North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 9, 2021) - Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) ("Lion One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the delivery and mobilization of two new drilling rigs and continued high grade gold results from surface drilling and underground channel sampling programs from the Company's 100% owned fully permitted Tuvatu Gold Project in Fiji.
The two new Canadian built Zinex drill rigs and related equipment were purchased in late 2020 and arrived at the Port of Lautoka in Fiji in the second week of February prior to clearing customs and being delivered to the project site. The two new rigs have 1,000 meter depth capacity, can be utilized from surface or underground, and are scheduled to be fully operational by late March.
"With the deployment of these rigs the Company will have six rigs operating as it transitions into Fiji's dry season, with four rigs focused on continued near surface and deep drilling at Tuvatu, and two rigs focused on drilling CSAMT anomalies exceeding depths of 1.2km in the surrounding Navilawa Caldera," said Lion One CEO, Walter Berukoff.
The Company's other two deep capacity rigs are currently drilling holes (TUDDH-522 and 523) targeting extensions of TUDDH-500 which previously intersected 1,400 g/t Au over 0.30m (see NR dated Aug. 17, 2020). These two current holes are expected to hit target depths of over 800m in coming weeks.
Additional near surface high-grade gold results have been received from Hole TUDDH-521, which has intersected four shallow high grade intercepts infilling near-surface gaps in or adjacent to the current lode resource model. These results from TUDDH-521 combine with the recently completed TUDDH-520 which intersected 21.31 g/t Au over 12.45m including 544 g/t Au over 0.35m at a vertical depth of 75m (see NR dated Feb. 3, 2020) to demonstrate a significant increase in the grade of the lodes in this area.
Table 1: Latest results from TUDDH-521
| Hole | From (m) | To (m) | Length (m) | Gold (g/t) |
| TUDDH521 | 57.59 | 57.72 | 0.13 | 51.69 |
| 69.70 | 71.57 | 1.87 | 8.17 | |
| includes | 70.00 | 70.50 | 0.50 | 25.34 |
| 74.12 | 76.10 | 1.98 | 8.52 | |
| includes | 74.84 | 75.22 | 0.38 | 30.05 |
| 78.56 | 82.06 | 3.50 | 5.30 | |
| includes | 81.83 | 82.06 | 0.23 | 32.23 |
Note: True widths of lodes are believed to be approximately 70% of reported drill intercept lengths.
The Company also reports that Lion One Fiji personnel have modified the existing Tuvatu underground workings in preparation for underground drilling and undertaken systematic sampling of the principal lode structures identified in this area. Several select high grade channel samples exceeding 50 g/t gold were recently taken with the highest values of 560 g/t Au over 0.10m, 91.77 g/t Au over 0.13m, 60.46 g/t Au over 0.12m, and 56.94 g/t Au over 0.11m (SKL lode), with 43.67 g/t Au over 0.15m (Snake lode), and 45.63 g/t Au over 0.13m (UR2 lode). (see Figure 1 below)
Figure 1: Underground sampling from fresh exposures in Tuvatu Underground
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Table 2: Survey details of diamond drill holes discussed in this release
| Hole No | coordinates | RL | dip | azimuth | Depth | |
| N | E | (m) | (TN) | (m) | ||
| TUDDH521 | 3920568.68 | 1876341.38 | 287.37 | -45 | 130 | 167.2 |
| TUDDH522 | 3920483.67 | 1876723.34 | 359.48 | -71 | 305 | 372.5* |
| TUDDH523 | 3920460.32 | 1876585.14 | 318.55 | -85 | 201 | 449.9* |
| *Holes in progress | ||||||
Drilling and Assay Processes and Procedures
The Company is utilizing its own diamond drill rig, using PQ, HQ and ultimately NQ sized drill core rods. Drill core is logged by Company geologists and then is sawn in half and sampled by Lion One staff.
Samples are analyzed at the Company's own geochemical laboratory in Fiji, whilst pulp duplicates of samples with results >0.5g/t Au are sent to ALS Global laboratories in Australia for check assay determinations. Assays reported here will be sent to ALS Global Laboratories for check assays shortly. All samples are pulverized to 80% passing through 75 microns. Gold analysis is carried out using fire assay with an AA finish. Samples that have returned grades greater than 10g/t Au are then re-analyzed by gravimetric method. Lion One's laboratory can also assay for a range of 71 other elements through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), but currently focuses on a suite of 9 important pathfinder elements. All duplicate anomalous samples sent to ALS Townsville, Queensland, Australia are analyzed by the same methods (Au-AA26, and also Au-GRA22 where applicable). ALS also analyze for 33 pathfinder elements are analyzed by HF-HNO3-HClO4 acid digestion, HCl leach and ICP-AES. (method ME-ICP61).
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed, prepared, and approved by Mr. Stephen Mann, P. Geo, Managing Director of Lion One, who is a qualified person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI-43-101).
About Tuvatu
The Tuvatu gold deposit is located on the island of Viti Levu in the South Pacific island nation of Fiji. The mineral resource for Tuvatu as disclosed in the technical report "Tuvatu Gold Project PEA", dated June 1, 2015, and prepared by Mining Associates Pty Ltd of Brisbane Qld, comprises 1,120,000 tonnes indicated at 8.17 g/t Au (294,000 oz. Au) and 1,300,000 tonnes inferred at 10.60 g/t Au (445,000 oz. Au) at a cut-off grade of 3 g/t Au. The technical report is available on the Lion One website at and on the SEDAR website at .
About Lion One Metals Limited
Lion One's flagship asset is 100% owned, fully permitted high grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. Lion One envisions a low-cost high-grade underground gold mining operation at Tuvatu coupled with exciting exploration upside inside its tenements covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, an underexplored yet highly prospective 7km diameter alkaline gold system. Lion One's CEO Walter Berukoff leads an experienced team of explorers and mine builders and has owned or operated over 20 mines in 7 countries. As the founder and former CEO of Miramar Mines, Northern Orion, and La Mancha Resources, Walter is credited with building over $3 billion of value for shareholders.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of
Lion One Metals Limited
"Walter Berukoff"
Chairman and CEO
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This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
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