Hercules Metals Intersects 285 m of 0.47% Copper, Including 56 m of 0.89% Copper at the Leviathan Porphyry System and Discovers New Silver Zone in Southern Flats with 10.7 m of 420.5 g/t AgEq Leviathan Continues to Expand, while a New Epithermal Silver
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Hercules Metals Intersects 285 m of 0.47% Copper,
Including 56 m of 0.89% Copper at the Leviathan
Porphyry System and Discovers New Silver Zone in
Southern Flats with 10.7 m of 420.5 g/t AgEq
Leviathan Continues to Expand, while a New Epithermal Silver
Discovery Unfolds in the Southern Flats Zone
• A new epithermal silver-lead-zinc center has been identified in the Southern Flats
Zone, supported by multiple drill holes spaced more than 1 km apart, indicating potential
for the largest epithermal silver system on the Hercules Property. The first 2025 hole into
Southern Flats, HER-25-06, intersected:
➢ 10.7 m of strong veining grading 257.2 g/t Ag , 2.18% Pb, and
4.62% Zn (420.5 g/t AgEq),
➢ Within a broader 119.9 m interval grading 31.2 g/t Ag, 0.29% Pb, and
0.86% Zn (59.7 g/t AgEq)
This is the first new silver discovery at Hercules since the 1980s , confirming a major
southern extension of the Ag-Pb-Zn epithermal system. Early indications from this new
zone show potential for the most continuous section of Hercules Rhyolite, the favourable
host unit for silver mineralization, which may span more than 1 km in strike length, 1 km
in width and 100 m in thickness.
• Potential to Expand Epithermal Silver Discovery Closer to Surface – Follow-up
drilling continues to intersect Hercules Rhyolite across all holes in the Southern Flats
Zone, including structurally-controlled zones of silver -lead-zinc epithermal veining. As
shown in Figure 1, the rhyolite was intersected significantly closer to surface in 2024 drill
hole HER-24-16, as well as drill holes HER-25-23 and HER-25-25, for which assays are
pending. Surface mapping has also identified altered Hercules Rhyolite at surface,
approximately 1.6 km along strike to the south of HER-25-06.
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• Leviathan’s Footwall Zone Intersected in HER -25-12 – Drill hole HER -25-12
intersected the thicker footwall portion of the Leviathan porphyry system, returning:
➢ 285 m of 0.47% Cu, 63 ppm Mo, and 1.0 g/t Ag,
➢ including 56 m with bornite-chalcocite mineralization grading
0.89% Cu, 41 ppm Mo, 1.7 g/t Ag
• High-Grade Core Extends South – Visual core logging indicates Leviathan’s
hypogene-enriched core may expand southwest of HER-25-12, in recently completed
drill hole HER-25-15 and the currently in-progress drill hole HER-25-18, for which assays
are pending. A pre -collared drill hole, PRE-25-21, is planned to continue testing this
corridor southwest of HER-25-18, in early 2026, following the holiday break.
• Phase II MT+ELF Survey Complete d – The previously announced Magnetotelluric
(“MT”) survey has been further infilled from 1,000 m to 250 m spacing to significantly
improve resolution of the 5-km-long Leviathan conductivity anomaly and refine estimates
of cover thickness in the south. The updated inversion model is expected to materially
enhance targeting of both porphyry and epithermal mineralization in Southern Flats.
• Three ongoing drill holes, HER -25-18, HER-25-21 and HER-25-25 have been paused
for the holiday break. HER-25-18 is at 841 m depth in relict biotite (potassic) alteration
with copper sulfide and pyrite veining that indicate a potentially wider portion of the
Footwall copper shell than previously recognized. HER-25-21 is pre-collared and ready
for completion with a core drill. HER-25-25 intersected Lower Plate Triassic rocks in the
Southern Flats Zone at 808 m depth, in altered porphyry leach cap cut by what appear
to be a younger phase of Jurassic silver-lead-zinc epithermal vein s. Both holes are
scheduled to resume in early February 2026, subject to weather conditions.
Toronto, Ontario / December 22, 2025 – Hercules Metals Corp. (“Hercules” or the
“Company”) (TSX-V: BIG) (OTCQB: BADEF) (FSE: C0X) reports further results from its
ongoing 2025 drilling campaign on the Leviathan porphyry copper discovery at its Hercules
Property in western Idaho (the “Property”).
Results continue to demonstrate strong continuity and thickness of Leviathan’s Footwall
Zone. Drill hole HER-25-12 (“25-12”) return ed 285 m of 0. 47% Cu, 63 ppm Mo, and
1.0 g/t Ag, including 56 m of 0.89% Cu, 41 ppm Mo, 1.7 g/t Ag.
The first 2025 drill hole in the Southern Flats Zone, HER-25-06, intersected 10.7 m grading
257.2 g/t Ag, 2.18% Pb, and 4.62% Zn (420.5 g/t AgEq) , within a broader interval of
119.9 m grading 31.2 g/t Ag, 0.29% Pb, and 0.86% Zn (59.7 g/t AgEq) , revealing the
presence of strong epithermal mineralization concealed in Southern Flats. The hole reached
its Triassic lower plate target for porphyry copper mineralization, but terminated short of its
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planned depth, intersecting a narrow interval of bornite -chalcopyrite mineralization grading
1.06% Cu and 0.29 g/t Au over 4.57 m. Pyrite “D -veins” were observed downhole with
sericite-chlorite alteration, typical of the outer phyllic halo of a porphyry system, with the final
5.7 m of the hole ending in 68.9 g/t Ag.
Although the hole was lost before reaching its target depth, the alteration observed is
consistent with proximity to a nearby porphyry center . S tep-out drilling in HER -25-25 is
designed to follow up on these results.
Table 1: Highlight Intervals
Hole ID From
(m)
To
(m)
Interval
(m)1
Cu
(%)
Mo
(ppm)
Ag
(g/t)
Pb
(%)
Zn
(%)
AgEq2
(gt)
Deposit
Style
HER-25-06 466.34 724.88 258.54 16.4 0.16 0.46 31.7
Epithermal
Ag-Pb-Zn including 605.03 724.88 119.85 31.2 0.29 0.86 59.7
including 621.79 632.46 10.67 257.2 2.18 4.62 420.5
AND 784.86 789.43 4.57 1.06 8 0.9
Porphyry
Cu-Mo-Ag
AND 818.69 824.39 5.70 0.08 8 68.9
HER-25-07 349.61 399.9 50.29 0.67 151 12.2
AND 816.86 934.21 117.35 0.32 78 0.6
HER-25-08 190.5 646.18 455.68 0.23 67 1.5
HER-25-10 281.94 389.53 107.59 0.38 74 0.5
HER-25-11 303.28 422.15 118.87 0.25 21 3.1
HER-25-12 406.91 691.9 284.99 0.47 63 1.0
including 406.91 463.30 56.39 0.89 41 1.7
Chris Paul, CEO and Director of Hercules Metals, commented, “Drilling continues to
expand the continuity and thickness in Leviathan’s Footwall Zone. HER-25-12 extends the
full width of the Footwall Zone approximately 400 meters southwest of HER-25-02, with early
indications from other holes suggesting potential for increasing hypogene enrichment along
trend to the southwest.
“Meanwhile, a significant new epithermal silver discovery in HER -25-06 serves as a
reminder of the upside potential provided by multiple mineralizing systems at Hercules,
adding value while helping vector toward the next potential porphyry center on the project.
1 The intervals reported represent drill intercepts and insufficient data are available at this time to state the true thickness of the
mineralized intervals.
2 Silver equivalent (AgEq) for drill intersections is calculated using 3-year trailing average metal prices of: silver US$30.16/oz., lead
US$0.95/lb and zinc US$1.25/lb. Silver equivalent grade is calculated as AgEq (g/t) = Ag (g/t) + (Pb (%) x 0.90 x 19.437) + (Zn (%) x 0.9 x
25.007). Metallurgical recoveries assumed are 90% for lead and 88% for zinc, based on metallurgical results on similar deposits.
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“With fieldwork complete on the Phase II MT survey, we also expect to soon have a refined,
high-resolution model of the 5 km Leviathan anomaly to materially enhance targeting of new
porphyry and epithermal centers indicated at Southern Flats, focusing on areas with reduced
cover thickness to the south.”
Figure 1: Drill plan. Grade bars for copper (orange) and molybdenum (blue), with the location of Figure 2’s cross-
section (C-C’). Intervals of Hercules Rhyolite, the favourable host unit for silver mineralization, intersected by the
first six holes drilled in Southern Flats, are shown in yellow-green along the drill traces. Rhyolite was intersected
near-surface in 2024 drill hole 24-16 and 2025 drill holes 25-23 and 25-25.
CORE PHOTOS FOR REPORTED INTERVALS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING
WITHIN 24 HOURS AT:
https://www.herculesmetals.com/hercules/core-photos/
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Figure 2: Cross-section C-C’ (See Figure 1 for location), showing drill hole HER-25-12 relative to previous drilling
on the fence.
Drill Hole Summaries
HER-25-06 – below the post -mineral basalt, HER -25-06 intersected epithermal
mineralization consisting of veins of tetrahedrite-tennantite, pyrite, galena, sphalerite, and
rhodochrosite within the Hercules Rhyolite. The full 258.54 m rhyolite interval averaged
31.7 g/t AgEq, highlighting the bulk-tonnage epithermal potential above the underlying
porphyry copper target at Southern Flats. This included a 119.85 m interval of stronger
mineralization grading 59. 7 g/t AgEq, with a strongly veined 10.7 m subinterval averaging
420.5 g/t AgEq.
HER-25-07 – intersected 50.3 m of strong porphyry mineralization grading 0.67% Cu,
12.2 g/t Ag, and 151 ppm Mo in the Hanging Wall Zone. The hole then entered the lower-
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grade central porphyry, before grades began increasing toward a potential southwest
extension of stronger grades in the Footwall Zone. Follow-up drilling is planned to test this
projected southwest extension of the Footwall Zone as illustrated by the dashed lines on
Figure 1. HER-25-21 has already been pre-collared to test the same extension on a nearby
fence starting in 2026.
HER-25-08, HER-25-09 and HER-25-10 – intersected the outer pyrite halo of the system
which is host to lower -grade mineralization and alteration on the southeast side of
Leviathan’s hypogene-enriched core . Despite this, HER-25-10 intersected 107.6 m of
0.38% Cu, 74 ppm Mo and 0.5 g/t Ag, along the hanging wall of the central porphyry.
HER-25-11 – suggests a potential fault offset of the system at the boundary between the
Company’s surface mining rights, which host strong hypogene enrichment, and largely
untested federal lands administered by the United States Forest Service (“ USFS”). This
interpretation is consistent with a sharp decrease in the Leviathan MT anomaly where it
shifts from a north-northeast trend to an east-trending orientation toward the headwaters of
Grade Creek. While additional drilling and IP geophysics on USFS l ands may be used to
investigate this weaker offset of the Leviathan anomaly in 2026, the Company’s current
focus remains on the significantly higher potential to the south, where the conductivity
anomaly strengthens on mineral rights the Company holds in fee simple.
HER-25-12 – intersected 56 m of bornite -chalcocite hypogene enrichment grading
0.89% Cu, within an overall intercept of 285 m of 0.47% Cu, defining a wide section of the
Footwall Zone from the lower-grade central porphyry, to the Footwall pyrite halo.
Table 2: Surveyed Drill Collar Locations
Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Depth (m) Azimuth Dip
HER-25-06 511892.24 4954965.31 1269.79 825.22 290 -69.94
HER-25-07 511759.37 4955859.65 1362.92 934.21 293.74 -45.19
HER-25-08 512093.82 4956826.69 1588.48 696.77 313.49 -84.75
HER-25-09 512214.89 4956235.16 1514.62 137.56 314.91 -53.72
HER-25-10 512068.01 4956608.69 1545.42 442.87 315 -69.06
HER-25-11 512093.82 4956826.69 1588.48 807.72 345 -54.24
HER-25-12 511816.25 4956580.58 1503.5 783.95 314.24 -55.33
Sample Analysis and QAQC
All drill core samples were prepped and analyzed at MSA Labs in Langley, British Columbia,
an ISO 17025 and ISO 9001 certified laboratory. Samples were dried and crushed to 2 mm,
from which a 250 g sub-sample split was then pulverized to 85% passing a 75 micron sieve.
Following preparation, assays were determined by the IMS-230 method. A 0.25 g aliquot of
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the prepared pulp was digested in a 4 -acid solution consisting of hydrochloric, nitric,
perchloric and hydrofluoric acids. 4 -acid is a near total digest and only the most highly
resistant minerals are not dissolved. The resulting solution was analyzed via ICP-MS and
ICP-ES for 48 elements and was corrected for inter -element spectral interferences. Lower
detection limits for this procedure are 0.01 ppm for silver, 0.5 ppm for lead, 2 ppm for zinc,
and 0.2 ppm for copper. Mercury is not reported due to volatilization in reaction with
hydrofluoric acid and gold is not reported due to the small, 0.25 g aliquot size being
insufficient to overcome the nugget effect.
Samples with initial results beyond the upper detection limit of the IMS -230 method were
analyzed by procedures ICF -6Ag, ICF -6Cu, ICF -6Pb and ICF -6Zn. The thresholds are
100 ppm for silver, and >1% for copper, lead and zinc.
A 30 g split from the crushed and pulverized samples are composited into larger 300 g
composite samples (consisting of ten continuous samples) and analyzed for gold utilizing
CPA-Au1 photon assay method. Certain material gold results from the composite samples
were then selected for re -analysis, by individual sample, as a 30 g fire assay (FAS -111
Method).
MSA Labs employs internal quality control standards, duplicates and blank samples at set
frequencies.
Blind certified reference materials (CRMs) and blank samples were systematically inserted
by the Company into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company’s quality
assurance/quality control protocol.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and
approved for disclosure by Dillon Hume, P.Geo. and Vice President, Exploration for the
Company. Mr. Hume is a "Qualified Person" for Hercules Metals within the meaning of
National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Hercules Metals Corp.
Hercules Metals Corp. (TSXV: BIG) (OTCQB: BADEF) (F SE: C0X) is an exploration
Company focused on developing America’s newest porphyry copper district, in Idaho.
The 100% owned Hercules Project , located northwest of Cambridge, hosts the newly
discovered Leviathan porphyry copper system, one of the most important new discoveries
in the country to date. The Company is well positioned for growth through continued drilling,
supported by a strategic investment from Barrick Mining Corporation.
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With the potential for significant scale, the Company’s management and board of directors
aims to deliver value to shareholders through proven discovery success.
For further information, please contact:
Chris Paul
CEO & Director
Telephone +1 (604) 670-5527
Email: [email protected]
Greg DiTomaso
Investor Relations
Telephone: +1 (647) 243-4074
Email: [email protected]
Dillon Hume
VP, Exploration
Telephone: +1 (604) 283-2043
Email: [email protected]
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any
of the securities in the United States. Any securities referred to herein have not and will not
be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ U.S.
Securities Act”) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United
States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable
state securities laws of an exemption from such registration is available.
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains certain information that may be deemed “forward -looking
information” with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws.
Such forward -looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties a nd
other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements,
or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance
or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking
information includes statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not
always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends,"
"estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will,"
"would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Forward -looking information contained in this
press release may include, without limitation, the expected execution of future exploration
programs on the Property; assay r esults of future drill holes; results of operations, and the
expected financial performance of the Company.