ORM Orford Mining Corporation

TORONTO, Feb. 2, 2021 /CNW/ - Orford Mining Corporation ("Orford") (TSXV: ORM) is pleased to announce that it has completed the inaugural exploration program on its Joutel South and McClure East properties in the historic Joutel Mining District of Quebec. The inaugural program consisted of a helicopter airborne time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) survey on both the Joutel South and McClure East properties along with till sampling for gold grain analysis on the Joutel South Property. The next exploration program will begin mid-February and will consist of reverse circulation (RC) drilling to sample glacial till on both the McClure East and Joutel South properties to confirm historical results and identify any new gold in till anomalies.

David Christie, commented "With the start of our programs on these 100% owned properties we are eager to apply the first modern and systematic exploration that these projects have since the mid 1980's. Specifically, we are eager to see the results of our efforts on the McClure East project which covers a 4.5 km strike extent of the south splay of the prolific Casa Berardi Deformation Zone."

Figure 1: Joutel South Property Showing Till Gold Grain Counts and Planned RC Holes.

In November 2020, Orford completed the till sampling program on its Joutel South property.  This program consisted of using an excavator to dig small pits (up to 5m deep) to take samples of till material. Nine samples were collected and sent to IOS Geoscientific for gold grain counting (ARTGold^TM). Gold grain counts (normalized to 10kg of material) and morphology are shown in Figure 1. Up to 61 gold grains (46% of which were pristine) were reported. Seven additional locations on Joutel South will be sampled by RC drilling as part of next program.

Orford contracted Prospectair Geosurveys Inc. to perform a 1,118 line-km TDEM and Magnetic survey using the ProspecTEM TDEM system and Geometrics G-822A Airborne Magnetometer systems. The survey was completed at 50 metre line spacing and covers the entire Joutel South and McClure East Properties. Preliminary results from the surveys show previously unknown structures and conductors on the both the Joutel South and McClure East properties. Final products are expected in mid-February.  Results of the survey will be used in conjunction with historical and newly collected till data to assist in identifying structures, geology and conductors that may be associated with gold mineralizing events to focus future drill hole targeting.

The winter exploration program will begin early in mid-February and will consist of overburden drilling to sample till for gold grain analysis on both properties. Seven RC holes are planned on Joutel South and 18 RC holes are planned on McClure East. The goal of this program will be to identify new gold anomalies in till and follow up on historical gold grain anomalies on the McClure East Property which reported gold in till up to 30g/t and 8 gold grains in historical work (GM45960¹, Figure 1).  Information from geophysical and glacial till - geochemistry programs will be used in targeting a potential program of diamond drilling later in 2021.

Figure 2: Historical Gold Assay Results in RC Holes with Planned RC Drilling for McClure East (CBDZ= Casa Berardi Deformation Zone).

The historical information shown in this news release was obtained from historical work reports filed with the Quebec Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and has not been independently verified by a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43 101.

About the McClure East and Joutel South Property
The McClure East & Joutel South properties are located within the Joutel Volcanic Complex (JVC) of the Harricana-Turgeon volcano-sedimentary belt, which is the most northwesterly element of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt that includes the prolific Matagami, Brouillan, Joutel and Casa Berardi mining districts. The McClure East property is located on the eastern end of the underexplored extension of the Joutel trend (southern splay of the Casa Berardi deformation zone, "CBDZ") that hosts both Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd.'s (AEM-T) founding gold mines (Eagle and Telbel) which produced in excess of 1.1Moz of gold¹. All commercial operations in the region had closed by 1993.The information presented here from neighboring properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on Orford Mining's Properties.

About Orford Mining Corporation
Orford Mining is a gold explorer focused on highly prospective and underexplored areas of Northern Quebec.

Orford's assets in the Nunavik region of Northern Quebec include the Qiqavik and West Raglan projects comprising a land package totaling over 105,000 hectares in the Cape Smith Belt of Northern Quebec. The Qiqavik Project hosts several new high-grade gold discoveries along a mineralized trend in excess of 40 km. The West Raglan project hosts a number of high-grade Raglan-style nickel/copper/platinum group metal discoveries along a 55 km mineralized trend.  In January 2021, Orford entered into an earn-in agreement whereby Wyloo Metals can earn up to 80% of the West Raglan Project for total expenditures of $25.0 million over 7 years.

In 2020, Orford acquired three new property positions (Over 20,000ha) in the Joutel region of the Abitibi district of northern Quebec, which hosts historical deposits such as the Eagle/Telbel, Joutel Copper, Poirier Copper, and Vezza deposits. This information from neighbouring properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on Orford Mining's properties.

Orford continually seeks new gold exploration opportunities in North America.

Orford's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ORM. 

To view further details about the Orford's exploration projects please visit Orford's website, www.orfordmining.com.

Qualified Person

The disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Alger St-Jean, P.Geo., Chief Geoscientist of Orford, a Qualified Person under NI 43-101.  The technical information presented in this release was obtained from historical work reports filed with the Quebec Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and has not been independently verified by a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43 101.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" including without limitation statements relating to the liquidity and capital resources of Orford and potential of one or more of the Qiqavik, and West Raglan, properties.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Orford to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Orford's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Although Orford has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Orford disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

SOURCE Orford Mining Corporation