Harfang Exploration Inc. reported that the 2023 exploration program on its 100% owned Lake Menarik Property (the “Property”) in Eeyou Itschee James Bay (Québec) has commenced. The program first consists of line cutting and approximately 40 linear kilometres of induced polarization geophysical surveying. This work will be followed by the Company's first diamond drill program on the Property, anticipated to begin in February.

Harfang believes that the overall geological setting of the project is unique in Eeyou Istchee James Bay as it shares numerous similarities with that of the major gold camps in the Abitibi region including the Timmins Camp. The Property, located 45 kilometres south of the Radisson locality consists of 304 claims (15,627 ha). It is characterized by multiple gold occurrences in a variety of rock types including up to 1,918 g/t Au in grab samples, and 12.46 g/t Au over 3.6 metres and 1.04 g/t Au over 24.9 metres in surface channel samples.

Historical drilling of 17 shallow holes in the south-central part of the property in 2000 was limited to a maximum vertical depth of 100 metres and focussed solely on a highly altered monzonite/syenite intrusion (the “Pierre monzonite”) with highlights of 0.89 g/t Au over 68.25 metres. The 2023 program builds on the 2022 successful field program that in part focussed on the unexplored eastern portion of the Lake Menarik property. The 2022 program resulted in the discovery of a series of closely spaced decimetric quartz veins grading up to 17.30 g/t Au, 217 g/t Ag and 0.61% Pb (grab) and up to 6.34 g/t Au, 60 g/t Ag and 0.09% Pb over 0.40 metres (channel).

This system of quartz veins, referred to as the Oswald showing, has been traced over 150 metres in length (open laterally) and is interpreted to be hosted in splay faults originating from a major east-west break crossing the southern portion of the Property. This discovery represents a new and promising target area, expanding the exploration ground. Two extensive alteration zones made up of massive ankerite were also discovered proximal to the Oswald showing.

The most extensive ankerite-rich system, hosted in a highly sheared mafic unit, has been traced over 700 metres long and is up to 50 metres wide. These ankerite zones are brecciated, contain trace to 2% disseminated pyrite and rare arsenopyrite, and are crosscut by a network of quartz and calcite veins. Grab samples confirm that these alteration zones are locally anomalous in gold with up to 0.30 g/t Au.

A grab sample collected in a sheared and ankeritized iron formation in this area yielded 2.87 g/t Au. Significantly, this type of ankerite shear zones commonly occurs in major gold camps, such as the Timmins Camp, and opens up new areas for ongoing exploration.