TSX: NHK

TORONTO, Sept. 11, 2018 /CNW/ - Nighthawk Gold Corp. ("Nighthawk" or the "Company") (TSX: NHK; OTCQX: MIMZF) is pleased to report drill results from seven holes (2,325 metres) recently completed within high-grade Zone 3.5, part of its 100% owned Colomac Gold Project ("Colomac"). Drilling focused on expanding the high-grade mineralization that was intercepted in the Company's 2012 program and which returned several extensive gold intercepts (Table 1). Zone 3.5 lies within the southern portion of the Colomac sill, 2.8 kilometres south-southwest of high-grade Zone 1.5 (Figure 1). Current driling targeted and intersected the northward extension of the zone, highlighted by hole C18-09 which tracked mineralization further down plunge to the north intersecting 68.00 metres of 2.24 grams per tonne gold ("gpt" "Au"), including 32.00 metres of 3.59 gpt Au, and 6.40 metres of 5.70 gpt Au.

HIGHLIGHTS OF DRILLING:

• Hole C18-04 intersected 41.85 metres (10.00 metre true width) of 2.81 gpt Au, including 22.80 metres of 4.04 gpt Au, and 6.15 metres of 5.60 gpt Au;

• Hole C18-06 intersected 71.50 metres (27.00 metre true width) of 1.53 gpt Au, including 23.75 metres of 2.46 gpt Au, and 9.65 metres of 3.58 gpt Au;

• Hole C18-07 intersected 36.50 metres (17.00 metre true width) of 1.84 gpt Au, including 25.75 metres of 2.25 gpt Au, and 16.75 metres of 2.55 gpt Au;

• Hole C18-09 intersected 68.00 metres (19.00 metre true width) of 2.24 gpt Au, including 32.00 metres of 3.59 gpt Au, and 6.40 metres of 5.70 gpt Au – with a further downhole intersection of 31.75 metres (9.00 metre true width) of 2.46 gpt Au, including 13.00 metres of 3.26 gpt Au, and 4.50 metres of 4.34 gpt Au;

• Hole C18-12B intersected 85.50 metres (22.00 metre true width) of 1.15 gpt Au, including 25.50 metres of 2.49 gpt Au, and 9.75 metres of 4.48 gpt Au;

• Confirmation of the steep northern plunge to high-grade Zone 3.5;

• Zone appears to widen at depth to upwards of 80.00 metres true width; and

• Mineralization remains open down plunge, with resource expansion potential to depth

Note: All assays are uncut (see Table 1) Dr. Michael Byron, President and CEO commented, "Zone 3.5 was the first area within the Colomac sill that showed the capacity to host discrete higher-grade domains. Our drill results to-date have confirmed this and demonstrated that the zone shows a high degree of consistency and continuity of mineralization to depth, mimicking in many ways what we have shown to be true for high-grade Zone 1.5.  Our work in both of these areas has delivered a solid understanding of the exploration and resource growth potential that these higher-grade gold domains represent for the Colomac sill, and remain key areas of focus for exploration at Colomac."

Table 1. Zone 3.5 Drill Results (uncut)

Zone 3.5 Nighthawk previously drilled Zone 3.5 in 2012 (see press releases dated August 30, 2012; September 19, 2012; and October 10, 2012), a total of thirteen holes were drilled (4,635 metres) all of which intersected mineralization. The 2012 drilling tested for the existence of a higher-grade zone within the southern portion of the Colomac sill, and explored the zone's continuity of mineralization along strike and to depth. That work established the northward expansion of Zone 3.5 (see press release dated August 20, 2012), and the discovery of another possible higher-grade gold zone plunging to depth beneath Zone 3.0. Results also verified the broadening of Zone 3.5 to the north, and its possible convergence with Zone 3.0. In 2012 Nighthawk drilled one subvertical hole into the core of Zone 3.5 to investigate for possible variations in mineralized quartz vein/stringer density and to test grade continuity.  Hole C12-15 was drilled from the hanging wall of the sill through to the footwall and intersected greater vein densities and higher overall average grades, returning 203.40 meters grading 2.49 gpt Au including higher-grade subintervals of 69.35 meters of 4.12 gpt Au, 25.75 meters of 7.78 g/t gold and 33.85 meters of 3.03 g/t gold, thereby confirming the zone's consistency and high-grade character from surface to a vertical depth of 400 metres (see press release dated October 10, 2012).

The holes reported herein were laid out to better define the dimensions and exploration potential of Zone 3.5, and to infill gaps in near surface drill coverage in the current resource.  Hole C18-04 targeted a void within the southern part of the zone (Figure 1) positioned between historical drill holes that cut shallow mineralization and Nighthawk's 2012 drilling that intersected better mineralization to depth. Hole C18-04 intersected two bands of mineralization, a shallow one to 90 metres vertical depth and a deeper one from 140 metres to 210 metres vertical that returned 41.85 metres of 2.81 gpt Au, including 22.80 metres of 4.04 gpt Au, and 6.15 metres of 5.60 gpt Au, confirming that the gap on this section relates to a non-mineralized quartz gabbro unit lying between a mineralized upper and lower quartz diorite (Figure 2).

Two additional holes were laid out to test the northern extension of the resource gap. Hole C18-06 was collared 40 metres north of C18-04 and hole C18-07 another 45 metres north of C18-06. Hole C18-06 intersected 71.50 metres of 1.53 gpt Au, including 23.75 metres of 2.46 gpt Au, and 9.65 metres of 3.58 gpt Au; and C18-07 intersected 36.50 metres of 1.84 gpt Au, incl