Desert Gold Ventures Inc. Highlights New Exploration Targets; 20,000 Metres of Drilling in Progress - SMSZ Project

Exploration is well advanced on the Company's largest exploration program to date at its flagship Senegal Mali Shear Zone project in Western Mali (the "SMSZ Project"). The 410 km² SMSZ Project is both named after and overlies a 38 km section of the prolific Senegal Mali Shear Zone (the "SMSZ"). The SMSZ is related to 5 large mines located both to the north and south, along strike of the Company's SMSZ Project, including B2 Gold's Fekola Mine, Barrick's Gounkoto and Loulo Mines and Allied Gold's Sadiola and Yatela Mines¹. To the Company's knowledge, the SMSZ Project is the largest, contiguous, non-producer land package over this highly prospective structural feature (see Figure 1).

Field work recommenced at the SMSZ Project in early December, 2020. The goal of the exploration program is to develop/discover a stand-alone Tier 1 gold deposit(s). Exploration comprises drilling to advance known gold zones and soil, auger and IP surveys to identify new targets, with real-time follow-up of drill testing of newly developed targets. The SMSZ exploration program is fully underway with one multipurpose drill, two auger drills, a geological mapping team and a couple of soil sampling teams.

Highlights - (see Figures 2 and 3)

• Gold-in auger results to 1,452 ppb gold in 2021 with values to 5,060 ppb gold from 2020 surveys
• • 15, 2021 samples contain >200 ppb gold. 36 samples >100 ppb gold. 84 samples >50 ppb gold

• Gold-in auger results define 10 untested target areas, five of which are 2⁺ km long (see Figure 2)
• • 3 of the 10 target areas related to known gold-bearing trends.
    
    
  • New target area at north end of 2 km long granodiorite intrusion - pressure shadow target.
    
    
  • Geophysical data shows clockwise rotation of geological units, coincident with gold-in auger anomalies (see Figure 3). These areas are interpreted to represent dilatant zones which are some of the best targets for the discovery of gold mineralization
    
    
  • Additional auger target areas likely - results pending

Jared Scharf, President and CEO Desert Gold Ventures commented "The new auger results are extremely encouraging. Based on our previous work, we know that testing of laterite-covered gold-in-auger anomalies, can lead to the discovery of new gold zones. Regionally, several major gold deposits, including Siou in Burkina Faso, Fekola in western Mali and Gounkoto, also in western Mali, were discoveries under shall laterite cover. It is also important to point out, is that all of the new anomalies are proximal to the east side of the Senegal Mali Shear Zone, where regionally, 5, large gold mines have been discovered¹. We are pleased with the scenario and plan to drill-test the bulk of these anomalies during the current exploration program."

Technical data - Gold-in-auger and geophysical survey results

Summary results from 761 auger holes and approximately 85-line km of gradient IP surveys are presented in this release.

Five IP geophysical survey grids were completed in late 2020 and the first part of 2021. Data from four of the new grids was merged with data from 4 previous geophysical survey grids with data covering a 12 km by approximately 11 km area. New IP grid lines were oriented at 270 degrees azimuth and spaced 200 metres apart with data stations every 25 metres. The merged IP data was interpreted with map products including chargeability, resistivity, conductivity, residual chargeability, residual resistivity, residual conductivity, structural pattern maps for each and anomaly interpretation maps including interpreted structures.

The auger drilling was carried out on lines 400 metres apart with stations every 25 metres. This release, presents the results of 1,522 assay samples from 761 auger holes. Auger holes ranged up to 25 metres deep with an average depth of 8.86 metres. Two samples were collected in each hole with one sample of the basal laterite and one sample of the uppermost metre of saprolite (near surface altered rock). Samples from the auger program were subject to 24-hour bottle roll cyanide leach.

The IP geophysical data provides insight into potential areas of pyrite enrichment (chargeability highs), silicification (resistivity highs), geological trends, potential shear zones and areas of clockwise structural rotation (see Figure 3). This data, combined with geological mapping, drilling and auger data, provides a coherent framework for interpretation of the gold-in-auger data, and, in this case, the delineation of at least 10 potential gold bearing trends. Three of the gold trends, line along strike of previously defined trends. Seven of the gold trends are new target areas. It is interesting to note that there are only a few anomalous outliers and that the gold-in-auger anomalies generally line up well along north-northwest and north-northeast trends. In summary, 15 samples contain >200 ppb gold, 36 samples >100 ppb gold and 84 samples >50 ppb gold.

Zones of structural rotation, as inferred from the IP geophysical data, are expected to represent dilatant zones, which would be supportive for the formation of a gold deposit. High priority targets occur where these structural rotation zones are combined with anomalous gold-in-auger values, IP chargeability highs suggesting increased pyrite content and IP resistivity highs suggesting silicification.

Exploration Progress to April 11, 2021

• Drilling - 32% complete. Drilling pace has picked up after a series of breakdowns with 521 metres drilled on April 11 and 5,714 metres drilled to date.
  
  
• Auger Drilling - 92 % complete
• • 18,121 metres drilling in 2,262 holes
  • Two rigs active
    
• IP Geophysical Surveys - 100% complete
• • 90.8 line kilometres completed
  • Historic and new IP data have been merged.
    
• Soil Sampling - 97 % complete
  
  
• Mapping and prospecting ongoing
  
  
• Community Support Program in progress
• • Medical and school supplies to be donated to 9 communities in the SMSZ Project region

2021 Exploration Program

• Fully Funded 20,000 metres of drilling- Drilling started January 2021
• • Follow-up on Gourbassi West, Gourbassi East and Barani East Zones
  • Continue to trace gold mineralization from Barani East northeast to Soa and south to Keniegoulou
  • Follow up drill testing at Gourbassi NE, Goubassi SE, Berola, Frikidi, KE, Komana and Manakoto zones
  • Test gold-in-auger targets
  • Contingency metres will follow-up drill success
    
• Approximately 19,000 metres of auger drilling
• • Auger drilling will commence in mid-December to follow up on 2020 auger anomalies
  • Testing for gold mineralization along thinly-covered laterite, and/or, not yet evaluated, regional scale structures
    
• 90-line km of induced polarization gradient geophysical surveys
• • Five grid areas, with four covering structural targets related to the SMSZ and one covering a felsic intrusion that hosts gold mineralization
  • Survey to start mid-December
    
• 7,000 soil samples
• • Test 3 areas comprising ~100 km2, that have not been soil sampled, mapped or drilled
    
• Geological mapping and prospecting
• • Approximately 55% of the property still requires mapping and prospecting
    
• Complete a 43-101 compliant report in Q4, 2021

Next Steps

Eighty-five additional air core drill holes, totaling 4,250 metres have been planned to test most of the new auger anomalies. Drilling to test these targets will be carried out in due course as part of the current 20,000 metre drill program.

Review drill results as they are received and plan follow-up holes as required.

QAQC

All auger samples are delivered to SGS in Bamako, Mali where they are prepped. The prepped samples, were then shipped by truck to SGS's facility in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso for Au determination by 24 hours CN bottle roll leach. Standards, assay blanks and sample duplicates, are inserted into the assay stream every 25, 23 and 22 samples, respectively equaling one control sample for every 8 assay samples. All assay batches are reviewed for quality with re-assays requested for standards that assay more than 2 to 3 SD from an excepted value and for blanks that contain more than 10 ppb gold.

This press release contains certain scientific and technical information. The Company is solely responsible for the contents and accuracy of any scientific and technical information related to it. Don Dudek, P.Geo. a director of Desert Gold and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this press release.

On Behalf of the Board

"Jared Scharf"

___________________________
Jared Scharf
President & CEO

About Desert Gold

Desert Gold Ventures Inc. is a gold exploration and development company which holds 2 gold exploration permits in Western Mali (SMSZ Project and Djimbala), its Anumso project in Ghana's Ashanti Belt and its Rutare gold project in central Rwanda. For further information please visit www.SEDAR.com under the company's profile. Website: www.desertgold.ca

This news release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations, are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in such statements. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, the strength of the capital markets, the price of gold; operational, funding, liquidity risks, the degree to which mineral resource estimates are reflective of actual mineral resources, the degree to which factors which would make a mineral deposit commercially viable, and the risks and hazards associated with mining operations. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available at www.sedar.com and readers are urged to read these materials. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such statements unless required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the united states securities act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to the account or benefit of a U.S. person absent an exemption from the registration requirements of such act.

SOURCE Desert Gold Ventures Inc.



Contact
Jared Scharf, President and CEO, Email: jared.scharf@desertgold.ca, Tel. No.: +1 (858) 247-8195