Gladiator Intersects 30m @ 1.03% Cu Within 52m @ 0.75% Cu in New Target Zones within the 2km Arctic Chief Trend
Gladiator Intersects 30m @ 1.03% Cu Within
52m @ 0.75% Cu in New Target Zones within
the 2km Arctic Chief Trend
SUMMARY
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 16, 2024) - Gladiator Metals Corp (TSXV:
GLAD) (OTCQB: GDTRF) (FSE: ZX7) ("
Gladiator
" or the "
Company
") is pleased to announce drill
results received from its maiden drill program on the "Arctic Chief Trend". The Arctic Chief Trend
stretches over 2km strike comprises the Arctic Chief and Best Chance prospects and is one of the 30
currently identified exploration targets within the Company's 35km long Whitehorse Copper Belt. The
maiden drill program was designed to target near surface high-grade copper skarn mineralization
identified by geophysics and surface mapping earlier this year.
Gladiator completed 13 holes (2,441m) drilled on new targets (Figure 1) including 6 holes at the Arctic
Chief prospect and 7 drillholes at the Best Chance prospect.
Significant Intercepts from Arctic Chief:
52m @ 0.75% Cu and 0.28g/t Au
from 142m including
30m @ 1.03% Cu and 0.33g/t Au
from
162m -
ACG-005.
2m @ 2.38% Cu
and 2.19g/t Au
from 103m-
ACG-002.
Significant Intercepts from Best Chance:
43m @ 0.65% Cu
from 16m including
19m @ 1.05% Cu
from 28m -
ACG-007.
52m @ 0.37% Cu
from 24m-
ACG-007D2.
Broad widths of copper-gold-silicate exoskarn mineralization were intersected in ACG-005 at Arctic
Chief and in ACG-007 at Best Chance which is 1.5km away from Arctic Chief. Silicate-rich exoskarn
mineralisation represents a new, previously unrecognised mineralization style that has not previously
been targeted for its resource potential along the Arctic Chief trend. The discovery of this new style of
silicate skarn mineralization away from historical drilling has significant regional targeting implications
for the remainder of the 35km long Whitehorse Copper Belt, much of which is under thin till cover and
has not been systematically explored.
Induced Polarization (IP) geophysical surveys were used to identify the target on the Artic Chief Trend.
Additional more detailed IP surveys and further shallow exploration drilling is planned to follow up on
initial success in early 2025. Drilling will test the continuity and extent of the recently discovered broad
widths of silicate skarn mineralization intersected in along the >2km trend. The 2025 drill program will
also be designed to vector to the higher-grade copper-magnetite skarn mineralization within the
extensive target trend.
Gladiator CEO, Jason Bontempo commented:
"The discovery of previously unrecognized, broad withs of mineralization at two separate prospects
highlights the lack of systematic exploration coverage across our 35km long Whitehorse Copper
Project. This early success indicates the potential of the district now that it is being targeted by a well
funded, dedicated technical team for the first time since mine closure in the 1980's.
Our fully funded 2025 exploration program will include follow up drilling designed to target higher
grade mineralized zones within the broader envelope of lower grade copper-skarn mineralization."
Figure 1: Plan map of the Arctic Chief Trend with copper-gold skarn targets identified. Recently
collated historical drill results with a cumulative Copper%*m of > 40 highlighted. Recent surface rock
chipping completed by Gladiator also shown.
Drill results subject to this release highlighted in yellow
.
Inset image shows target trends over regional drone aeromagnetics.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/233891_8174b08304e09b71_002full.jpg
ARCTIC CHIEF TREND DRILLING
Gladiator has received assay results for 13 holes drilled on new targets within the 2km long Arctic Chief
mineralised trend (Figure 1). This drill program was designed to:
Test the resource potential of near surface, high-grade copper mineralization around the previously
mined Arctic Chief open pit (Figure 2).
Provide a first pass drill test of the recently mapped Best Chance prospect, where a coincident
~450m long magnetic high was defined by the Company's 2024 drone aeromagnetic surveys was
thought to represent copper-magnetite skarn mineralization.
Test significant exploration upside including extensions to known high-grade copper skarn
mineralization and test sub-parallel trends.
Test the resource potential of the endoskarn copper silicate mineralization between the previously
exploited magnetite-copper-gold skarn and the granite contact that has not been systematically
targeted or sampled in historic drilling.
Test the economic potential of co-products to copper mineralization, in particular gold that had
been noted from historic production records but that was not assayed systematically in historical
drilling.
ARCTIC CHIEF DRILLING
Gladiator has received assay results for 6 diamond drill holes (ACG-001 to ACG-005) for 1,146m
(Figure 2) at Arctic Chief with significant intercepts from ACG-005 and ACG-002 including (refer to
Table 1 for full details):
52m @ 0.75% Cu and 0.28g/t Au
from 142m including
30m @ 1.03% Cu and 0.33g/t Au
from
162m -
ACG-005.
2m @ 2.38% Cu
and 2.19g/t Au
from 103m-
ACG-002.
Mineralization reported in ACG-002 is consistent with high grade copper-gold-magnetite skarn
mineralization previously mined at the Arctic Chief open pit. ACG-005 encountered broad widths of high-
grade copper-gold-silicate skarn (refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4). This represents a new, previously
unrecognised mineralization style that has not previously been targeted along the Arctic Chief trend. This
is significant as these mineralized bodies do not display high tenor magnetic signatures and are found
on the gradient away from previously mined magnetite-skarn bodies, that are traditionally directly
targeted through the use of geophysics (magnetic highs). As such these results highlight the
underexplored resource potential of the >2km Arctic Chief mineralized trend that has been mapped on
surface but remains undrilled.
Follow up Induced Polarization (IP) geophysical surveys have highlighted a significant, undrilled
chargeable anomaly, thought to represent undrilled copper sulphide bodies, up dip of ACG-005 that will
be the targeted in the Company's 2025 drill program (Figure 3).
Figure 2: Plan map of Arctic Chief over LIDAR DTM. Gladiator drill collars colored by sum Cu% x
Length (m) historical collars marked.
Drill results subject to this release highlighted in yellow
.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/233891_8174b08304e09b71_003full.jpg
Figure 3: Section 6725060mN through the Arctic Chief prospect looking 0
o
(approximately North)
showing recently returned assay results along the interpreted granite-skarn boundary with recently
returned Induced Polarization (Chargeability). Section Line is marked on Figure 2 for reference.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/233891_8174b08304e09b71_004full.jpg
Figure 4 - Hole ACG-005: Section of High-Grade Skarn Mineralization, 30m @ 1.03% Cu and 0.33g/t
Au from 162m showing garnet-diopside (silicate) skarn with interstitial ragged blebs of chalcopyrite up
to 10cm in size.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/233891_8174b08304e09b71_005full.jpg
BEST CHANCE DRILLING
Gladiator has received assay results for 7 diamond drill holes from 7 holes completed (ACG-006 to
ACG007D3) for 1,295m (Figure 5) at Best Chance. Significant Intercepts were returned from ACG-007
and ACG-007D2):
43m @ 0.65% Cu
from 16m including
19m @ 1.05% Cu
from 28m -
ACG-007
52m @ 0.37% Cu
from 24m-
ACG-007D2
The mineralization reported in ACG-007 (Figure 6) represents a newly discovered mineralised zone
consistent with broad widths of high-grade copper-gold-silicate skarns now intercepted over more than
650m of strike through the contiguous Best and Chance and Grafter prospect areas (Figure 5).
Drilling was designed specifically to test a 350m long undrilled high-magnetic anomaly (Figure 5) thought
to represent untested high-grade copper-magnetite skarn mineralisation within the 2km long mineralized
Arctic Chief trend.
Collated historic drilling (51 holes for 5,038 metres), highlights significant mineralization that remains
unmined and extends over more than 250m with mineralisation remaining open along strike and at
depth. Significant "downhole mineralization" includes (refer to Gladiator NR dated November 2
nd
, 2023
for details) [should identify if these are magnetite or silicate skarn and if there are no Au assays, then we
should state no Au assay].
BCH-024:
15.94m @ 3.19%
Cu from 29.96m
BCH-022:
16m @ 1.6% Cu
from 25.15m
BCH-029:
14.94m @ 1.75%
Cu from 27.43m
BCH-023:
46.27m @ 1.0%
Cu from 24.38m
BCH-010:
20.18m @ 1.5% Cu
from 88.51m including
10.36m @ 2.56% Cu
from 93.09m
BCH-006:
51.66m @ 0.67% Cu
from 12.13m
BCH-037:
17.07m @ 1.5%
Cu from 74.37m
This historical drilling highlights the local potential for areas of higher-grade mineralisation with up to
15.94m @ 3.19% Cu
intercepted in BCH-024.
Follow up work including Induced Polarization (IP) geophysical surveys and further shallow exploration
drilling is planned to follow up this initial drilling program and to vector to higher grade copper-magnetite
skarn mineralisation within the prospect area.
Figure 5: Plan map of Best Chance over LIDAR DTM and regional drone aeromagnetics. Gladiator
drill collars colored by sum Cu% x Length (m), historical collars marked.
Drill results subject to this
release highlighted in yellow.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/233891_8174b08304e09b71_006full.jpg
Figure 6 - Hole ACG-007: Section of Copper Skarn Mineralization, 19m @ 1.05% Cu from 28m within
43m @ 0.65% Cu from 16m showing garnet-diopside (silicate) skarn with interstitial ragged blebs of
bornite up to 5cm in size.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/233891_8174b08304e09b71_007full.jpg
EXPLORATION STRATEGY
The announced drilling on the Arctic Chief trend (2,441m) formed part of a planned 11,000m, summer