ORFORD EXPANDS NUNAVIK LITHIUM PROPERTIES AROUND LITHIUM BEARING PEGMATITE DISCOVERIES

TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2023 /CNW/ - Orford Mining Corporation ("Orford") (TSXV: ORM) is pleased to announce that it has increased its Nunavik Lithium land package by 39 km² or 8%, expanding properties that are confirmed to host Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum ("LCT") pegmatites (Figure 1).  Orford's total lithium exploration land package in Nunavik is now 596 km². Assay results from the recently completed exploration program on these properties (Figure 1) confirmed the occurrence of LCT bearing pegmatites, specifically on the Cathode, kWatt and Flare properties (see Orford's news release of October 4, 2023). These three properties were expanded as a result of these discoveries and will provide additional exploration and discovery potential for lithium bearing pegmatites in an area where LCT bearing pegmatites have already been confirmed. The 2024 exploration program will be focused on these highly prospective areas.  

Figure 1: Map of additional claims added to the Nunavik Lithium Properties proximal to 2023 LCT discoveries. (CNW Group/Orford Mining Corporation)

David Christie, President and CEO of Orford commented, "Orford has secured additional ground around what we believe are the pegmatites with the best chemistry for potential lithium deposits.  This expanded ground will be a focus of future work on the Nunavik Lithium Properties.  Orford will also continue to complete further exploration on the other properties in Nunavik."

The Nunavik Lithium Properties are 100% owned by Orford and have never been explored before for any economic minerals, including lithium. These properties are within 150 km of the Deception Bay deep seaport and as close as 10 km from the port, in the case of Cathode and Torque. 

The 2023 Field Season Confirmed Greenfield Lithium Pegmatite Vectors:

• Regional metamorphic grade: upper greenschist / lower amphibolite.
• Occurrence of peraluminous granite and leucogranite on Orford's Nunavik Lithium Properties.
• Key minerals identified in pegmatite indicative of proximity to fertile parent granite:
  • green muscovite (+/- garnet, tourmaline, fluorite).
• Assays indicate pegmatites are enriched in lithium, beryllium, tantalum, cesium, and rubidium.
• LCT-bearing pegmatites on at least three properties (Figure 1, Table 1) suggests high prospectivity for additional dykes.
• Opportunity to generate additional targets and provide geochemical vector towards mineralization (more fractionated LCTs) using till assay data (results outstanding).

An additional 550 till (frost boil) samples have been collected on the Radiant, kWatt and Wire properties to possibly identify "blind" LCT pegmatite which are not exposed at surface. Till assays results are expected by the end of November and may identify additional targets for follow up. The till sampling was done in areas where there are strong lithium anomalies in lake bottom sediment sample surveys completed by the Quebec government survey previously.

About Orford Mining Corporation

Orford Mining is a gold and critical mineral explorer focused on highly prospective and underexplored areas of Northern Quebec. Orford's principal assets are the Qiqavik, West Raglan and lithium exploration projects comprising a land package totaling over 111,000 hectares in the Cape Smith Belt of Northern Quebec. The Qiqavik Project hosts several new high-grade gold discoveries along a mineralized trend in excess of 40 km. The West Raglan Project hosts a number of high-grade Raglan-style nickel/copper/platinum group metal discoveries along a 55 km mineralized trend. In early 2023 Orford acquired large claim blocks targeting lithium in the Nunavik Region. These lithium claim blocks have been carefully selected as having promising lithium potential after an exhaustive compilation of available data. Orford also has four property positions in the Joutel region of the Abitibi District of Northern Quebec, which hosts historical deposits such as the Eagle/Telbel, Joutel Copper, Poirier Copper, and Vezza deposits. Orford continually seeks new gold exploration opportunities in North America. Orford's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ORM. This information from neighbouring properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on Orford Mining's properties.

To view further details about Orford's exploration projects please visit Orford's website, www.orfordmining.com.

Qualified Person

The disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Alger St-Jean, P.Geo., Chief Geoscientist of Orford, a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. The technical information presented in this release that was obtained from historical work reports filed with the Quebec Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has not been independently verified by a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

Orford's  field sample shipments were sealed and shipped to AGAT Laboratories, Val-d'Or, Québec. All assays reported for the grab samples were obtained by standard sodium peroxide fusion method with an ICP-OES/ICP-MS finish (methods 201-378) at AGAT Laboratories, Mississauga, Ontario. Standards and blanks were inserted at a minimum rate of 5% for grab samples for QA/QC purposes in addition to those inserted by the lab. A subset of samples has not yet been sent for a verification assay at another lab. AGAT Laboratories are accredited by the Standards Council of Canada and found to comply with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:201 

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" including without limitation statements relating to the liquidity and capital resources of Orford and potential of one or more of the Qiqavik, and West Raglan, properties. 

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Orford to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Orford's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Although Orford has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Orford disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

SOURCE Orford Mining Corporation

David Christie, President and CEO, 2 St. Clair Avenue West, 18th Floor, Toronto, ON M4V 1L5, T: 647-255-8037 www.orfordmining.com; Renmark Financial Communications Inc., James McFarland: [email protected], Tel: [phone] or [phone], www.renmarkfinancial.com