Imperial Mining Group Ltd. (TSX-V: IPG) is very pleased to announce the successful completion of Winter diamond drilling on its 100%-owned Opawica Gold project in the Abitibi region of northwestern Québec. The Opawica gold property is located 20 km east of Desmaraisville and is accessible via Highway 113 from Val d’Or to Chibougamau, Quebec, and by a network of forestry roads (Figure 1).

Drilling was undertaken to evaluate areas of high historical gold intersections (6.9 g/t Au over 3.8m and 5.1 g/t Au over 2.8m), as well as geophysical/geological targets favourable to gold concentration in the area. Of importance was the intersection, in drillhole O-20002, of an intense deformation and alteration structure containing 1% to 15% pyrite, minor pyrrhotite and occasional chalcopyrite and tourmaline over 155.0 metres of core length. The new drilling is geologically similar to areas of historical gold intersections returned from the property. The intensity of the structural deformation, favourable alteration and sulphide mineralization observed has led Imperial staff to interpret that the area is highly prospective for concentration of gold. Samples from this hole are currently being processed by AGAT Labs of Mississauga, Ontario, with results anticipated for delivery towards the end of April 2020.

“Our drilling program was successful in defining the Central Zone structure but what was surprising was the scale and intensity of the system,” said Peter Cashin, Imperial’s President & CEO. “In conjunction with our Summer 2019 mapping and geophysical program, the diamond drilling has provided us with a better understanding of the geological environment at Opawica. The favourable structure has now been traced for at least 2-km and appears to be open at depth and along strike both to the east and west of the Central Zone. We optimistically await the gold assay results from this program.”

Winter 2020 Diamond Drill Program

A total of three drillholes for 1,000 m was completed in the Central Zone area of the property on February 22^nd, 2020 (Figure 2, Table 1). The contractor for the diamond drill work was Orbit-Garant of Val d’Or, QC and the analytical laboratory was AGAT Laboratory of Mississauga, ON. The exploration program was supervised by Imperial Mining Group staff and by Explo-Logik of Val d’Or, QC.

(NOTE: Historical diamond drill results included in this release were obtained from data compilation and verification of available technical reports, including analytical records, submitted to the Quebec Government for property assessment purposes. All previous drill-holes, cross-sections and analytical results were verified from the Quebec Government SIGEOM geoscientific database. No issues were observed or noted during the data validation period.)

These diamond drill targets were selected for geological, geochemical and geophysical characteristics favourable for gold (Au) deposit formation. Target definition for the program was supplemented by using a predictive computer algorithm known as CET Grid Analysis. This application highlights the zones of high structural complexity using gold-favourable lineaments automatically mapped within total magnetic field reduced to pole geophysical data.

Table 1 – Borehole Location

Drillhole O-20001: This drillhole tested an important NW-SE trending structural corridor discovered during the Summer 2019 geological mapping program. The borehole intersected a series of weakly to moderately sericitized interbedded sediments with local quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes (QFP) and terminated in a carbonate altered basalt. Thin quartz-carbonate veinlets of up to 10cm were intersected in drilling. Trace to 2% pyrite is observed in sedimentary rocks.

Drillhole O-20002: This hole tested an area where historical gold mineralized intersections returned up to 87.7 g/t Au over 1.5m as well as a coincident first-priority Induced Polarization (IP) chargeability anomaly within the known E-W trending Central deformation corridor. Drilling intersected a series of strongly altered sediments, volcanics and local QFP dikes within a 155.0m wide shear zone characterized by three (3) distinct geological and structural domains. The first domain consists of a 41.0m thick package of strongly sericitized, sheared to folded meta-sediments containing 5 to 15% pyrite with traces of pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite mineralization. Several quartz-carbonate and banded quartz-tourmaline veins of up to 2.8m thickness were intersected in the section. The second domain is composed of a 70.0m thick package of brecciated, chlorite and sericite altered, fragmental horizon composed of basalt, rhyolite, sediments and QFP dikes. This mixed zone contains 1 to 3% pyrite and numerous quartz-carbonate veins up to 2.0m in thickness. The third domain consists of a 44.0m thick package of strongly folded, very highly sericitized and carbonatized intermediate to mafic tuff units with minor pyrite. The hole terminated in a highly carbonate altered basalt unit.

Drillhole O-20003: This hole drill tested a second priority IP anomaly and the contact between two distinct geological domains north of the second target. The hole intersected the contact between the sediments to the south and felsic to intermediate volcanic units to the north. Some QFP dikes were intersected in the section. Good carbonate and hematite alteration was observed within the felsic volcanic units. Only trace sulphides were observed in this hole.   

A total of 393 samples from holes O-20001 and O-20002 were sent to the AGAT Laboratory. Hole O-20003 has yet to be logged and sampled due to the COVID-19 virus shutdown of exploration activities in Quebec.

QP

The technical content in this press release was provided and certified by Pierre Guay, P. Geo., Imperial’s Vice-President, Exploration, and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

ABOUT IMPERIAL MINING GROUP LTD.

Imperial is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company focussed on the advancement of its copper-zinc, gold and technology metals properties in Québec. Imperial is publicly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange as “IPG” and is led by an experienced team of mineral exploration and development professionals with a strong track record of mineral deposit discovery in numerous metal commodities.

Figures accompanying this announcement are available at

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