RNC Minerals Announces Continued Strong Gold Results From Infill and Exploration Drilling at Beta Hunt Mine and Provides Tolling Update

Multiple intersections > 5 g/t, including true width of 8.8 m of 8.48 g/t at A Zone, and 23.4 m of 3.03 g/t and 19.1 m of 3.94 g/t at Western Flanks

TORONTO, Sept. 5, 2017 /CNW/ - RNC Minerals (TSX: RNX) ("RNC") announces additional positive infill and exploration drilling results at its Beta Hunt Mine in Western Australia.

"These drilling results highlight Beta Hunt's massive exploration potential, which we are just beginning to unlock with the help of a second diamond drill added at the end of June. The infill and exploration results in each zone have strong thicknesses and grades, and will underpin our efforts to continue to improve mined grades. A further 2,000 metres of drilling results are pending, and we expect to complete an additional 15,000 metres of drilling by year end. During the month of August, we also completed our first toll under our lower cost tolling arrangement with Westgold. We continue to see improved grades in our most recent tolls, and look forward to continued quarter-over-quarter improvement." said Mark Selby, President and CEO of RNC.

Highlights of the 68 holes (total of more than 6,900 metres) drilled since RNC's news release dated June 26, 2017 include:

• 232 intersections greater than 5 g/t gold
• 74 intersections greater than 10 g/t gold
• 23 intersections greater than 20 g/t gold

A Zone Results

Infill drilling of 31 holes was completed (total of 2,166 metres) from the next levels in A Zone, yielding multiple thick, higher grade intersections, significantly wider than the true thicknesses that are being mined today. Drilling highlights from A Zone are outlined below in Table 1a (See Table 2 for full assay results):

Table 1a: Highlights from A Zone Infill Drilling

		Downhole	Downhole	Interval	True Width^1	Gold^2
		From (m)	To (m)	(m)	(m)	g/t
AZ13-048		67.00	78.20	11.20	10.56	4.12
AZ13-050		68.00	73.00	5.00	4.91	10.99
	including	70.20	71.85	1.65	1.62	30.81
AZ13-056		73.50	81.00	7.50	7.11	4.07
AZ13-058		88.00	100.25	12.25	10.85	5.38
	including	98.00	100.25	2.25	1.99	13.91
AZ13-061		102.00	108.00	6.00	5.46	7.94
	including	105.50	107.00	1.50	1.37	22.87
	and	141.18	148.94	7.76	7.02	6.05
	including	141.18	142.20	1.02	0.92	36.60
AZ13-063		25.00	31.00	6.00	3.76	7.36
	including	28.80	29.50	0.70	0.44	38.01
	and	43.90	63.75	19.85	12.34	3.39
	including	50.50	56.00	5.50	3.42	7.15
AZ13-069		27.00	32.00	5.00	3.42	8.57
AZ13-077		22.00	32.00	10.00	8.77	8.48
	including	22.00	27.20	5.20	4.56	12.87
AZ13-081		21.00	30.40	9.40	8.93	4.08
AZ13-087		19.00	33.00	14.00	13.29	5.67
	including	19.00	26.90	7.90	7.50	8.70

1.	Estimated true width.
2.	All gold assays uncut.

Western Flanks Results

15 infill and 4 exploration holes (totaling 2,243 metres) in Western Flanks continue to show strong results, including very thick intersections in holes WF18-044 of true width of 23.4 metres of 3.03 g/t and WF18-015 of 19.1 metres of 3.94 g/t. Both holes contain high grade intersections in excess of 5 g/t. Drilling highlights in Western Flanks are outlined below in Table 1b (See Table 2 for full assay results):

Table 1b: Highlights from Western Flanks Infill and Exploration Drilling

		Downhole	Downhole	Interval	True Width^1	Gold^2
		From (m)	To (m)	(m)	(m)	g/t
Infill
WF18-018		15.20	20.00	4.80	3.86	5.49
WF18-021		25.00	30.50	5.50	3.78	10.30
	including	28.00	29.00	1.00	0.69	18.80
WF18-044		66.60	90.00	23.40	23.40	3.03
	including	85.13	90.00	4.87	4.87	5.26
	and	97.00	103.00	6.00	6.00	5.38
WF18-053		62.55	73.40	10.85	9.74	3.49
WF18-058		60.00	65.35	5.35	5.23	4.37
	including	64.70	65.35	0.65	0.63	12.40
Exploration
WF18-015		165.00	190.00	25.00	19.1	3.94
	including	187.00	190.00	3.00	2.29	6.04
WF18-030		133.00	136.00	3.00	1.80	4.17
WF18-031		134.00	139.00	5.00	3.12	12.82

1.	Estimated true width.
2.	All gold assays uncut.

A Zone Extension

Infill and exploration drilling of 18 holes (totaling 2,494 metres) in the A Zone Extension areas yielded several intersections in excess of 5 g/t. The first set of exploration holes yielded only a few narrower intersections.  Drilling highlights at A Zone Extension are outlined below in Table 1c (See Table 2 for full assay results):

Table 1c: Highlights from A Zone Extension Infill Drilling

		Downhole	Downhole	Interval	True Width^1	Gold^2
		From (m)	To (m)	(m)	(m)	g/t
WFE17-10		65.15	72.00	6.85	6.27	3.38
	and	90.00	91.00	1.00	0.92	12.00
WFE17-20		73.00	82.00	9.00	8.94	5.39
	including	79.60	82.00	2.40	2.39	12.04
	and	98.92	104.00	5.08	5.05	6.86
	including	99.40	101.00	1.60	1.59	12.81
WFE17-24		18.00	22.99	4.99	3.92	8.01
	including	18.00	19.10	1.10	0.86	13.87
	Including	22.00	22.99	0.99	0.78	15.00

1.	Estimated true width.
2.	All gold assays uncut.

RNC is running two diamond drills at Beta Hunt to support infill and exploration drilling plans. Results will continue to be released as assays become available and will be utilized to update resource models. 

Tolling Update

RNC successfully completed two tolls during August, including the first toll under new lower cost tolling agreement at Westgold's Jubilee Mill. The second toll at Jubilee is now underway and RNC expects to toll approximately 185kt of material during the third quarter, nearly double the 98kt milled during the second quarter, and with continued improvement in grades, milled ounces sold are expected to be more than double the ounces milled during the second quarter. 

Table 2: Beta Hunt Infill and Exploration results since June 26, 2017 news release (Kambalda Nickel Operations Mine Grid)

Drill Hole	Easting	Northing	Elevation	Dip  deg)	Azimuth (deg)	Depth (m)	From (m)	To (m)	Length (m)	True Width^1 (m)	Gold^2 (g/t)
A ZONE INFILL
AZ13-048	374469	544543	-150	-16	354	84	44.00	46.00	2.00	1.89	3.48
						and	67.00	78.20	11.20	10.56	4.12
AZ13-050	374469	544543	-150	-7	357	81	68.00	73.00	5.00	4.91	10.99
AZ13-051	374469	544543	-151	-36	359	93	78.80	82.00	3.20	2.57	2.36
AZ13-052	374469	544543	-150	-26	4	81	33.70	42.00	8.30	7.43	2.79
						and	61.40	65.40	4.00	3.57	2.14
AZ13-053	374470	544543	-151	-13	18	69	34.00	36.20	2.20	2.14	2.65
						and	42.00	44.30	2.30	2.23	6.22
						and	53.60	57.90	4.30	4.17	2.92
AZ13-054	374469	544543	-151	-39	21	75	61.90	65.59	3.69	2.88	2.48
AZ13-055	374470	544544	-150	-19	43	62	27.45	30.00	2.55	2.40	7.46
						and	35.75	37.90	2.15	2.02	2.69
						and	44.00	46.10	2.10	1.97	2.18
						and	54.00	56.15	2.15	2.02	2.25
AZ13-056	374473	544536	-150	-17	76	87	42.00	45.45	3.45	3.27	3.61
						and	68.00	81.00	13.00	12.29	3.52
AZ13-057	374472	544535	-151	-46	74	99	80.00	82.00	2.00	1.40	2.04
						and	91.20	93.25	2.05	1.44	3.87
AZ13-058	374473	544535	-150	-27	92	105	88.00	100.25	12.25	10.85	5.38
AZ13-061	374473	544535	-150	-22	108	162	102.00	108.00	6.00	5.46	7.94
						and	116.30	118.83	2.53	2.29	2.33
						and	130.22	136.27	6.05	5.48	3.32
						and	141.18	150.00	8.82	7.97	5.36
AZ13-062	374582	544472	-153	-23	5	44	22.00	27.00	5.00	4.59	4.01
						and	31.00	34.00	3.00	2.75	2.05
AZ13-063	374582	544471	-154	-51	5	66	25.00	31.00	6.00	3.76	7.36
						and	38.00	40.70	2.70	1.68	2.00
						and	43.90	63.75	19.85	12.34	3.39
AZ13-065	374583	544470	-153	-31	46	66	28.00	30.00	2.00	1.70	3.34
						and	45.00	47.00	2.00	1.69	3.82
AZ13-066	374582	544471	-153	-52	46	60	27.00	42.00	15.00	9.42	2.09
						and	53.00	57.00	4.00	2.51	5.26
AZ13-068	374584	544470	-153	-22	82	65	31.85	35.55	3.70	3.40	5.58
						and	42.00	50.00	8.00	7.35	2.72
						and	57.85	60.00	2.15	1.97	4.14
AZ13-069	374584	544470	-154	-47	82	66	27.00	37.45	10.45	7.15	5.09
						and	43.00	46.90	3.90	2.65	3.09
						and	55.00	57.10	2.10	1.43	4.72
AZ13-071	374615	544444	-153	-17	46	60	31.00	33.00	2.00	1.91	4.24
						and	42.60	45.80	3.20	3.05	2.24
						and	56.80	60.00	3.20	3.05	3.87
AZ13-072	374615	544444	-153	-42	45	69	15.00	17.60	2.60	1.91	5.60
						and	30.00	41.82	11.82	8.67	2.35
						and	55.90	59.00	3.10	2.27	2.71
AZ13-073	374615	544443	-154	-64	46	57	28.00	30.00	2.00	0.88	4.56
						and	37.00	39.00	2.00	0.88	4.06
						and	42.27	45.00	2.73	1.20	2.39
						and	52.00	54.00	2.00	0.88	5.32
AZ13-074	374647	544418	-153	-20	8	69	21.00	33.00	12.00	11.10	2.35
						and	42.00	44.00	2.00	1.85	2.26
						and	59.00	61.00	2.00	1.84	2.96

Drill Hole	Easting	Northing	Elevation	Dip (deg)	Azimuth (deg)	Depth (m)	From (m)	To (m)	Length (m)	True Width^1(m)	Gold^2 (g/t)
AZ13-075	374647	544418	-153	-45	8	50	24.00	26.00	2.00	1.41	2.35
						and	32.80	36.00	3.20	2.26	5.03
						and	41.00	43.00	2.00	1.42	2.43
AZ13-076	374646	544417	-153	-67	6	84	39.00	41.00	2.00	0.80	3.36
						and	52.00	54.15	2.15	0.86	2.52
						and	68.00	70.00	2.00	0.80	2.17
AZ13-077	374647	544418	-153	-28	44	45	18.09	37.00	18.91	16.57	5.61
AZ13-080	374671	544395	-149	41	54	48	25.00	27.25	2.25	1.74	2.57
						and	33.00	35.00	2.00	1.55	4.35
AZ13-081	374671	544395	-151	21	54	42	21.00	32.00	10.99	10.44	3.86
AZ13-082	374648	544417	-153	-21	86	51	35.00	38.00	3.00	2.76	3.50
						and	43.00	45.00	2.00	1.84	9.05
AZ13-085	374671	544395	-151	49	75	52	33.15	35.20	2.05	1.44	2.14
						and	37.75	41.10	3.35	2.35	2.58
AZ13-087	374671	544395	-152	-17	64	42	19.00	33.00	14.00	13.29	5.67
AZ13-089	374671	544395	-153	-70	51	81	49.00	60.00	11.00	4.01	2.47
						and	63.90	79.00	15.10	5.54	3.95
AZ13-092	374671	544395	-152	-26	92	51	6.00	8.00	2.00	4.50	4.63
						and	18.00	20.30	2.30	2.00	2.12
						and	32.00	34.00	2.00	4.30	4.48
WESTERN FLANKS ZONE INFILL
WF18-016	375134	543671	-323	18	231	50	15.55	17.60	2.05	1.93	3.27
						and	37.00	40.40	3.40	3.20	3.45
WF18-017	375134	543670	-325	-11	231	57	14.00	17.25	3.25	3.19	2.62
WF18-018	375134	543670	-325	2	231	48	12.20	20.00	7.80	6.27	4.16
						and	24.00	27.30	3.30	2.64	3.55
						and	45.85	49.00	3.15	2.52	4.27
WF18-019	375134	543670	-325	-51	231	78	29.75	41.80	12.05	5.87	4.09
WF18-021	375144	543662	-325	-49	226	54	22.00	30.50	8.50	5.84	7.56
						and	45.55	48.00	2.45	1.67	6.07
WF18-023	375155	543654	-324	-17	186	57	23.00	25.00	2.00	1.94	3.03
						and	49.00	52.00	3.00	2.90	4.88
WF18-024	375155	543655	-325	-43	186	60	42.80	45.00	2.20	1.65	3.22
						and	51.00	56.00	5.00	3.74	3.08
WF18-026	375144	543662	-325	-23	226	39	10.00	13.00	3.00	2.81	2.97
						and	28.90	31.00	2.10	1.98	2.02
WF18-027	375158	543655	-325	-1	212	96	72.00	74.00	2.00	1.77	3.23
						and	89.00	91.00	2.00	1.77	2.39
WF18-032	375007	543864	-305	-18	189	128	91.40	99.00	7.60	4.70	2.97
WF18-037	375005	543865	-305	-8	215	105	37.00	39.00	2.00	1.98	3.09
						and	64.00	70.35	6.35	6.29	4.34
						and	75.10	78.00	2.90	2.88	4.88
WF18-044	374951	543930	-317	-2	198	147	53.00	55.00	2.00	2.00	3.72
						and	66.60	90.00	23.40	23.40	3.03
						and	97.00	108.00	11.00	10.99	4.16
						and	113.00	115.00	2.00	2.00	4.82
						and	118.50	122.00	3.50	3.50	4.99
WF18-053	374949	543932	-315	25	246	123	62.55	65.00	2.45	2.20	6.85
						and	70.70	73.40	2.70	2.42	6.68
WF18-054	374949	543932	-317	5	245	153	50.00	54.30	4.30	4.29	2.38
						and	58.00	67.25	9.25	9.22	3.16
						and	115.65	118.00	2.35	2.34	5.08
WF18-058	374948	543932	-316	13	258	134	60.00	66.75	6.75	6.60	3.89
						and	131.00	134.50	3.50	3.42	4.09
WESTERN FLANKS ZONE EXPLORATION
Drill Hole	Easting	Northing	Elevation	Dip (deg)	Azimuth deg)	Depth (m)	From (m)	To (m)	Length (m)	True Width^1 (m)	Gold^2 (g/t)
WF18-015	375131	543746	-308	-40	273	255	165.00	190.00	25.00	19.10	3.94
WF18-029	375131	543744	-308	-55	273	221	207.00	211.90	4.90	2.69	3.19
WF18-030	375131	543744	-308	-52	232	219	108.00	110.00	2.00	1.20	2.08
						and	133.00	136.00	3.00	1.80	4.17
						and	143.00	145.00	2.00	1.20	2.56
WF18-031	375131	543744	-308	-51	207	219	134.00	139.00	5.00	3.12	12.82
						and	154.00	156.10	2.10	1.32	5.31
A ZONE EXTENSION INFILL
WFE17-08	375223	543668	-296	-28	5	150	23.00	25.00	2.00	1.76	2.63
						and	43.00	45.00	2.00	1.75	4.33
						and	105.30	107.45	2.15	1.84	2.17
WFE17-09	375224	543668	-295	0	15	135	14.00	17.00	3.00	3.00	2.02
						and	89.00	91.00	2.00	2.00	6.39
WFE17-10	375224	543667	-296	-21	66	113	65.15	72.00	6.85	6.27	3.38
						and	87.00	91.00	4.00	3.64	3.56
						and	99.00	101.00	2.00	1.81	3.61
WFE17-11	375224	543668	-295	2	5	105	29.45	31.80	2.35	2.35	3.27
WFE17-12	375224	543668	-296	2	66	117	6.00	9.00	3.00	2.99	2.56
WFE17-20	375225	543665	-296	0	93	143	10.60	13.00	2.40	2.40	2.19
						and	73.00	76.15	3.15	3.14	6.10
						and	79.60	82.00	2.40	2.39	12.04
						and	98.92	104.00	5.08	5.05	6.86
WFE17-21	375224	543666	-296	-38	84	135	20.00	22.00	2.00	1.57	2.98
						and	90.00	92.30	2.30	1.79	5.20
WFE17-22	375224	543666	-296	-21	84	120		No Significant Intersections
WFE17-23	375224	543666	-296	-32	75	117		No Significant Intersections
WFE17-24	375224	543666	-296	-38	68	129	18.00	22.99	4.99	3.92	8.01
						and	47.00	49.60	2.60	2.04	2.03
WFE17-25	375224	543666	-296	-46	32	120	43.10	45.10	2.00	1.40	2.90
						and	99.00	102.00	3.00	2.10	3.88
WFE17-26	375224	543666	-296	-27	27	122	76.20	78.40	2.20	1.94	2.52
						and	86.00	88.00	2.00	1.77	2.72
A ZONE EXTENSION EXPLORATION
WFE17-27	375043	543884	-304	3	48	150		No Significant Intersections
WFE17-28	375043	543884	-302	25	48	162		No Significant Intersections
WFE17-29	375044	543882	-302	25	90	192		No Significant Intersections
WFE17-30	375044	543883	-304	3	90	149		No Significant Intersections
WFE17-31	375042	543885	-304	3	13	165	88.95	91.00	2.05	2.05	2.90
WFE17-33	375043	543883	-305	-45	69	171	71.65	74.00	2.35	1.65	4.49

1.	Estimated true width.
2.	All gold assays uncut.

Compliance Statement (JORC 2012 and NI 43-101)
The technical information in this news release relating to results at the Beta Hunt Mine is based on information reviewed by Steve Devlin, who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr. Devlin is a full time employee of Salt Lake Mining Pty Ltd and has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results".

Drill core sampling was conducted by SLM personnel. Samples are shipped to SGS Mineral Services of Kalgoorlie for preparation and assaying by 50 gram fire assay analytical method. First sample of each sample submission incorporates a barren rock sample as a flush to clean the lab crusher and pulveriser and as a check for contamination. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of insertion of additional blank material and certified standards. The lab is also required to undertake a minimum of 1 in 20 wet screens on pulverised samples to ensure a minimum 90% passing at -75µm. 

The disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Alger St-Jean, P. Geo., Vice President Exploration of RNC and Kevin Small, Director, Mining Operations of RNC, both Qualified Persons under NI 43-101.

About RNC
RNC is a multi-asset mineral resource company with a portfolio of gold and base metal production and exploration properties. RNC's principal assets are the producing Beta Hunt gold and nickel mine in Western Australia, a 50% interest in a nickel joint venture with Waterton that holds the Dumont Nickel Project in the Abitibi region of Quebec, and a 30% stake in the producing Reed Mine in the Flin Flon-Snow Lake region of Manitoba, Canada. RNC also owns a majority interest in the West Raglan and Qiqavik projects in Northern Quebec. RNC has a strong management team and Board with over 100 years of mining experience at Inco and Falconbridge. RNC's common shares trade on the TSX under the symbol RNX. RNC shares also trade on the OTCQX market under the symbol RNKLF.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" including without limitation statements relating to the liquidity and capital resources of RNC, production guidance and the potential of the Beta Hunt Mine.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of RNC 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, projected cash costs, 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 RNC's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Although RNC 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 RNC 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.

SOURCE RNC Minerals

Rob Buchanan, Director, Investor Relations, T: [phone], www.rncminerals.com

Related Links

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