BISHOP, Calif., June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North Bay Resources, Inc. (the “Company” or “North Bay”) (OTC: NBRI) is pleased to announce continuous operation at the Company’s Bishop California Gold Mill has been achieved. Upon significant upgrades in April and May the Company has successfully operated the Mill continuously up to 9 hours per day and completed processing of all remaining stockpiles of gold ore. This has resulted in a shipment to the Company’s refinery partner of 543 lbs. of gold concentrate with final assays now pending with ALS Geochemical, Reno, Nevada.
Fran Gold Project
Pic 1. Fran Gold Project looking East from Main Zone to Ridge (DDH-2018-094) along strike.
The Company has completed exploration and development at the Fran Gold Project, British Columbia where a recent resource estimate of 474,000 ounces of contained gold was completed (see Press Release dated May 13, 2025). On-site work in June included grade control on approximately 4,200 tons of stockpiled ore in preparation for Summer shipments. Twenty-nine samples were taken at ten meter spacing across and at edges of the stockpiles to approximate both horizontal and vertical grade. Assays are now pending with ALS Global, North Vancouver, British Columbia.
Further development work was completed on the initial mining zone located between B and C trenches where consistent grade of 0.5 ounce per ton has been sampled. The area is noted for a massive sulphide intrusion, of notably very hard rock, grading over 1 ounce per ton, This is the primary target in the area. Additional samples were taken primarily along and near trench B and the massive sulphide ore body in preparation for mining. An initial block of 3,250 tons has now been delineated and flagged with operations expected upon depletion of existing stockpiles.
The Company has re-established the locations of significant drill holes from the most recent drill program 2018-2019 for the purpose of additional drill hole planning:
| Hole ID | From (m) | To (m) | Width (m) | Grade g/t |
| 2018-94 | 222.0 | 339.2 | 117.2 | 0.6 |
| 2018-95 | 202.7 | 309.0 | 106.3 | 1.0 |
| 2018-96 | 134.7 | 284.0 | 149.3 | 0.9 |
| 2018-103 | 105.7 | 178.6 | 72.9 | 1.4 |
Drill hole 2001-094 is at the top of the ridge comprised of both the East-West gold trend and a major North-South liniment. The hole is the furthest to the East of the modern holes where gold grade declines but width of intercepts, tonnage and copper grade significantly increases. Early drilling circa 2001 has now been re-analyzed with bulk tonnage gold identified over a 100m intercept in DDH 2001-012 located significantly further to the East of DDH 2001-094 in what has now been identified as the East Zone. Exploration focus is now on this large hill ridge area including the infill between DDH 2018-094 and 2001-012 as well as down the hill to the South where significant gold mineralization has been drilled. The Company is also conducting exploration beyond DDH 2001-012 to the North-east where the structure continues towards a large surface gold zone that, as yet, has not been drill tested.
Additional sampling was completed to the South where a large surface gold zone had been previously identified in early exploration at the Property with limited work to date. This area is due South of the high grade Main Gold Zone and appears to be a continuation of the main N-S fault structure where high grade gold and at depth has been identified. Previous work in this southern area produced surface sampling up to 1 ounce per ton. The area is proximate to the main road and while now largely overgrown is easily accessible for further development. Assays from outcrop on the South Zone are now pending with ALS Global, North Vancouver, BC.
Fran Gold Project
As a result of the recently discovered bulk tonnage deposit and associated resource estimate the Company has implemented a two-pronged approach to the Fran Gold Project, In addition to providing feedstock to the Company’s Bishop Gold Mill from stockpiles and the high grade surface oxide zone, exploration will now occur in the infill area between the Main Bullion Alley Zone and East Zone as well as further to the East and North-east and at a number of other known discoveries on the property Re-analyses of Au soil grids has shown a number of anomalies within or in close proximity to the Main and East Zones showing both gold and, of particular note a significant increase in copper grade, in a NE trending direction. A very large geological intrusion and geomagnetic halo exists to the East, common with porphyry style deposits, along with the noted increase in base metal grades with gold. The goal is to further expand the known mineralized zone with current resource estimate (non-NI 43-101) as follows:
| Bullion Alley - Main Zone | |||
| Mass (tonnes) | Average (g/t) | Total (grams) | Total (tr. ounces) |
| 20,035,146 | 0.50 | 10,051,730 | 323,170 |
| Bullion Alley - Main Zone + East Extension | |||
| Mass (tonnes) | Average (g/t) | Total (grams) | Total (tr. ounces) |
| 43,797,234 | 0.34 | 14,743,070 | 474,001 |
Using a gold price of $3,100 per ounce, gross value in the Main Zone is estimated at $50 per tonne. Mining costs at the nearby Blackwater Gold Mine are $9 per tonne processed. As a result, the Company is proceeding with the development of the bulk tonnage deposit and has begun consultation with Mine Engineering firms regarding detailed economics, mine plan, and development.
Past exploration and development, including over 18,000m (55,000ft.) of diamond drilling, has shown large intercepts of mixed vein and disseminated gold. The deposit area has been identified to be in excess of 1000m x 100m x 300m within a known strike length of 1700m. The Fran Gold Project is next to Centerra Gold’s Mt. Milligan Project, with Reserves of 264Mt grading 0.3 gram per tonne gold and 0.2% copper and proximate to Artemis Gold’s Blackwater Mine, with Proven and Probable Reserves of 334Mt grading 0.8 grams per tonne gold. Both Mt. Milligan and the Blackwater Mine are two of the largest new copper/gold and gold mines respectively, in North America.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of
NORTH BAY RESOURCES INC.
Jared Lazerson
CEO
X: @NorthBayRes
YouTube: North Bay Resources - YouTube
LinkedIn: North Bay Resources Inc | LinkedIn
This news release may contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5a8cabec-0411-4c86-ae4a-c39b9fc79fa7
