Optimum samples up to 23 g/t gold, 3,739 g/t silver at Harry property, British Columbia

Optimum Ventures Ltd. [OPV-TSXV] reported partial assay results, including multiple high-grade gold and silver assays, from a limited surface exploration program conducted on the 1,333-hectare Harry property, adjoining the Premier-Dilworth property of Ascot Resources Ltd., in the Golden Triangle, northwestern British Columbia.

Highlights include six separate quartz-sulphide structures in a small northeast area of the claim area. The Swann zone has been identified several hundred meters east of the Milestone showing (The Milestone was found in 2020 and ran 7.86 oz/ton gold over 2.0m).

Fine visible gold has been identified in semi-massive to massive sulphide in the Swann zone (assays pending); and the Premier porphyry intrusive has been identified in contact with mineralized zones (similar to the host rock of the Premier gold deposit).

The property hosts several 50-metre wide zones of intense alteration trending northwest along the claim length. Within this intense alteration, sericite along with abundant pyrite is prevalent. Quartz veins, quartz breccias and semi-massive sulphides occur within these alteration zones. This type of alteration and mineralization is found at the nearby gold deposits being developed by Ascot. To date, less than 10% of the property has been prospected.

In 2020, a new zone of mineralization in quartz breccias, called the Milestone was discovered on the Harry Property. The previous operator reported a trench sample averaging 7.86 oz/ton gold (269.5 g/t) across a 2-metre width. The full width of this new zone has not been defined due to overburden cover.

The 2021 program consisted of surface sampling any newly located structures in the area of the recently identified Milestone showing. A total of 50 samples were collected with assay results received for the first 38 samples. Values ranged from 0.01 to 23.30 g/t gold and 0.02 to 3,379 g/t silver. This work was successful in identifying several new structures.

Highlights of sampling include 23 g/t gold and 2,995 g/t silver in grab sample A21-2A; 11 g/t gold and 3,739 g/t silver in grab A21-3; 3 g/t gold and 328 g/t silver in float sample A21-22; and 5.5 g/t gold and 270 g/t silver in a 0.4-metre chip, A21-5A.

Work completed in late 2021, while only on a small area of the full package, indicates that sulphide zones occur within quartz bearing structures trending both east-west (south dip). Where these structures are crosscut by northwest trending structures (dipping east), semi-massive to massive sulphides occur. Within these sulphides, sphalerite, galena, tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite and pyrite are present. Fine visible gold is occasionally present within the massive mineralization.

The Technical Report outlines a recommended Phase 1 exploration program on the Harry intended to generate drilling targets which subsequently will be drill tested consisting of rock sampling, geological mapping, possible geophysical surveys, drilling and core cutting. The Company has begun the recommended program and intends to complete the rest of the recommended work program in beginning in Q2 2022.

More assays are pending.