Manhattan Gold Corporation (ASX:MHC) reports first Jaws drilling results from Hook Lake Project
Manhattan Gold Corporation has reported the first assay results from its maiden reverse circulation drilling program at the Jaws gold target within the Hook Lake Project in Nunavut, Canada.
Drillhole JWS26006b returned 41.15m at 4.66g/t Au from 83.82m, including 7.62m at 18.67g/t Au from 85.34m within the main shear zone.
Highlights
JWS26006b returned 41.15m at 4.66g/t Au from 83.82m, including 7.62m at 18.67g/t Au from 85.34m within the main shear zone.
Individual high grade samples from JWS26006b included 1.52m at 33.40g/t Au from 86.87m and 1.52m at 41.0g/t Au from 89.92m.
JWS26002 returned 9.15m at 1.99g/t Au from 153.92m, JWS26003 returned 9.15m at 1.73g/t Au from 35.05m, and JWS26001 returned 79.25m at 0.78g/t Au from 38.10m.
The 2026 RC program has surpassed 3,000m with 13 drillholes completed, with further assays pending and drilling now underway at the Spectre copper zinc volcanogenic massive sulphide target.
The Jaws target is the most advanced prospect within the Hook Lake Project, where diamond drilling was conducted in the late 1980s.
Manhattan Gold said its initial drilling refined the location of the main shear zone, allowing holes including JWS26006b to target the plunging high grade shoots noted in historic data.
The company reported that JWS26006b returned a wider mineralised intercept and higher grade gold values than the historic drillhole at the same section of the shear zone.
Historic hole 133-88-20 returned 22m at 2.41g/t Au from 100m, while JWS26006b returned 41.15m at 4.66g/t Au from 83.82m.
Further drilling has improved the geological model at Jaws, with modern drilling indicating the main shear zone is approximately 20m to 30m northwest of the position inferred from historic records.
The company said this revised geometry is being used to position follow up drilling targeting interpreted cores and shoots, along with stacked vein systems and extensions along strike and at depth.
Gold mineralisation at Jaws occurs within a broad envelope of pervasive silicification in mafic volcanic rocks, with quartz veining and associated arsenopyrite and pyrite.
The company noted that alteration can be intense, producing iron carbonate, silicification and talc rich assemblages.
Manhattan Gold Technical Advisor Eric Sondergaard said the results confirmed high grade shoots within a broader mineralised envelope.
“These are exceptional first results for Manhattan. An intercept of 41.15m at 4.66g/t gold, including 7.62m at 18.67g/t, materially elevates the scale and grade potential of the Jaws system.”
Beyond Jaws, the Hook Lake Project comprises 12 separate prospects covering 665km2 within the Rankin Ennadai greenstone belt.
The project includes additional targets including Quantum, Lotus and Spectre, with Spectre identified as a high grade polymetallic volcanogenic massive sulphide system where historic drilling returned 10.51m at 2.91% Cu, 6.70% Zn, 95.67g/t Ag and 1.04g/t Au.
Manhattan Gold is continuing exploration at Hook Lake, with further RC assays pending and a regional till sampling program commencing to evaluate along strike extensions and high priority targets within the Omega banded iron formation target zone.
The company said till sampling will provide a geochemical dataset across areas including Vesper, Omega and Moonraker, with results to be integrated with structural targets inferred from the completed magnetic survey.