Orford Mining and Wyloo Metals Identify Geophysical Drill Targets on the High-Grade West Raglan Nickel, Copper, Cobalt PGE Property

TORONTO, Dec. 9, 2021 /CNW/ - Orford Mining Corp. ("Orford") (TSXV: ORM) is pleased to provide an update on its 2021 Exploration activities on the high-grade West Raglan Nickel-PGE property. The 2021 exploration season was completed in July and August 2021 and focused on ground geophysical moving loop electromagnetic surveys (MLTEM) and geochemical surveys to aid in identifying drill targets for 2022. Ongoing analysis of the results from the 67 line-km geophysical survey has identified several high-conductance anomalies consistent with possible nickel sulphide sources.  Prospecting in previously unworked portions of the property has discovered additional untested nickel sulphide mineralized ultramafic bodies that may become targets for future geophysical surveying.

Figure 1: Summary of 2021 West Raglan Work with Historical Results Highlighted (CNW Group/Orford Mining Corporation)

In January 2021, Orford Mining Corporation (Orford) (TSX-V: ORM) announced it had reached a definitive agreement with Wyloo Metals Pty Ltd (Wyloo Metals) for a $25.0 million earn-in and joint venture over Orford's 100% owned West Raglan property (the "Property") in Nunavik, Quebec. The West Raglan property is a camp scale, advanced Ni-Cu-Co-PGE exploration property covering an area of 71,301 hectares (731 km²) over the same belt that hosts the Raglan and Canadian Royalties mines to the east. Exploration to date has identified high-grade Ni-Cu-Co-PGE mineralization across more than 35 km strike of the 50 km West Raglan Project. Historically, six significant discoveries have been made on the Property with the best results being from the Frontier Zone. The Frontier Zone contains five high grade mineralized lens clusters over a 2,500 meter strike with grades in the range of 2-3% Nickel, 1% copper and 2+gpt PGE (Table 1) including a drill intersection of 28.3 m grading 3.2% Ni,1.32% Cu, 2.4 g/t and 0.7 g/t Pt at the Seahawk Zone.    

David Christie, President and CEO of Orford commented "The summer of 2021, marked the start of Wyloo's earn-in to Orford's West Raglan project, and the first significant program on that project in years. We believe the geophysical, geochemical and geological work completed in 2021 have yielded promising drill targets for the 2022 exploration program to tackle."

The 2021 work program focused on ground MLTEM using very sensitive SQUID sensors at Frontier, Red, Beverly and Boomerang along the North Trend and highly prospective portions of the South Trend. The use of SQUID TDEM at Raglan in the early 2000s increased exploration success by 58% while targeting 2.5 times deeper². This method has not previously been applied on the West Raglan property. From the 67 line kilometers of SQUID MLTEM survey a total of 392 responses have been modelled, to date 85 have been reviewed in detail and 15 have been identified as potential drill targets for the 2022 exploration season. The remaining responses will be reviewed over the next months.

Prospecting and mapping consisting of traversing and observations at 400 mapping field stations focused on the south trend group of rocks.  1902 frost boils were analyzed via portable XRF upon collection and several new Ni and Cu anomalies in frost boils have been identified (Figure 1).  80 rock grab samples have also been collected across the south trend and, while all lab assays result are presently outstanding, field observations have identified several new nickel sulphide occurrences in ultramafic rocks on the south trend Figure 1.

Note that grab samples are selective by nature and values reported may not be representative of mineralized zones. All drilling intervals are down-hole lengths. True thicknesses cannot be estimated with available information. The technical information presented for the Ekwan part of the West Raglan property was obtained from historical work reports filed with the Quebec Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and has not been independently verified by a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43- 101

Table 1: Highlights of Drill Intersections of the Frontier Zone

Zone	DDH No.	From (m)	To (m)	Width (m)	Ni (%)	Cu (%)	Pt (g/t)	Pd (g/t)
Seahawk	WR-08-164	141.85	170.13	28.28	3.21	1.32	0.650	2.430
Frontier South	WR-03-08	16.00	35.00	19.00	2.51	0.96	0.691	2.379
Frontier East	WR-03-13	41.80	48.40	6.60	2.65	1.02	0.399	1.652
Frontier Central	WR-03-14	20.75	29.50	8.75	3.26	1.40	0.949	3.219
South/ Century	WR-07-128	217.20	222.50	5.30	3.28	0.56	0.442	1.766
Century	WR-08-149	132.20	136.73	4.53	3.01	1.21	0.530	2.130

Note: These intersections are some of the most significant, but not necessarily representative of the whole mineralized zones. All drilling intervals are down-hole lengths. True thicknesses cannot be estimated with available information.

To-date we have not received any of surface grab sample analysis results from the assay lab.  In general we would estimate that sample analysis turn around is at least 3 times longer than normal due to heightened global exploration activity.

About the West Raglan Property

The West Raglan property (Figure 1) is a large 731 km² property situated in the Cape Smith Belt in the Nunavik Region of northern Quebec. West Raglan Ni, Cu, PGE, Co mineralization is hosted in the ultramafic units of the Lac Esker Suite (1.89-1.87 Ga). These ultramafic units host all known nickel sulphide mineralization in the Cape Smith Belt, including Glencore's Raglan mine (North Trend) and the Canadian Royalties, Nunavik Nickel mine hosted on the South Trend. The West Raglan property covers a 50-km strike of both the "North" trend, that hosts Raglan- style deposits, and the "South" Trend, that hosts Canadian Royalties-style deposits. Raglan is a first quartile cash cost nickel producer with one of the highest grade reserves amongst significant global nickel deposits (Proven and Probable Reserves as of December 2019 of 10.39 million tonnes at 2.81% Ni, 0.77% Cu, 0.83 g/t Pt, 2.03 g/t Pd and 0.06% Co¹). Information from neighbouring properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on Orford Mining's properties.

Historical work on Orford's West Raglan property has improved the geological knowledge and understanding of the area, and has led to the identification of multiple Ni-Cu-PGE mineralized lenses in several zones of the Frontier area, all located along the main Chukotat-Povungnituk contact. Examples of drill hole intersections from the Frontier Zone are shown in (Table 1)

A review of the geological and geophysical data in the Frontier area suggests that portions of the area remain almost untested and still have the potential for additional Ni-Cu-PGE discoveries. More recent exploration work completed in 2015 has also highlighted surface Ni- Cu-PGE mineralization in other areas such as Red, Boomerang, and Beverly (Figure 1) along the north (Raglan) trend. The West Raglan property also covers the south group of rocks which hosts the Canadian Royalties deposits to the east. This part of the West Raglan property is largely unexplored, however minimal past work has identified high grade nickel and copper mineralization in grab samples (Figure 1).

^1	Glencore Resources and Reserves Report as of Dec 31st, 2019
^2	Osmond et al, 2002, Finding Nickel from the B-Field at Raglan – 'To B or not dB', SEG Technical Program

About Orford Mining Corporation

Orford Mining is a gold explorer focused on highly prospective and underexplored areas of Northern Quebec. Orford's principal assets are located in two areas the Cape Smith Belt in the Nunavik region and the Joutel region of the Abitibi district. The Qiqavik and West Raglan projects comprise a land package totaling over 105,000 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 50 km mineralized trend. Orford has acquired four property positions (Joutel – Eagle, McClure East, Joutel - South and Joutel – Omega) totaling 26,815 hectares 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 the Orford's Projects please visit Orford's website, www.orfordmining.com.

About Wyloo Metals

Wyloo Metals is the metals and mining subsidiary of Tattarang, one of Australia's largest private investment groups. Led by a multidisciplinary team of geology and financial professionals, Wyloo Metals manages a diverse portfolio of exploration and development projects and cornerstone interests in a number of public and private companies. Wyloo Metals seeks to work closely with all stakeholders to accelerate projects through the development cycle while meeting the highest international environmental, social and governance standards.

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 historical information disclosed herein in respect of the West Raglan Property is based on the independent report of Clement Dombrowski, P.Geo. titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on West Raglan Project, Northern Quebec, Canada" effective February 20, 2017.

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