O3 Mining Inc. (TSX-V: OIII) is pleased to provide initial drilling results from the Simkar zone, located 400 metres west of the historic deposit, within the Sector 3 of its Alpha property in Val-d’Or, Québec, as part of a fully-funded 150,000 metre drilling program. The Simkar deposit hosts 43,000 oz Au at 5.52 g/t in Measured and Indicated resources and 20,000 oz Au at 6.36 g/t in Inferred category.

O3 Mining’s 2020-2021 drilling program includes 100,000 metres for the Alpha property, which hosts multiple mineralized systems over an approximate 20 kilometres strike length. Current drilling is focused on exploring extensions of the Simkar (historic production of 54,500 oz Au at 5.99 g/t) and El Sol zones in Sector 3 and the Valdora, Sabourin and Jolin zones in Sector 2 as well as testing the extensions at depth of the Orenada mineralized system in Sector 1 (see Figure 1). These are exploration targets generated by our exploration team, tested by a channel sampling program and verified using artificial intelligence (“AI”) (See Press Release December 02^nd, 2020).

“At Simkar, we are successfully executing our systematic approach to exploration based on geological analysis and AI, channel sampling and field work, and drilling. It is always exciting when the third step, drilling, achieves what it sets out to do. Today’s results show we are successfully extending the mineralized zones at Simkar and other areas in Sector 3 of Alpha beyond the known resources. We are also identifying new areas with the potential of increasing the mineral resources in this Sector. With a lot more drilling to come at Alpha initial results leave us confident of significantly growing the resources of the project,” said President and CEO Jose Vizquerra.

New assay results from five holes drilled in the western extensions at the Simkar zone include:

Drilling Highlights:

• 10.4 g/t Au over 3.0 metres in hole O3AL-20-310
• 14.0 g/t Au over 0.8 metres in hole O3AL-20-311
• 32.4 g/t Au over 0.5 metres in hole O3AL-20-312

Hole O3AL-20-310 cut mineralization at the bedrock interface, 400 meters west of the historical Simkar Zone A (see Figure 2). This discovery is in an area with no historical drilling which opens the potential for the definition of a new ore shoot along the historical Simkar Zone A structure. Hole O3AL-20-311 intersected the extension of the Simkar Zone C, 350 metres to the west, and hole O3AL-20-312 intersected a new zone between zones A and C, some 350 meters to the west.

The drilling program at Simkar is targeting down-plunge extensions of the Simkar A-B-C zones (raking at 30 degrees to the west) as well as potential new ore shoots and stacked zones within the prospective Anamaque sill where gold mineralization is associated with quartz-tourmaline-pyrite vein systems typical of the Val d’Or district. Initial results show that the gold-bearing veins expand well beyond the historical Simkar resource, including potential continuity up to the El Sol and Paramaque zones, which if proven, would represent a 2,000 x 500 metre veins field. The encouraging results received so far support a decision to continue the exploration program at Simkar to further explore for mineralized extensions of these intercepts, which remain fully open to the west and at depth. Assays are pending for two drill holes drilled 100 m further west to follow up on the high-grade intercepts reported here. More holes are planned to expand the mineralized zone to the west into El Sol and Paramaque areas. 

Table 1: Drill Hole Intercepts (only intercepts above 5 g/t Au * m are reported)

Table 2: Drill Hole Details

Hole O3AL-20-310 intersected a few quartz veinlets, one of them with visible gold, within a monzonite intrusion in the first samples of the hole, at the bedrock interface. It returned 10.4 g/t Au over 3.0 m. Ten metres deeper in the same monzonite, a fractured zone yielded 2.3 g/t Au over 3.0 m. Hole O3-AL-20-310 is located 400 meters west of and on strike with the historical Simkar Zone A. The monzonite is in contact with the iron-rich gabbro of the Anamaque sill which is the main host of the Simkar zones.

Hole O3AL-20-311 intersected a 12 cm quartz vein with 10% pyrite in a brecciated basalt, 350 m west of the Zone C. The quartz vein yielded 14.0 g/t Au, 5.6 g/t Ag and 0.3 % Cu over 0.8 m. The hole was stopped in the iron-rich gabbro of the Anamaque sill. The last sample of the hole shows a weak alteration and yielded 8.4 g/t Au over 1.0 m which corresponds to the beginning of the Zone A. The hole will be deepened in December.

On the same section, hole O3AL-20-312 intersected a small quartz veinlet with visible gold within a gabbro, 85 m south of the Zone A. The veinlet yielded an intercept of 32.4 g/t Au, 3.2 g/t Ag and 0.4 % Cu over 0.5 m.

In the area of the historical mine, the hole O3AL-20-315 intersected few centimetric quartz tourmaline veins within the iron-rich gabbro, between Zone A and B. It yielded 1.5 g/t Au over 3.5 m.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed, prepared, and approved by Mr. Louis Gariepy. (OIQ #107538), VP Exploration, who is a “qualified person” as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Quality Control and Reporting Protocols

True width determination is currently unknown but is estimated at 65-80% of the reported core length interval for the zones. Assays are uncut except where indicated. Intercepts occur within geological confines of major zones but have not been correlated to individual vein domains at this time. Half-core samples are shipped to Agat laboratory in Val-d’Or, Québec and Mississauga, Ontario for assaying. The core is crushed to 75% passing -2 mm (10 mesh), a 250 g split of this material is pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns (200 mesh) and 50 g is analyzed by Fire Assay (FA) with an Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) finish. Samples assaying >10.0 g/t Au are re-analyzed with a gravimetric finish using a 50 g charge. Commercial certified standard material and blanks are systematically inserted by O3 Mining’s geologists into the sample chain after every 18 core samples as part of the QA/QC program. Third-party assays are submitted to other designated laboratories for 5% of all samples. Drill program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control (“QA/QC”) and interpretation of results are performed by qualified persons employing a QA/QC program consistent with NI 43-101 and industry best practices.

About O3 Mining Inc.

O3 Mining, which forms part of the Osisko Group of companies, is a mine development and emerging consolidator of exploration properties in prospective gold camps in Canada – focused on projects in Québec and Ontario – with a goal of becoming a multi-million ounce, high-growth company.

O3 Mining is well-capitalized and holds a 100% interest in properties in Québec (133,557 hectares) and Ontario (25,000 hectares). O3 Mining controls 66,064 hectares in Val-d’Or and over 50 kilometres of strike length of the Cadillac-Larder Lake Faut. O3 Mining also has a portfolio of assets in the Chibougamau region of Québec.

Figure 1: Alpha Property Map (CNW Group/O3 Mining Inc.)

Figure 2: Simkar Zone Drilling Map (CNW Group/O3 Mining Inc.)