13.3% Copper Sampled at Arctic Chief Prospect Recent Field Mapping and Rock Chip Results Supports Shallow, High-Grade Historical Drilling Data at the Arctic Chief Prospect
13.3% Copper Sampled at Arctic Chief
Prospect
Recent Field Mapping and Rock Chip Results Supports
Shallow, High-Grade Historical Drilling Data at the Arctic Chief
Prospect
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 31, 2023) -
Gladiator Metals Corp.
(TSXV: GLAD)
(OTC Pink: GDTRF) (FSE: ZX7) ("
Gladiator
" or the "
Company
"), is pleased to announce an update to
its ongoing data compilation of historic drilling and the identification of the largely untested shallow, high-
grade, Arctic Chief Prospect, at the historically producing Whitehorse Copper Project.
HISTORICAL DRILL RESULTS - ARCTIC CHIEF PROSPECT:
Historical drill intersections at Arctic Chief
external to the previously mined areas includes mineralization
that remains open both along strike and at depth, with best results including:
AC-015: 17.1m @ 1.52% Cu from 26.49m
AC-013: 13.35m @ 1.42% Cu from 20.85m
AC-051: 6.79m @ 3.14% Cu Fr 80.47m
AC-035: 6.71m @ 2.24% Cu Fr 29.44m
RECENT MAPPING AND CONFIRMATORY ROCK CHIP RESULTS - ARCTIC CHIEF PROSPECT
Geological continuity of outcropping high-grade copper and gold mineralization in the wider area
surrounding Arctic Chief has been established by recent field mapping and rock chip results
where
mineralization remains open both along strike and at depth at all of the defined prospect areas
and
include:
13.3% Cu and 5.53g/t Au (H678364 - ~110m Nth of West Pit)
8.05% Cu and 10.1g/t Au (H678301 - ~80m SW of West Pit)
4.69% Cu and 4.46g/t Au (H678374 - ~140m SSE of East Pit)
5.8% Cu and 1.8g/t Au (H678375 - ~130m SSW of East Pit)
Only limited exploration has been completed to date away from identified mineralization in the
wider Arctic Chief Prospect area, providing Gladiator with an opportunity to consolidate multiple
target areas through ongoing regional mapping, sampling and geophysical programs aimed at
further refining drill targets in the area.
Historical drilling completed by the operator was selectively sampled for high-grade copper only.
Given the high-grade gold reported in recent rock chipping results (up to 10.10 g/t Au - Sample
H678301), Gladiator intends to assay all future drilling and sampling for additional credits including
gold, silver and molybdenum which were proven contributors to the economics of historic
operations.
Gladiator CEO, Jason Bontempo, commented:
"Gladiator is pleased to have identified another priority work area from its data compilation of historic
drilling datasets. Drilling and past production from the Arctic Chief prospect remains shallow and is
open in all directions. Excitingly initial field work from Gladiators summer field programs highlights the
wider potential of the prospect with high grade copper and gold identified in multiple surface outcrops.
"Field crews are still active in the Whitehorse Copper belt with regional scale mapping, sampling and
geophysical programs taking place in the summer months. We look forward to updating the market in
the coming months with results from this regional exploration, further data compilation of historic
drilling, assays from previously unlogged and unsampled core as well news from Gladiators planned
4,000m diamond drill campaign at Cowley Park."
The Arctic Chief Prospect
Arctic Chief comprises two shallow open cut pits (East & West) that are less than ~40m deep that
exploited very high-grade ore near surface ~4km to the NW of the Historic Little Chief Mine &
Processing Facility. According to Watson
1
(1984),
Artic Chief reported production totaling 202,000
tonnes of copper ore grading 1.4% Cu and 1.0 g/t gold
". Watson 1984 - "
The Whitehorse Copper Belt
- A Compilation".
https://data.geology.gov.yk.ca/Reference/42011#InfoTab
Previous successful exploitation of the Arctic Chief prospect was limited in scope and remains shallow
(please refer to Figure 1 below for details). Very limited drilling has been undertaken outside of these
past producing deposits with mineralization remaining open both along strike and at depth at all of the
defined prospect areas.
The Company recently completed collating historic drilling, completed a LIDAR survey and undertaken
reconnaissance, prospecting and sampling of outcropping Cu-Au skarn mineralization proximal to the
Arctic Chief mining pits.
The recently collated historic drilling (56 holes for 6,819 metres) none of which had been previously
reported by the Company, identified significant mineralization that has been exploited by mining and
further mineralization that remains unmined and extends along strike from the historic pits. Significant
"downhole mineralization" includes:
Unmined Intersections:
AC-015: 17.1m @ 1.52% Cu from 26.49m
AC-013: 13.35m @ 1.42% Cu from 20.85m
AC-051: 6.79m @ 3.14% Cu Fr 80.47m
AC-035: 6.71m @ 2.24% Cu Fr 29.44m
Mined Intersections:
XAC-001 21.33m @ 1.48% Cu from 6.1m
XAC-002: 8.43m @ 2.31% Cu from 37.75m
XAC-004: 30.48m @ 1.83% Cu from 15.24m
AC-002:
21.03m @ 3.95% Cu
from 21.34m
including 9.75m @ 7.81% Cu
from 29.87m
AC-009:
23.17m @ 1.10% Cu
from 19.2m
AC-010:
27.09m @ 1.49% Cu
from 23.2m
including 9.96m @ 3.18% Cu
from 40.33m
AC-022:
11.34m @ 2.06% Cu
from 35.72m
AC-026:
14.2m @ 1.8% Cu
from 22.04m,
including 7.62m @ 3.01% Cu from 23.56m
Holes were drilled at various dips on variable, prospect specific, nominal grids. Gladiator obtained the
drill records and logs from the Yukon Geological Survey archives and have captured the data within an
industry standard database and has been validated.
A complete list of the collated historic drilling noted above, including hole location, azimuth and dip can
be accessed at:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PxqggUeUaR5X0MjNWToGq4S44mVnQ3MjnWPIM4RamlY/edit#gid=1892461326
Figure 1: Plan map of the Arctic Chief Prospect Target Area. Recently collated historical drill results
with a cumulative Copper%*m of >40 highlighted. In addition, all recent surface rock chipping
completed by Gladiator geologists as part of the summer exploration campaign is shown.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/175416_411e7d57f4797a0f_002full.jpg
In conjunction to the drill data compilation, Gladiator undertook reconnaissance and sampling of
outcropping mineralization proximal to the Arctic Chief pits. Sampling identified that significant potential
to identify further mineralization remains external to the mined pits, with sampling reporting significant
mineralization along strike from the pits, including:
Line of outcropping skarn mineralization over 50m of strike,
110m North (West Pit), that
returned:
13.3% Cu and 5.53g/t Au (H678364)
7.01% Cu and 0.8 g/t Au (H678287)
2.03% Cu and 4.3 g/t Au (H678288)
Outcropping skarn mineralization,
~90m South (West Pit) and along strike from hole AC-035
(6.71m at 2.24), that returned:
8.05% Cu and 10.1g/t Au (H678301)
Outcropping skarn mineralization,
~120-150m to the South and SSW (East Pit), along strike
from holes AC-013 (13.35m @ 1.42% Cu) and AC-015 (17.1m @ 1.52% Cu), that returned:
4.69% Cu and 4.46g/t Au (H678374)
4.40% Cu and 0.6 g/t Au (H678373) and
5.8% Cu and 1.8 g/t Au (H678375) reported from a mineralized Skarn on the edge of
the southern waste dump
Unmined mineralization in or adjacent to the southern pit wall
(West Pit)
,
that returned:
1.5% Cu and 1.9 g/t Au (H678302)
0.87% Cu and 1.97 g/t Au (H678303)
A complete list of rock chip sampling by Gladiator Metals, including location and generalized geology
can be found at:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PxqggUeUaR5X0MjNWToGq4S44mVnQ3MjnWPIM4RamlY/edit#gid=788939843
Regional Exploration
Work completed to date has identified more than 30, drill ready, high-grade regional targets associated
with copper rich skarns at the contact between the Cretaceous age Whitehorse Plutonic Suite and the
Triassic to Jurassic Lewes River Group's clastic and carbonate metasediments. Cumulatively, there is
more than 35km of underexplored strike on the contact which is highly prospective for high-grade
copper+/-molybdenum+/-silver+/- gold (refer to Figure 2 below).
Figure 2: Plan map of the Whitehorse Copper Project showing geology and location of key prospects
within the main trend please refer to
Company's news releases dated February 13, 2023 and April 3,
2023
for details.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/175416_411e7d57f4797a0f_003full.jpg
Gladiator's position is enhanced at Whitehorse, with the project having near year-round access for work
programs, including an established road and drill access network, low capital infrastructure requirements
due to the project's proximity to Whitehorse and a strong partnership with the owners of the Whitehorse
Copper Project, an experienced local drilling service provider.
QA / QC and Data Verification
The drill results reported in this news release are historical in nature. Gladiator has not undertaken any
independent investigation, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work
in order to verify the results.
The Company believes that the historical drill results do not conform
to the presently accepted industry standards.
Gladiator considers these historical drill results
relevant as the Company will use this data as a guide to plan future exploration and drilling programs.
The Company also considers the data to be reliable for these purposes, however, the Company's future
exploration work will include verification of the data through drilling.
The Company has provided drill
results derived form the compilation of historic data relating to prospects which were mined or partially
mined by prior operators.
The Company is using this data as it attempts to identify trends within the
prospect areas.
The Company expects to use this data as a guide to plan future exploration and drilling
programs.
The historical mineral resources discussed in this press release were calculated using mining industry
standard practices for estimating Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves prior to the implementation of
the current CIM standards for mineral resource estimation (as defined by the CIM Definition Standard on
Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves dated May 10, 2014). The reader is cautioned not to treat
them, or any part of them, as current mineral resources or reserves. An independent Qualified Person
('QP'), has not done sufficient work to classify the estimate discussed as current mineral resources or
reserves and therefore the estimate should be treated as historical in nature and not current mineral
resources or mineral reserves. The historical resources have been included simply to demonstrate the
mineral potential of the Whitehorse Copper Project. A thorough review of all historical data performed by
a QP, along with additional exploration work to confirm results, would be required in order to produce a
current mineral resource estimate for each of the key prospects.
For greater certainty, the Company
confirms that it does not have a current mineral resource on any part of its Whitehorse Copper Project.
Rock Chip Sampling
Rock chip samples are collected and identified by the Company's Geologists who are undertaking
regional mapping and sampling throughout the Company's Tenure. Rock chip samples are selectively
taken from observed outcrops, subcrops and float material as determined relevant by the geologist.
Samples are geologically logged, recorded with a sampling ticket that matches the submitted sample
and located by Handheld GPS (+/- 5m accuracy). The samples are then sent for analysis. Certified
Reference Materials (CRMs) or known blank material is placed within the sampling sequence on an ad-
hoc basis. All samples were submitted to the ALS Global Laboratory (Canada).
Samples subject to this release were crushed to 70% less than 2mm before pulverizing to better than
85% passing 75 microns. Samples were then analysed by ALS method Au-AA25 (30g Fire Assay - Ore
Grade Au with AA finish), ME-ICP61 (33 elements Aqua Regia with ICP-MS finish), with over limits for
Cu analysed by method CU-OG62 and Ag by Ag-OG62 (Aqua Regia with ICP-MS finish). As part of this
process, Gladiator also captures the required sampling metadata.
Rock Chip
Sampling results are relevant as a guide to plan future exploration and drilling
programs and are not necessarily representative of mineralization throughout the prospect as
they are highly selective by nature.
At this point the Company regards the data collected from this
exercise as reliable for the purposes of identifying future exploration targets and may be used to inform
future drilling and exploration campaigns.
The Whitehorse Copper Project
The Whitehorse Copper Project is an advanced-stage copper (Cu) ± molybdenum (Mo) ± silver (Ag) ±
gold (Au) skarn exploration project in the Yukon Territory, Canada. The property comprises 314
contiguous claims covering approximately 5,380 Hectares (13,294 acres) in the Whitehorse Mining
District.
Copper mineralization was first discovered in 1897 on the Whitehorse Copper Belt, as it became to be
known. The Whitehorse Copper Belt comprised over 30 copper-related, primarily skarn occurrences
covering an area of 35 by 5 km in a north westerly trending arc.
Exploration and mining development
have been carried out intermittently since that time with the main production era lasting between 1967
and 1982 where production totaled 267,500,000 pounds copper, 225,000 ounces of gold and 2,838,000
ounces of silver from 11.1 million tons of mineralized material milled (Watson, 1984).
The Project is accessible through with numerous access roads and trails located within 2 km of the
South Klondike Highway and the Alaska Highway.
An extensive network of historical gravel exploration
and haul roads exists throughout the project area, providing excellent access to the majority of the claim
package. Access to existing electric power facilities is available through the main Yukon power grid.
In November 2022, Gladiator executed an option agreement to acquire 100% of the Whitehorse Copper
Project (the "
Option
") by incurring exploration expenditures of $12m on the project, staged payment of
$300,000 in cash and the staged issue of 15m shares over 6 years. Following the exercise of the
Option, the Company must pay the Optionor, or such other person(s) as the Optionor may direct from
time to time, a 1.0% net smelter returns royalty on the Whitehorse Copper Project.
Qualified Person
All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared or reviewed and
approved by Kell Nielsen, the Company's Vice President Exploration,
a "qualified person" as defined by
NI 43-101.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
"
Jason Bontempo
"
Jason Bontempo
President and CEO
For further information contact:
Dustin Zinger, Investor Relations
+1-604-653-9464
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United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "
U.S. Securities Act
") or any state securities
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Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements"
or "forward-looking information". Any statements or information that express or involve discussions
with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future
events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates",
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the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, the need for additional
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The Company's forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs,
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required by applicable securities laws, the
Company
does
not
assume
any
obligation
to
update
forward-looking
statements
and
information
if circumstances or management's assumptions, beliefs,
expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or
information.
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