Athena Discovers New High-Grade Gold Showings and Submits Drill Permits for Laird Lake Project in Ontario's Red Lake Gold Camp
Executive Summary
- Athena Gold reported a surface gold discovery at the new Rigby showing on its Laird Lake project, with assay results up to 20.8 g/t Au over a >40 m strike length that remains open in both directions.
- Additional anomalous gold was identified at the Nemo and Hugo targets, confirming broader mineralization potential across the property.
- The company announced plans for a ~5,000 m drill program slated for Q1 2026 to test multiple geophysical and geological targets, including Generation 1 & 2 controls and conductive anomalies (G1‑G6).
Key Details
- Rigby Showing:
- 12 grab samples collected; 8 > 1 g/t Au, 5 > 10 g/t Au.
- Highest assay: 20.8 g/t Au from quartz‑pyrite veins within a ~1 m‑wide sheared mafic volcanic host.
-
Mineralization traced >40 m strike, open both north and south.
-
Other Targets:
- Bounty Zone: 109 samples; max 20.8 g/t Au (same as Rigby).
- Nemo Zone: 97 samples; 6 > 0.1 g/t Au, max 0.853 g/t Au.
-
Hugo Zone: 16 samples; 2 > 0.1 g/t Au, max 0.112 g/t Au.
-
Drill Program (Q1 2026):
- Planned length: ~5,000 m.
- Targets include Generation 1 (east‑west replacement style) and Generation 2 (northeast‑oriented cross‑cutting structures).
-
Focus on conductive bodies G1‑G6 identified from SkyTEM magnetic/EM surveys; potential for critical minerals (Cu, Ni, PGEs) will also be assayed.
-
QA/QC Procedures:
- Samples flagged, GPS‑recorded, dried at 60 °C, sieved to 2 mm, split to 250 g.
-
Analyses: Aqua Regia ICP‑OES/MS (25 g), FA‑AAS (50 g); >10 g/t Au samples fire‑assayed.
-
Management Comment:
- CEO Koby Kushner highlighted the rapid progression from till anomalies to high‑grade surface hits within 100 m of road access and indicated discussions with drill contractors for the maiden program.
Notable Quotes
“We are pleased to see our continued exploration efforts at Laird bear fruit, with new high‑grade gold occurrences found within only 100 m of the road… With a solid mix of geochemical and geophysical targets, we've begun discussions with several local drill contractors to prepare for our maiden drill program, expected to take place in early 2026.” – Koby Kushner, President & CEO
All technical information reviewed and approved by Benjamin Kuzmich, P.Geo., VP Exploration (Qualified Person under NI 43‑101).