Western Gold Reports Exploration Progress at its Stronchullin Prospect in the Knapdale District of Argyll, Scotland

TSX Venture: WGLD

NORTH BERWICK, Scotland, Sept. 10, 2021 /CNW/ - WESTERN GOLD EXPLORATION LTD. (TSXV: WGLD) (the "Company") is pleased to provide an exploration update for its 2021 drilling program at its Stronchullin prospect, which is a sub-property located within the 3,253-hectare Knapdale Property, located in the Knapdale District of Argyll, Scotland, that the Company holds mineral mining rights and surface access rights within.  This 2021 drilling program is a follow up to scout drilling completed in 2017-2018 and deep overburden (DOB) geochemical surveys undertaken in 2020 (see the Company's 2 December 2020 and 6 May 2021 press releases).

Highlights of the 2021 drilling program (Tables 1 and 2)

• Intersection in SD20-13 of 19.20 g/t gold + 1.19 g/t silver over 1.00m (true width ~0.80m) from 88.15m. The area extending north of SD20-13 for 250m towards hole SD20-12 is still regarded as a priority area for development of high-grade quartz-gold-base metal veins with the highest ranked DOB gold and base metal anomaly remaining untested.
• Extension of quartz-gold-base metal vein mineralisation from hole SD17-6 to hole SD20-14 was confirmed with an intersection of 12.20 g/t gold + 20.4 g/t silver accompanied by highly anomalous base metal values over 1.00m (true width ~0.80m) from 56.90m. DOB sampling defined a subdued gold-bismuth anomaly which indicates a possible continuation of the vein system for 150-200m south of SD20-14. Combined with 2017-2018 drilling, 3 out of the 4 holes completed in the southern portion of Stronchullin, SD17-6, SD20-13 and SD20-14 intersected high grade (>10g/t) gold veins and the potential strike length of the inferred contiguous mineralized vein system south from hole SD20-12 is approximately 900m.
• Drilling to date in the immediate vicinity of the historic Stronchullin gold mine has confirmed continuity of the lode structure over a strike length of 100m and over a 100m vertical interval, however gold and base metal mineralization is erratically developed.

The results help support the Company's understanding of the Knapdale area. It now intends to review all the Stronchullin data from the current and previous campaigns, including from the recent geochemical surveys. Once this has been completed it will update shareholders with future activities. The Company expects to announce the next stage of its activity at its adjacent Gossan Burn prospects within the Knapdale Property.

Significant assay results are presented in Table 1 below. 

Table 1: Significant Drilling Intersections from the 2021 Drilling Program – Applying a 1g/t Au cutoff

Hole No	From	To	Interval	True Width	Au g/t	Ag g/t	Cu ppm	Pb ppm	Zn ppm	As ppm	Sb ppm
SD20-8	112.0m	114.0m	2.00m	1.70m	2.08	0.17	28	138	187	14	0.6
	138.45	139.7m	1.25m	1.06m	4.63	14.3	1190	2910	188	73	161
SD20-10	51.80m	52.40m	0.60m	0.51m	1.50	1.32	9	3930	3160	79	958
	61.65m	62.15m	0.50m	0.43m	1.20	1.61	167	1960	2750	61	269
SD20-11	103.0m	104.5m	1.50m	1.28m	1.21	1.49	19	2040	463	100	321
SD20-12	31.60m	32.40m	0.80m	0.68m	2.85	0.48	13	54	14	288	21
	81.00m	82.00m	1.00m	0.85m	4.06	7.61	2030	15450	4750	15	3.5
SD20-13	88.15m	89.15m	1.00m	0.85m	19.20	1.19	60	721	152	104	25
SD20-14	56.90m	57.90m	1.00m	0.85m	12.20	20.4	485	13000	1740	53	412
	91.00m	92.40m	1.40m	1.19m	1.59	7.64	41	1460	47	55	614

A detailed map setting out assay results can be accessed here: Knapdale Gold Project Drilling Q2 2021

Table 2: Drill Hole Coordinates

	Hole ID	Easting	Northing	Elevation	Azimuth	Dip	Depth (m)
	SD20-7	184371	678977	70	110	-50	89.50
	SD20-8	184295	678965	78	100	-45	146.10
	SD20-9	184432	679087	47	100	-54	158.50
	SD20-10	184415	679130	44	90	-52	200.00
	SD20-11	184396	679191	42	90	-50	202.95
	SD20-12	184314	678931	81	110	-45	185.45
	SD20-13	184215	678700	86	90	-50	203.05
	SD20-14	184052	678250	117	100	-45	169.00

NOTE: Coordinates are Ordnance Survey of Great Britain OSGB36 Datum and British National Grid Projection.

Diamond Drilling

Drilling concentrated over a 500m strike extension of the main lode structure in the vicinity of the historic Stronchullin gold mine. Holes SD20-9, 10 and 11 intersected the main lode and footwall structures at their predicted positions although gold and base metal values were a magnitude lower than those previously intersected in holes SD17-2 and SD17-3. There is a direct relationship between base metal content and elevated gold values at the Stronchullin mine. The northern extension of the Stronchullin lode structure to the north of Stronchullin Burn as indicated by the DOB geochemical survey was also confirmed by hole SD20-11.

Holes SD20-7, 8, 12, 13 and 14 were drilled along an 800m strike extension southward from the historic mining area, testing strong coincident gold-bismuth-lead DOB anomalies to confirm continuity along strike from  the high grade intercept previously reported in hole SD17-3. Significant intercepts were reported in hole SD20-14 (1.00m @ 12.20 g/t Au + 20.4 g/t Ag from 56.90m) and hole SD20-13 (1.00m @ 19.20 g/t Au + 1.19 g/t Ag from 88.15m).

The stratigraphy in the mine area southward to hole SD20-14 is now well defined and the sub-surface geometry of the Upper Erins Quartzite Formation and the black graphitic phyllite member of the Stronchullin Phyllite Formation are reasonably well constrained which will enable deeper drilling to more accurately target auriferous quartz veins within preferred host rocks.

Review by Qualified Person, Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Mr. Patrick Waters, Consultant Professional Geologist is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instruction 43-101, responsible for the accuracy of scientific and technical information in this news release.

Drill cores were geologically and geotechnically logged, photographed, split by core saw and sampled under the supervision of the Company's geologists. Half core of mineralised intersections was submitted to ALS Geochemistry's laboratory at Loughrea in Ireland for analysis of gold, base metals and a suite of trace elements. All assays were conducted on intervals of split core, on average 1m in length. Quality control was monitored by incorporation of assay standards and duplicates.

All analytical work has been completed at the ALS Geochemistry laboratory facility in Loughrea, Ireland. ALS Geochemistry is an internationally accredited lab and are ISO compliant (ISO 9001:2008, ISO/IEC17025:2005). All drill core is prepared using the PREP 31B method and analyzed for gold using the Au-AA23 procedure (30gm fire assay with AAS finish: Lower Detection Limit 0.005ppm gold; Upper Detection Limit – 10ppm gold). Any samples that returned over-limit values (>10ppm gold) were analyzed by the Au-AA25 Fire Assay procedure (0.01-100ppm gold). All drill core samples are analyzed for silver, base metals and a comprehensive trace element suite using the ME-MS61L™ method following a four-acid digest.

Commercially available OREAS Certified Reference Materials and Blanks are routinely inserted into sample dispatches approximately every 25 samples. ALS Geochemistry also has its own QA/QC protocol using standards, blanks and duplicates.

About Western Gold Exploration

The Company is a mineral exploration company that is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "WGLD". The Company is focused on the exploration of mineral properties in Western Scotland and discovering new opportunities in the Dalradian Belt, targeting historic gold-silver and copper-lead mines in the belt with the potential to develop a mineral resource. Prospects include the Stronchullin mine, Gossan Burn and Allt Dearg which are all located in the Knapdale Project area.

Additional information about the Company is available on the Company's website (www.westerngoldexploration.com) or under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, including the Company's "NI 43-101 Technical Report, Geological Introduction to Knapdale Gold-Silver Project, Scotland" with an effective date of 12 June, 2020.

Website: www.westerngoldexploration.com 

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to those that address exploration results and the analysis of those exploration results, potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, potential for minerals and/or mineral resources, timing and plans for any exploratory drilling and statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs, and current expectations of the Company with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company that may be described herein. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the state of the economy in general and capital markets in particular, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2020 available at www.sedar.com, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

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

SOURCE Western Gold Exploration Ltd

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