2023 News Releases

North Vancouver, B.C., April 25, 2023 - Lion One Metals Limited (TSX-V: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) (“Lion One” or the “Company”) reports significant new high-grade results from grade control drilling at the Company’s 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji.

Following on the initial mining and extraction of the URA1 lode, the Company is here reporting new high-grade results from grade control drilling on the URW1 lode system, approximately 120m further east. Mining of URW1 is expected to begin over the next 2-4 weeks. Strike drive development on URW1 has commenced.

Highlights of new high-grade gold mineralization intersected by grade control drilling:

• Multiple bonanza grade zones have been intersected including:
  • 88.07g/t Au over 5.7m (including 1,396g/t Au over 0.3m) (TGC-0034)
  • 27.52g/t Au over 5.55m (TUG-056)
  • 20.93g/t Au over 7.2m (TGC-0003)
  • 16.12g/t Au over 9.3m (TGC-0014)
  • 16.48g/t Au over 9.6m (TGC-0002)
  • 14.6g/t Au over 6.6m (TGC-0032)
  • 14.97g/t Au over 5.4m (TGC-0018)
  • 10.85g/t Au over 6.9m (TGC-0013)
• Visible was gold observed in several drill holes.

Figure 1.  Plan map showing the locations of the URA1 and URW1 lodes (in red) relative to the main Tuvatu decline. The gray outlines indicate planned development to reach the URW1 lodes.

Close spaced grade control drilling has resulted in much higher resolution of the lode arrays as compared to previous infill drilling, including the identification of bonanza grade (>50g/t Au) zones. 

The tightened drill pattern will facilitate optimised development and extraction of high-grade gold mineralization from the URW1 lodes while minimizing dilution. High-grade gold mineralization extracted from the URW1 lode system will contribute significantly to the growing high-grade stockpile constituting the initial feed for the Company’s plant and processing facility, on schedule for start-up in Q4 2023.

Mineralization

Mineralization consists of abundant free gold, typically in association with light to dark gray chalcedonic quartz and roscoelite, locally accompanied by minor amounts of pyrite, sphalerite, galena and lesser chalcopyrite (Figure 3). 

Figure 2.  Long section view west of grade control drilling at URW1. Intersections >5m and 10g/t Au highlighted in red.

Figure 3. A) Coarse disseminated gold in a quartz-roscoelite veinlet, TGC-0034 67.5m. Sample returned 1396.3 g/t Au over 0.3m. B) Coarse gold in gray quartz veinlet, TGC-0034 81.6m. Sample returned 166.2 g/t Au over 0.9m. C) Coarse honey sphalerite rimmed by dark pyrite in variable light to dark gray quartz vein, TGC-0032 71.0m. Sample returned 112.9 g/t Au over 0.3m. D) Banded chalcedonic quartz-roscoelite-pyrite-fine native gold, TGC-0002 77.4m. Sample returned 44.3 g/t Au over 0.3m.

URW1 Lode System

The URW1 lode system consists of narrow, high-grade to locally bonanza-grade vein arrays and vein swarms that strike approximately N-S and dip sub-vertically to steeply east and is located approximately 120m east of the URA1 lode (Figure 1, 2, 4).

As currently modelled based on earlier drilling, the URW1 lode measures approximately 300m in the NS-direction by approximately 300m of vertical extent, thus forming one of the major N-S trending lodes that have been recognized in this part of the Tuvatu deposit. The URW1 lode intersects with numerous flat-lying to moderately south-dipping EW veins referred to as the Murau lode system (Figure 4).

Grade control drilling has been conducted from both the new decline and the historic exploration adit (Figures 1 & 2). This drilling is targeting a 60m strike section of the URW1 system, within the >300m strike of the overall URW1 system. Detailed drilling of this nature is the first conducted at the project and has served to confirm both the location of structures and the extent of some of the higher-grade zones within the overall mineralized envelope. These bonanza zones (>50g/t Au * true width) have been intersected that show a considerably higher-grade than the previous wide-spaced resource drilling in the area. The high-grade zones are interpreted to relate to the intersection of the N-S URW1 lode with E-W striking structures such as the Murau lodes.

Figure 4. Plan view of 3D models illustrating the earlier interpretation of the URA1 and URW1 lodes (blue).  The lighter pink shapes are the flat-lying stacked Murau lodes (left) and SKL lodes (right). Underground development is shown in red.

The URW1 lode system is interpreted as a series of parallel vein arrays. 

This interpretation has come by way of a series of closely spaced grade control drill holes, drilled from two separate locations, east-directed drilling from the main decline, as well as west-directed drilling from the exploration decline (Figure 1).  To date, a total of 34 diamond drill holes totalling approximately 3,538m have been completed resulting in 5m to 10m spacing between adjacent holes covering a limited extent of the URW1 lode system.  Despite the relatively limited size of the area drilled thus far, the grade control program has significantly increased the level of confidence in the geometry, widths, and grade distribution of the URW1 lodes, thereby allowing for detailed development planning. 

Composited assay results for mineralized intervals interpreted as URW1 lodes in holes completed to date are presented in Table 1, with Tables 2 and 3 in the appendix containing full drill hole details. The URW1 lode system represents the next main area of mining and extraction of high-grade mineralization at Tuvatu. Development has commenced with first grade control and mapping expected shortly.

Table 1. Summary of composited drill results intersecting mineralization from the area of URW1 in this release. (TGC = new grade control drilling ordered by strongest intersections; TUDDH and TUG indicates previous exploration drilling (surface and underground) targeting this zone). For full results refer Table 2 in the appendix.

About Tuvatu

The Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project is located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. The January 2018 mineral resource for Tuvatu as disclosed in the technical report “Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Tuvatu Gold Project, Republic of Fiji”, dated September 25, 2020, and prepared by Mining Associates Pty Ltd of Brisbane Qld, comprises 1,007,000 tonnes indicated at 8.50 g/t Au (274,600 oz. Au) and 1,325,000 tonnes inferred at 9.0 g/t Au (384,000 oz. Au) at a cut-off grade of 3.0 g/t Au. The technical report is available on the Lion One website at www.liononemetals.com and on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. 

Qualified Person

In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43- 101”), Sergio Cattalani, P.Geo, Senior Vice President Exploration, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has reviewed and is responsible for the technical and scientific content of this news release.

QAQC Procedures

Lion One adheres to rigorous QAQC procedures above and beyond basic regulatory guidelines in conducting its sampling, drilling, testing, and analyses. The Company utilizes its own fleet of diamond drill rigs, using PQ, HQ and NQ sized drill core rods. Drill core is logged and split by Lion One personnel on site. Samples are delivered to and analyzed at the Company’s geochemical and metallurgical laboratory in Fiji. Duplicates of all samples with grades above 0.5 g/t Au are both re-assayed at Lion One’s lab and delivered to ALS Global Laboratories in Australia (ALS) for check assay determinations. All samples for all high-grade intercepts are sent to ALS for check assays. All samples are pulverized to 85% passing through 75 microns. Gold analysis is carried out using fire assay with an AA finish. Samples that have returned grades greater than 10.00 g/t Au are then re-analyzed by gravimetric method. For samples that return greater than 0.50 g/t Au, repeat fire assay runs are carried out and repeated until a result is obtained that is within 10% of the original fire assay run. Lion One’s laboratory can also assay for a range of 71 other elements through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), but currently focuses on a suite of 9 important pathfinder elements. All duplicate anomalous samples are sent to ALS labs in Townsville QLD and are analyzed by the same methods (Au-AA26, and Au-GRA22 where applicable). ALS also analyses 33 pathfinder elements by HF-HNO3-HClO4 acid digestion, HCl leach and ICP-AES (method ME-ICP61).

About Lion One Metals Limited

Lion One’s flagship asset is 100% owned, fully permitted high grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. Lion One envisions a low-cost high-grade underground gold mining operation at Tuvatu coupled with exciting exploration upside inside its tenements covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, an underexplored yet highly prospective 7km diameter alkaline gold system. Lion One’s CEO Walter Berukoff leads an experienced team of explorers and mine builders and has owned or operated over 20 mines in 7 countries. As the founder and former CEO of Miramar Mines, Northern Orion, and La Mancha Resources, Walter is credited with building over $3 billion of value for shareholders.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lion One Metals Limited
“Walter Berukoff”, Chairman and CEO

Contact Investor Relations
Toll Free (North America) Tel: 1-855-805-1250
Email: info@liononemetals.com
Website: www.liononemetals.com

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This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited’s current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Appendix 1: full drill results and drill details

Table 2. Composited results from grade control drillholes targeting the URW1 lodes

Table 3. Collar coordinates and dates of completion for grade control drillholes reported in this release. Coordinates are in Fiji map grid.