Lion Rock Resources (TSXV: ROAR, OTCQB: LRRIF, FSE: KGB) has made a new gold discovery at the Volney Project in the Tinton District of South Dakota’s Black Hills. Phase 1 drilling at Volney returned gold mineralization in all nine drillholes that targeted gold-bearing structures, a 100% hit rate. The drilling defined a mineralized zone measuring approximately 500 metres along strike, 400 metres wide, and extending 200 metres in depth. The zone remains open in every direction. [1]
Highlight gold intercepts from Phase 1 include 23.2 metres at 1.1 g/t Au in VOL25-013, 24.8 metres at 0.8 g/t Au in VOL25-006 (including 10.9 metres at 2.0 g/t Au), 36.5 metres at 0.5 g/t Au in VOL25-002 (including 4.6 metres at 2.1 g/t Au), and 2.1 metres at 5.0 g/t Au in VOL25-014 (including 1.1 metres at 8.12 g/t Au). [1] Reported intervals are downhole lengths. True widths are unknown. Grades are uncut.
On-Property Historic Mines in the Tinton District
The Volney Project’s 142 hectares include the historic Giant Volney mine and the Rough and Ready mine, both of which are documented Tinton District producers. [2] The Rough and Ready mine produced more than 104,987 pounds of tin between 1903 and 1911, and Tinton District workings produced gold at commercial grades during the same period. [3] Historic channel sampling on the property returned 18.2 g/t Au over 18.3 metres, confirming the persistence of high-grade gold at surface prior to Lion Rock’s modern work.
Superb Infrastructure on Private Land
Volney consists of 142 hectares of private claims with both surface and mineral rights held outright. The project has on-site power, all-season road access, and is within one hour of the US rail network.
Accelerated, Low-Cost Production Potential
Private land ownership in a mining-friendly jurisdiction means reduced permitting timelines relative to federal ground. Shallow near-surface gold mineralization at Volney, combined with historic underground workings, indicates potential for low CAPEX, low OPEX production. Lion Rock acquired the property in October 2024 and completed a 15-hole, 3,600 metre Phase 1 drill program by early 2026.
Award-Winning Management and Technical Team
The Lion Rock team includes award-winning experts across the mining lifecycle and has established working relationships with local and state government officials in South Dakota’s Black Hills mining district.
Learn more about the Volney Project
Phase 1 drilling at the Volney Project returned gold mineralization in all nine drillholes that targeted gold-bearing structures, a 100% hit rate. [1] Gold at Volney is hosted in sulphide-bearing shear zones within altered mafic volcanics and metasedimentary rocks, a geologically distinct system from the Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum (LCT) pegmatite that hosts the property’s lithium, tin, and tantalum mineralization. The gold mineralization sits within a shear-hosted gold trend that extends approximately 1.6 kilometres within a broader 3.5 kilometre structural corridor on the property.
The drilled footprint measures approximately 500 metres along strike, 400 metres wide, and 200 metres in depth. All zones remain open for expansion in every direction. The table below summarizes notable gold intercepts from Phase 1 drilling.
| Drillhole | From (m) | To (m) | Length (m) | Au (g/t) | Notes |
| VOL25-002 | 12.5 | 48.9 | 36.5 | 0.5 | Incl. 4.6 m at 2.1 g/t Au |
| VOL25-006 | 261.6 | 286.4 | 24.8 | 0.8 | Incl. 10.9 m at 2.0 g/t Au; stacked interval above 19.3 m at 0.4 g/t Au |
| VOL25-009 | 129.0 | 151.5 | 22.5 | 0.9 | Incl. 11.2 m at 1.1 g/t Au; stacked zones at depth |
| VOL25-013 | 57.8 | 81.0 | 23.2 | 1.1 | Highest metal factor intercept in program |
| VOL25-014 | 25.97 | 28.03 | 2.1 | 5.0 | Incl. 1.1 m at 8.12 g/t Au |
Reported intervals are downhole lengths. True widths are unknown. Grades are uncut. Metal factor is calculated as Au (g/t) x Length (m).
The consistency of the Phase 1 gold results is notable. Four intercepts returned metal factors above 18 gram-metres, and multiple drillholes returned stacked gold zones at different depths, pointing to structural complexity within the system. Several holes have been sent for screen metallic fire assay analysis to account for coarse gold observed in logging, which may produce revised gold grades on follow-up reporting. [1]
Phase 1 targeted one high-priority area of the property, and additional gold targets across the broader 142 hectare claim block remain untested by drilling. [1]
Volney is not a greenfield concept. The property includes the historic Rusty Mine and Rough and Ready mine, both of which are documented Tinton District historic workings. [2] While historic gold production records for the Tinton District are incomplete, surface and underground workings at these targets confirm that gold was mined at commercial grades from shear-hosted structures on-property. The Rough and Ready mine is also documented as a tin producer, with historic production exceeding 104,987 pounds of tin by 1911. [4]
Historic channel sampling at Volney returned 18.2 g/t Au over 18.3 metres, confirming the persistence of high-grade gold at surface prior to Lion Rock’s modern work program.
No modern systematic exploration was conducted at Volney until Lion Rock’s acquisition in October 2024. The 2025 to 2026 Phase 1 drill program is the first modern drill testing of the Volney trend in the Tinton District, and the 100% hit rate across nine gold-targeting drillholes confirms the continuity and scale of the mineralization interpreted from surface mapping.
The Volney Project consists of 142 hectares of private claims with surface and mineral rights held outright. For any US gold exploration project, this ownership structure is a material advantage.
Exploration and development on federal land in the United States faces multi-year environmental review and public comment periods that can delay drilling by years before a single hole is completed. Private land ownership allows for faster drill permitting, shorter gaps between exploration phases, and more direct operational control. Lion Rock moved from acquisition to comprehensive ground sampling, mapping, geophysical surveys, and completion of a 15-hole drill program in just over twelve months.
South Dakota’s Black Hills is a proven gold mining district with active production and established infrastructure. The state is consistently ranked among the most mining-friendly jurisdictions globally.
The Tinton District is a pegmatite-dominated mining district in the northwestern Black Hills of Lawrence County, South Dakota, distinct geologically and geographically from the better-known Homestake District to the east. The Tinton District is documented as a past-producer of tin, gold, lithium, tantalum, and niobium, with production concentrated between the 1870s and the 1950s. [2] Lion Rock’s Volney Project sits at the heart of the Tinton District and includes some of its most notable historic workings.
Tinton District Historic Production
The Tinton District produced approximately 105,039 pounds of tin between 1903 and 1927 from tin-bearing pegmatites clustered around the district core. [3] The Rough and Ready mine, now part of the Volney Project, alone accounted for more than 104,987 pounds of tin produced by 1911. [4] The district also produced gold, lithium, and tantalum at various times during the 20th century. The Giant Volney mine was operated under lease by Fansteel Mining Corp. during World War II, producing spodumene and amblygonite concentrates as part of the US wartime strategic minerals program. [5]
Named Historic Mines at Volney
The Volney Project’s 142 hectares include two named historic mines recognized in the geological literature:
Both mines are listed in the Roberts & Rapp (1965) Mineralogy of the Black Hills, the South Dakota School of Mines’ authoritative reference on Black Hills ore deposits, and are indexed as distinct localities in the Tinton Pegmatite District. [2]
Why the Tinton District is Under-Explored
The Tinton District has been substantially under-explored by modern standards. Most systematic exploration work in the Black Hills during the 20th and 21st centuries focused on the Homestake District’s iron-formation-hosted gold system in the eastern Black Hills. The Tinton District’s combination of shear-hosted gold structures and LCT pegmatite-hosted critical minerals did not fit prevailing gold-only exploration models and was left largely untested with modern drilling technology. Lion Rock’s Phase 1 drill program is the first modern systematic test of the Volney trend within the Tinton District. [1]
Volney’s Position: Private Land, Multi-Commodity, Modern Discovery
Unlike most ground in the Black Hills, the Volney Project consists entirely of private claims with surface and mineral rights held outright, enabling year-round access and a permitting path that is difficult to replicate on federal land. The Volney gold discovery is also distinctive for its multi-commodity character: the same property hosts a confirmed LCT pegmatite system with lithium, tin, and tantalum mineralization. Learn more about lithium at Volney, tin at Volney, and tantalum at Volney.
The Black Hills of South Dakota has been a continuously productive mining region since 1876. Beyond gold, the region has produced tin, tantalum, lithium, mica, feldspar, and beryllium from its pegmatite districts, with the Tinton District representing one of the most historically significant pegmatite provinces in the United States. [2]
Modern exploration across the Black Hills has accelerated since the 2020s, driven by record gold prices, federal critical minerals policy, renewed interest in Tier 1 North American jurisdictions, and the availability of past-producing ground with modern geological reinterpretation potential. South Dakota operates under a stable regulatory framework through the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), with permitting timelines that compare favorably to most federal jurisdictions in the United States.
The Tinton District adds a distinctive chapter to this story: a pegmatite-dominated system with shear-hosted gold, documented multi-commodity production, and a geological setting that differentiates it from the iron-formation gold systems elsewhere in the Black Hills.
A 15-hole, 3,600 metre Phase 1 drill program has been completed at Volney, representing the first modern drill testing along the Volney trend. Phase 1 returned gold mineralization in all nine holes that targeted gold-bearing structures and defined a mineralized footprint of 500 metres by 400 metres by 200 metres, open in every direction. [1] The Company is evaluating next steps and planning a Phase 2 exploration program.
See the full gold discovery news release
Yes. Phase 1 drilling returned gold mineralization in all nine drillholes that targeted gold-bearing structures, defining a mineralized zone 500 metres along strike, 400 metres wide, and 200 metres in depth that remains open in every direction. Highlight intercepts include 23.2 m at 1.1 g/t Au (VOL25-013), 24.8 m at 0.8 g/t Au (VOL25-006, including 10.9 m at 2.0 g/t Au), and 2.1 m at 5.0 g/t Au (VOL25-014, including 1.1 m at 8.12 g/t Au). [1]
The Tinton District is a historic pegmatite-dominated mining district in the northwestern Black Hills of Lawrence County, South Dakota. It was an active producer of tin, gold, lithium, and tantalum during the 20th century, with peak production between 1903 and 1927 (tin) and into the 1950s (lithium, gold, tantalum). The district is geologically distinct from the better-known Homestake District to the east, characterized by tin-bearing and LCT-type pegmatites together with shear-hosted gold structures. [2] Lion Rock’s Volney Project sits at the heart of the Tinton District and includes the historic Giant Volney mine and Rough and Ready mine.
The Rough and Ready mine is a historic tin and gold producer located on the Volney Project’s 142 hectare private claim block. It is one of the most significant historic producers in the Tinton District, with documented historic tin production exceeding 104,987 pounds by 1911. [4] The mine is recognized as a distinct historic locality in the geological literature on the Tinton Pegmatite District. [2] Lion Rock’s Phase 1 drill program is the first modern drill testing of the structural corridor that hosts the Rough and Ready workings.
The Giant Volney mine is a historic LCT pegmatite producer on the Volney Project that operated under lease to Fansteel Mining Corp. during World War II. Fansteel produced 1,080 tonnes of spodumene concentrate at 5.6% to 6.3% Li2O and 400 tonnes of amblygonite concentrate at 8.3% Li2O from the Giant Volney pegmatite between 1941 and 1944. [5] The pegmatite extends over approximately 635 metres of strike length and remained untested at depth until Lion Rock’s 2025 to 2026 Phase 1 program.
Gold at Volney is hosted in sulphide-bearing shear zones within altered mafic volcanic rocks and metasedimentary units. This is a geologically distinct system from the Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum (LCT) pegmatite that hosts Volney’s lithium, tin, and tantalum mineralization. Both styles of mineralization coexist within the Tinton District’s structural framework.
Not yet. Several drillholes have been flagged for screen metallic fire assay analysis due to observed coarse gold. This additional analytical work may result in revised gold grades when final results are reported. [1]
In addition to gold, the Volney Project hosts confirmed lithium, tin, and tantalum mineralization within a separate LCT pegmatite system, with additional US Critical Minerals identified through Phase 1 analytical work. See the dedicated lithium, tin, and tantalum pages for more detail.
The full gold discovery news release was published on April 8, 2026 and is available on the Lion Rock Resources website and filed on SEDAR+.
Certain statements on this page constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding planned exploration programs, the potential characteristics of the Volney Project’s gold mineralization, and anticipated timelines. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices, exploration results that differ from expectations, permitting and regulatory delays, and general market conditions. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
This page contains factual information about the Volney Project and the Tinton District. It does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation to purchase securities, or an offer of securities for sale. All technical data is sourced from Company news releases and publicly available third-party sources. Historic production figures are derived from published geological reports and government surveys and do not constitute current mineral resources or reserves. References to other companies are factual and do not imply any endorsement, partnership, or equivalence with the Volney Project. Reported drill intervals are downhole lengths. True widths are unknown. Grades are uncut.
[1] Lion Rock Resources Inc. (2026), “Lion Rock Makes New Gold Discovery at Volney, South Dakota,” news release dated April 8, 2026. https://www.lionrockresources.com/news/lion-rock-makes-new-gold-discovery-at-volney-south-dakota
[2] Roberts, W.L. and Rapp, G. Jr. (1965), “Mineralogy of the Black Hills.” South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Bulletin 18. Reference publication for Tinton Pegmatite District localities including Giant Volney mine and Rough and Ready mine.
[3] Smith, W.C. and Page, L.R. (1941), “Tin-Bearing Pegmatites of the Tinton District, Lawrence County, South Dakota.” US Geological Survey. Cited in US Bureau of Mines Information Circular 7688 (1954), “Black Hills Mineral Atlas, South Dakota, Part I.” Historic Tinton District tin production figures.
[4] Historic production data for the Rough and Ready mine as documented in US Bureau of Mines records and referenced in Smith & Page (1941); further summarized in historical accounts of the Tinton District including “Tinton, South Dakota” historical records.
[5] Page, L.R. et al. (1953), “Pegmatite Investigations 1942-45, Black Hills, South Dakota.” USGS Professional Paper 247. Reference for Fansteel Mining Corp. historic production at Giant Volney.
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