Golden Predator Mining Corp. Jan. 16 reported results from 43 “grade control” holes drilled at its 3 Aces project in southeast Yukon, including the highest grade gold encountered with drills on the property.

These holes were designed to investigate close-space variability in three different areas of the project’s Spades zone to prepare for resource delineation drilling across the central core area – a 13.5-square-kilometer (5.2 square miles) section of the 3 Aces property that hosts several high-grade gold zones – later this year.

Highlights include: 4.57 meters of 81.35 grams per metric ton gold from a depth of 0.76 meters in hole 3A17-208; 21.33 meters of 18.33 g/t gold from a depth of 2.29 meters in 3A17-209; 5.33 m of 49.37 g/t gold from surface in 3A17-215; 13.72 meters of 43.02 g/t gold from a depth of 1.52 meters in 3A17-220, including 0.76 meters of 550 g/t (17.7 ounces per metric ton) gold; 3.05 m of 88.27 g/t gold from a depth of 0.76 meters in 3A17-230; and 9.15 m of 41.03 g/t gold from a depth of 0.76 meters in 3A17-230, including 0.76 meters of 487 g/t (15.7 oz/t) gold.

“We are extremely pleased with these drill results, which met and exceeded predicted grades clearly establishing the value of closely spaced drilling,” said Janet Lee-Sheriff, Chief Executive Officer. “These results will lead to optimized metallurgical processing and determine ideal drill spacing for continuing exploration.”

Results are being used to validate predicted grade distribution from previous results in these areas; and design future bulk samples.

Bulk sampling is expected to support previously released data indicating that up to 95 percent of the gold in the central Spades Zone can be recovered using gravity methods.

“The company will continue, as necessary, to grid drill and bulk sample other areas where high-grade mineralization has been identified across the project to confirm grade and to better understand each zone’s metallurgical characteristics,” Lee-Sheriff added.

–SHANE LASLEY