder zone type mineralization perhaps occurring deep in a VMS system, Eskay Mining’s geologic team is considering where the upper part of this system, including the favorable paleo-sea floor position, might lie. Rock chip sampling conducted in 2023 shows that disseminated Au mineralization extends approximately 100 m to the west of and over 200 m to the north of the drill holes at Tarn Lake (Figure 6). More field work and follow up drilling will be needed to ascertain if the better part of this system is present in the Tarn Lake area.  

Other Targets

Targeting at Hexagon-Mercury (Figure 1), situated on the western flank of the Eskay Anticline approximately 9 km south of Eskay Creek mine, was driven by geophysical anomalies interpreted by Riaz Mirza of Simcoe Geoscience. One of two drill holes completed at the target yielded an intercept of over 100 m of appreciable stockwork sulfide mineralization hosted by volcanic rock thought to be part of the lower Hazelton Group. While no appreciable precious metals were encountered, moderately elevated pathfinder elements are present. Further work is needed in this location to refine future targets.

Two holes tested the Maroon Cliffs target (Figure 1) situated in the far northeast corner of the Consolidated Eskay Gold Project. Similar to Hexagon-Mercury, targeting at Maroon Cliffs was driven by geophysics. Neither hole encountered appreciable precious metal mineralization, and only weak pathfinder geochemistry. The magnetic expression that defined this target is believed to be driven by a package of conglomerate rock with magnetite-bearing clasts observed in core.
 
One hole was completed at Storie Creek, a target situated just 3.5 km SSE of the Eskay Creek mine. Prior to drilling, Eskay Mining’s geologic team formed the view that favorable Hazelton Group host rocks dip westward under the drill site thus making an intriguing blind target. Drilling determined that an east dipping reverse fault underlies Storie Creek. Therefore, any prospective Hazelton Group rocks will only lie to the east of Storie Creek.  Consideration is being given to what further exploration might be done in the area.

Drill hole data from 2023 program: 

 

QA/QC, Methodology Statement:

Halved HQ drill core samples are submitted to ALS Geochemistry in Terrace, British Columbia for preparation and analysis. ALS is accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard for gold assays. All analytical methods include quality control standards inserted at set frequencies. The entire sample interval is crushed and homogenized, 250 g of the homogenized sample is pulped. All samples were analyzed for gold, silver, mercury, and a suite of 48 major and trace elements. Analysis for gold is by fire assay fusion followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) on 30 g of pulp. Analysis for silver is by fire assay and gravimetric analysis on 30 g of pulp. Mercury is analyzed using the trace Hg Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS) method. All other major and trace elements are analyzed by four-acid digestion followed by ICP-MS.

The assay results for rock chip samples reported for Scarlet Knob were obtained from Skeena Resources field assay laboratory. The entire sample is crushed and homogenized, and 100g of the homogenized sample is pulped. All samples were analyzed for gold, silver, arsenic, copper, lead, and zinc. Duplicates of these samples were sent to ALS Geochemistry in Terrace, British Columbia for certified analyses. Certified assay results for the Scarlet Knob rock chip samples are pending.

Historical rock chip and soil sample data is sourced from Assessment Reports AR17205 and AR22231. Eskay Mining is unable to fully verify this data, and it should be treated as such by the reader. 

Mineralization at the TV and Jeff deposits displays similar characteristics and mineralogy to the Eskay Creek deposit and therefore for Au eq, and Au:Ag, a ratio of 78:1 is used and Au eq and Ag eq values are deemed to be reasonable based on assumed gold recovery (84.2%) and silver recovery (87.3%) as reported in the Eskay Creek Project NI 43-101 Technical Report and Prefeasibility Study, British Columbia, Canada, Effective Date: 22 July, 2021, Prepared for: Skeena Resources Ltd., Prepared by: Absence Engineering Canada Inc.
True widths of reported intercepts are not fully understood at this time. More drilling is required to ascertain true widths at these newly identified mineralized areas.

True widths of reported intercepts are not fully understood at this time. More drilling is required to ascertain true widths at these newly identified mineralized areas.

Dr. Quinton Hennigh, P. Geo., a Director of the Company and its technical adviser, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release.

About Eskay Mining Corp:

Eskay Mining Corp (TSX-V:ESK) is a TSX Venture Exchange listed company, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Eskay is an exploration company focused on the exploration and development of precious and base metals along the Eskay rift in a highly prolific region of northwest British Columbia known as the “Golden Triangle,” 70km northwest of Stewart, BC. The Company currently holds mineral tenures in this area comprised of 177 claims (52,600 hectares).

All material information on the Company may be found on its website at www.eskaymining.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

For further information, please contact:

Mac Balkam    
President & Chief Executive Officer 
T: 416 907 4020   
E:  Mac@eskaymining.com
    
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.

Forward-Looking Statements: This Press Release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. When used in this document, the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from the statements made, including those factors discussed in filings made by us with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties, such as actual results of current exploration programs, the general risks associated with the mining industry, the price of gold and other metals, currency and interest rate fluctuations, increased competition and general economic and market factors, occur or should assumptions underlying the forward looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, or expected. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.