A total of 115 road cut samples were collected along the new roads in 100-foot, 50-foot or 25-foot intervals, depending upon whether the road was in soils, colluvium or bedrock. Over 8,700 feet of roads were sampled as part of the program. The average value of all samples averaged 132 parts per billion (ppb), or 0.004 ounce per ton (opt). The 2,600 feet of road cuts within the main anomaly target areas averaged 497 ppb (0.015 opt). The values ranged up to 859 ppb, or 0.025 opt, over 25 feet or road cut. The road samples confirmed the geological structural control that has been outlined by geologic mapping along with rock chip and soil sampling programs.
Jim Collord, President of Thunder Mountain Gold, commented, “The preliminary sample results are outstanding and increase our confidence in the South Mountain gold target discovered by the Company. The sample geology and gold values exposed by the new roads show the target has the potential to be more extensive than we initially expected. We look forward to the start of our drilling program to test the vertical extent and grade of the large anomaly. The drilling is scheduled to start by mid-September.”
The goal of the sampling program was to better define the extent and quality of gold mineralization in the intrusive hosted intrusive gold-bearing breccia, an anomaly that covers an area approximately one mile long by nearly one-half a mile wide and is located approximately one-half mile south of the historic South Mountain polymetallic mine area. Systematic mapping and sampling of breccia outcrops were completed along with preliminary geologic mapping. The road cut samples were screened in the field to quarter-inch minus in areas of areas of poor outcrop with rock chips being collected in bedrock zones, then delivered by Company personnel for analytical work to ALS Chemex Laboratory in Elko, Nevada.
The intrusive breccia exposed in the road cut consists of fragments of altered multi-compositional intrusive rock and silicified fragments of schist and marble. Initial rock chip samples from 2009 exploration in the outcrop area ranged from 490 ppb to 1700 ppb gold, and follow-up outcrop and float sampling in 2009 yielded gold values ranging from 47 ppb to 5,810 ppb. The 2009 soil sampling program of 236 samples confirmed the extent of the anomaly with values ranging up to 700+ ppb. Approximately 75% of them contained anomalous gold values.
About Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc.:
Thunder Mountain Gold, founded in 1935, is an exploration company focused on discovering and defining high grade, high quality precious and base metal projects primarily in politically stable regions such as the Western United States. Thunder Mountain Gold performs its own natural resource exploration and generates value for shareholders by demonstrating the value of its properties through a comprehensive drilling program and then seeking strategic partners to move the properties into production. South Mountain, its flagship property located in Owyhee County Idaho — just north of the Nevada border, is 100% owned/controlled with 17 patented mining claims, along with private leases totaling over 1,200 acres. The Company’s other precious metals properties include Clover Mountain in Idaho, the Trout Creek and West Tonopah in Nevada, along with two properties in Arizona.
Forward-Looking Statements: Statements made which are not historical facts, such as anticipated production, exploration results, costs or sales performance are “forward-looking statements”, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated, expected or implied. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, metals prices volatility, volatility of metals production, exploration project uncertainties, industrial minerals market conditions and project development risks. Refer to the Company’s Periodic Filings for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. Thunder Mountain Gold undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
Cautionary Note to Investors – The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) permits mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce.
Investor Relations: At Cameron Associates: Alison Ziegler – alison@cameronassoc.com or (212) 554-5469
At the Company: Eric Jones – eric@thundermountaingold.com or (208) 658-1037
Jim Collord – jim@thundermountaingold.com