Kenorland Minerals and Auranova Resources Commence Spring Drill Program at the South Uchi Project, Ontario
Kenorland Minerals and Auranova Resources
Commence Spring Drill Program at the South
Uchi Project, Ontario
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2026) -
Kenorland Minerals Ltd.
(TSXV: KLD)
(OTCQX: KLDCF) (FSE: 3WQ0) ("
Kenorland
" or the "
Company
") is pleased to announce
commencement of the Phase 3 diamond drill program at the South Uchi Project (the "
Project
"), located
in the Red Lake District of Ontario and held under an option agreement with Auranova Resources Inc.
("
Auranova
").
2026 Spring Exploration Program
The Spring 2026 exploration program will include up to 3,000 metres of drilling across six drill holes at
the Papaonga target area. This phase of drilling follows the successful identification of a new gold-
bearing structural corridor discovered during the Phase 2 Fall 2025 drill program (see press release
dated January 28, 2026). The planned drill holes are designed as large step-outs towards the west and
east, testing strike extensions of the mineralised structural corridor concealed beneath deep glacial
cover. Kenorland remains the operator of the Project.
Figure 1. Plan map of Papaonga target area with planned Phase 3 drill hole locations
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The drill program will consist of a series of drill fences approximately one kilometre apart, stepping out
along strike from drill holes 25PADD031 and 25PADD034, which intersected an approximately 200-
metre-wide mineralised corridor characterised by strong deformation, pervasive sericite-albite-silica
alteration and disseminated sulphide mineralisation within mafic to felsic volcanic stratigraphy and
feldspar porphyry intrusions. Within this corridor, multiple 10-metre-scale intervals contain anomalous
gold values, highlighting the potential for significant mineralisation.
Interpretation of regional magnetic datasets have identified the gold-bearing structure as a belt-parallel,
east-west trending deformation zone, concealed beneath deep till and glaciolacustrine cover sequences.
Despite limited bedrock exposure over the target area, grab samples from volcanic stratigraphy
immediately north of the structural corridor returned values of up to 14.4 g/t Au, further underscoring the
potential to host high-grade mineralisation.
Figure 2. Regional geology with significant gold deposits and South Uchi Project location
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About South Uchi Project
The South Uchi Project was first identified and staked by Kenorland based on the under-explored
region's prospectivity to host significant gold mineralised systems. The Project covers a portion of
Confederation Assemblage volcanic rocks, as well as the boundary between the Uchi geological
subprovince to the north and the English River geological subprovince to the south. Multiple major east-
west striking deformation zones associated with the subprovince boundary transect the Project, resulting
in zones of strong shearing and folding of the supracrustal stratigraphy, which are favourable settings for
orogenic gold mineralisation. Prior to Kenorland staking the Project, records indicated little to no
systematic exploration had been completed, and the land package remained under-explored. The
majority of gold deposits in the Red Lake District (Red Lake, Madsen, Hasaga, and others) are located
on the northern margin of the Confederation Assemblage. However, recent discoveries such as the LP
Fault Zone on the Dixie Project by Great Bear Resources Ltd. (acquired by Kinross Gold and renamed
Great Bear Project) highlight the prospectivity of the entire Confederation Assemblage along the
southern margin of the Uchi subprovince.
Kenorland announced on December 2, 2024, that it had entered into a definitive agreement with
Auranova, granting Auranova the right to earn up to a 70% interest in the Project. Pursuant to the
agreement, Auranova may earn an initial 51% interest in the Project by making cash payments totalling
$500,000 to Kenorland, completing a diamond drilling program with at least $8,000,000 in qualifying
expenditures or completing 15,000 metres of drilling within two years of receiving a drill permit, issuing
Kenorland 19.9% of Auranova's common shares, and maintaining Kenorland's 19.9% share position
until Auranova raises a minimum of $10,000,000 through share issuances, after which Kenorland's stake
will remain at 10% on a pro-rata basis through to the completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment
(the "
PEA
").
Kenorland has received the $500,000 in cash payments and currently holds 9,242,267 common shares
of Auranova and confirms that Auranova has now earned a 51% ownership interest in the Project (see
press release dated July 2, 2025). Further, Auranova may earn an additional 19% interest, for a total of
70%, by incurring an additional $10,000,000 in qualifying expenditures on or before the third anniversary
of Auranova's election to proceed with the second option. Kenorland will also retain a 30% carried
interest in the Project through to the completion of the PEA, at which point a joint venture will be formed.
Kenorland also holds a 2% net smelter return royalty on the Project (see press release dated September
16, 2024).
Qualified Person
Janek Wozniewski, B.Sc., P.Geo. (EGBC #172781, APEGS #77522, EGMB #48045, PGO #3824,
APEGNB #8348), Vice President of Operations at Kenorland, a "Qualified Person" under National
Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press
release.
About Kenorland Minerals
Kenorland Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: KLD) is a well-financed mineral exploration company focused on project
generation and early-stage exploration in North America. Kenorland's exploration strategy is to advance
greenfields projects through systematic, property-wide, phased exploration surveys financed primarily
through exploration partnerships including option to joint venture agreements. Kenorland holds a 4% net
smelter return royalty on the Frotet Project in Quebec, which is owned by Sumitomo Metal Mining
Canada Ltd. The Frotet Project hosts the Regnault gold system, a greenfields discovery made by
Kenorland and Sumitomo Metal Mining Canada Ltd. in 2020, which contains an Inferred Mineral
Resource of 14.5 Mt at 5.47 g/t Au for 2.55 Moz of gold. Kenorland is based in Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada.
Further information can be found on the Company's website
www.kenorlandminerals.com
.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Zach Flood
President, CEO & Director
For further information, please contact:
Alex Muir, CFA
Corporate Development and Investor Relations Manager
Tel +1 604 568 6005
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together,
"forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other
than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking
statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates",
"intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions,
events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward
looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed under the heading "Risk
Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, that could cause
actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the assumptions
and factors used in preparing these forward-looking statements are reasonable based upon the
information currently available to management as of the date hereof, actual results and developments
may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Readers are therefore cautioned
not to place undue reliance on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release,
and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all.
Except where required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update
or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
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.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit
https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/290795