Norsemont Mining Inc. announced the second tranche of results from its 2021 maiden diamond drilling program at the company's Choquelimpie high sulphidation epithermal gold-silver project in northern Chile. In fourth quarter 2021 two drill rigs completed ten diamond drill holes for a total of 3,144.1 meters drilled, prior to the temporary suspension of the drilling operations due to the early onset of the Altiplano winter. The second batch of analytical results for the program have been received from Andes Analytical Laboratories and correspond to diamond drill holes MV21-003, MV21-005 and MV21-006.

Diamond drill hole MV21-003 tested the eastern strike and depth extent of high-grade breccias observed in the Vizcacha Pit. A high-grade zone coincides with hydrothermal matrix breccia (HBX) and comprises disseminated and infilling pyrite mineralisation with advanced argillic quartz-dickite-alunite (±pyrophyllite) alteration. Diamond drill hole MV21-005 tested the western strike and depth extent of high-grade breccias seen in the Vizcacha Pit, and the southern edge of an IP chargeability anomaly possibly related to a porphyry at depth.

The top half of the hole cuts several short intervals of 0.2-0.7 g/t Au, possibly related to the roots of the hydrothermal breccia (HBX). More importantly, at 240-340 meters down-hole, the hole cuts dykes of phyllic-altered daci-andesite porphyry cut by an incipient stockwork of porphyry-style A and B veinlets with anomalous base metals, gold (weighted average 0.2 g/t) and molybdenum (weighted average 45 ppm). This porphyry has been named the “Vizcacha Porphyry” (DPV) and has been observed in outcrops to the north and west of the Vizcacha Pit.

Follow-up surface mapping and sampling is now underway to better understand this potentially important unit and provides the first evidence of a porphyry system flanking and underlying the Choquelimpie epithermal deposit. Drill hole MV21-006 tested the north-eastwards extension of mineralisation from the Choque Pit. Hole MV21-006 cuts advanced argillically altered hydrothermal breccia (HBX) with infill of grey silica-pyrite (Figure 6).

Significant gold and silver intercepts coincide with hydrothermal breccia and include 19m (68-87m) grading 0.63 g/t Au, 31.8 g/t Ag, (1.02 g/t AuEq) as oxide and 115m (109-224m) grading 0.71 g/t Au, 10.7 g/t Ag, (0.84 g/t AuEq) including 14m (109-123m) grading 0.83 g/t Au, 39.6 g/t Ag, (1.32 g/t AuEq), as oxide. Drill core for the Choquelimpie 2021 drill program is collected directly from the drill site by SCM Vilacollo geologists and technicians and taken to the core shack at the Choquelimpie camp. Drill core is then logged, photographed, and sampled by SCM Vilacollo staff who insert certified reference materials into the sampling sequence when/where appropriate.

Sample lengths are marked at 1.0 metre intervals and the core is cut by a diamond blade rock saw, with half of the cut core placed in individual bar-code numbered polyurethane bags and half placed back in the original core box for permanent storage. The sample bags are then sealed and placed in security-sealed sacks before delivery by SCM Vilacollo staff to the Andes Analytical Laboratory (AAA) sample receiving facilities in Arica, Chile. All drill core splits reported in this news release were analysed at AAA in Santiago, Chile utilising their ICP_AES_HF38m1 analytical package.

This comprises a four-acid digestion followed by a 38-element ICP-MS scan, in conjunction with the AEF_AAS_1E42 40g Fire Assay with AAS finish for gold on all samples. Samples that return values >10 ppm gold from fire assay and AAS are determined by using fire assay and a gravimetric finish (lab code AEF_GRV_1E43). Samples that return values >5,000 ppm for copper and >400 ppm silver by ICP analysis are determined by four acid digestion AAS finish assay (lab codes 4A-HF_AAS_1E13_ppm and 4A-HF_AAS_1E08_0.25-100 respectively).