Gladiator Metals Announces Additional High- Grade Copper Drill Intercepts
Gladiator Metals Announces Additional High-
Grade Copper Drill Intercepts
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) -
Gladiator Metals Corp.
(TSXV: GLAD)
(OTC Pink: GDTRF) (FSE: ZX7) ("
Gladiator
" or the "
Company
"), a mineral exploration company
focused on the advancement of multiple high-grade copper prospects in Canada's Whitehorse Copper
Belt, is pleased to provide an update on ongoing data compilation of historic drilling for the high-grade,
historically producing Whitehorse Copper Project.
Gladiator has continued to identify significant near-term shallow exploration targets
outside of the
historic areas of operation at the Whitehorse Copper Project, supported by
the recent collation of
historical drilling completed on the advanced Cowley Park prospect. Collation of the historic data has
identified a further 53 drill holes to those previously reported by the Company, and the addition of further
shallow, high-grade mineralized drill intercepts, including the following previously unreleased results:
CP-040:
89.61m @ 1.89%
Cu from 26.21m
CP-018:
57.91m @ 1.27%
Cu from 53.04m
CP-053:
27.7m @ 2.74%
Cu from 8.69m
Inc:
7.83m @ 8.34% Cu
from 23.93m
CP-081:
71.44m @ 1.10%
Cu from 41.64m
Inc:
20.72m @ 2.64%
Cu from 81.69m
CP-119:
36.27m @ 2.28%
Cu from 72.24m
CP-122:
56.17m @ 1.61%
Cu from 56.91m
Inc:
17.07m @ 2.25%
Cu from 92.05m
CP-127:
62.48m @ 1.17%
Cu from 59.74m
Inc:
3.05m @ 19.85%
Cu from 102.72m
CP-011:
32.31m @ 1.16%
Cu from 37.49m
CP-024:
44.19m @ 1.43%
Cu from 51.82m
CP-028:
44.5m @ 1.18%
Cu from 83.21m
CP-060:
28.2m @ 1.82%
Cu from 23.62m
And 17.47m at 1.08% Cu from 60.41m
CP-063:
45.36m @ 1.26%
Cu from 48.46m
CP-066:
40.27m @ 1.45%
Cu from 23.62m
Inc:
15.55m @ 2.70%
Cu from 23.62m
CP-088:
45.59m @ 1.10%
Cu from 51.15m
CP-120:
33.34m @ 1.59%
Cu from 72.12m
Mineralization at Cowley remains open at depth and along strike (with mineralization drilled
to date to a maximum of 150m vertical depth only).
Compiled historical drilling was generally limited to selective sampling and assaying for
copper only. Gladiator intends to assay all future drilling and sampling for additional credits
including Molybdenum, Silver and Gold which were proven contributors to the economics of
historic operations.
The Whitehorse Copper Project includes 30 known prospects within a 35km x 5km area,
with shallow, high grade copper drill results reported from multiple prospects.
The project has undergone limited systematic drilling external to historic mining activity (open
cut pits and underground mine stopes) and near surface residual historic reserves, that
remain open along strike, down dip, and in-between known copper occurrences.
Cowley Park
The Company recently completed collating historic drilling at the Cowley Park Prospect, compiling 219
holes for approximately 24,500 meters of previous drilling, including a further 53 drill holes that were
previously unreported.
The collation of drilling has
identified high-grade copper skarn mineralization that has now been
traced over more than 700m strike
(Figure 1) in historical drilling. Mineralization remains open in all
directions with the most southeasterly hole, 19-CP-08 intersecting 43.28m @ 2.24% Cu from 93.27m,
the most northwesterly hole, CP-053 intersecting 27.70m @ 2.74% Cu from 33.98m and the most
easterly hole intersecting 3.05m @ 2.12% Cu from 68.88m and 10.37m @ 1.95% Cu from 119.63m
(Figure 1).
Mineralization at Cowley Park is interpreted to consist of multiple bodies, dipping shallowly to the south-
west, with identified mineralization in historic drilling remaining open at depth with the deepest intervals
drilled to date being 13.84m @ 1.26% Cu from 130.64m (18-CP-03) remaining open at depth (please
refer to Figure 1 below for details).
Figure 1: Plan map of the advanced Cowley Park Copper Prospect. Recently collated historical drill
results with a cumulative Copper%*m of >40 highlighted.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/160995_b0e50f94c46cb80c_002full.jpg
The following results provide further detail on the drill results at Cowley Park illustrated in Figure 1 above
Cowley Park, identifying significant "downhole mineralization", that has not been previously reported by
Company, and help to illustrate the shallow nature of the historical drilling that has been completed to
date:
CP-003: 16.76m @ 2.27% Cu from Surface
CP-005: 9.14m @ 3.41% Cu from Surface and 7.62m @ 1.66% Cu from 21.34m to EOH
CP-011: 32.31m @ 1.16% Cu from 37.49m
CP-016: 32.92m @ 1.49% Cu from Surface, Including 14.51m @ 2.4% Cu from Surface
CP-018: 57.91m @ 1.27% Cu from 53.04m
CP-019: 30.48m @ 1.07% Cu from 99.67m
CP-020: 32.31m @ 0.76% Cu from 161.54m
CP-023: 16.61m @ 1.49% Cu from 38.1m
CP-024: 44.19m @ 1.43% Cu from 97.54m, including 30.48m @ 1.85% Cu from 97.54m
CP-026: 41.76m @ 1.06% Cu from 95.4m
CP-028: 44.50m @ 1.18% Cu from 142.65m
CP-030: 38.41m @ 0.65% Cu from 137.16m
CP-034: 41.45m @ 0.89% Cu from 47.55m, Including 3.66m @ 1.14% Cu from 47.55m, 5.18m@
1.18% Cu from 67.21m, 8.08m @ 1.18% Cu from 67.21m and 7.62m @ 1.32% Cu from 81.38m
CP-038: 31.7m @ 0.89% Cu from 93.88m, Including 10.67m @ 1.51% Cu from 93.88m
CP-039: 62.49m @ 0.65% Cu from 152.4m
CP-040: 89.61m @ 1.89% Cu from 26.21m
CP-042: 17.07m @ 1.41% Cu from 88.09m
CP-053: 27.7m @ 2.74% Cu from 8.69m, Including 7.83m @ 8.34% Cu from 23.93m
CP-059: 17.65m @1.15% Cu from 76.2m
CP-060: 28.2m @ 1.82% Cu from 23.62m and 17.47 @ 1.08% Cu from 60.41m
CP-061: 4.12m @ 4.63% Cu from 80.31m
CP-063: 45.36m @ 1.26% Cu from 48.46m
CP-064: 44.96m @ 0.52% Cu from 26.88m
CP-065: 34.35@ 0.87% Cu from 55.17m
CP-066: 40.27m 1.45% Cu from 23.62m, Including 15.55m @ 2.7% Cu from 23.62m
CP-068: 39.63m @ 0.7% Cu from 70.1m
CP-081: 71.44m @ 1.10% Cu from 41.64m, Including 20.72m @ 2.64% Cu from 81.69m
CP-084: 12.68m @ 1.57% Cu from 93.7m
CP-088: 45.59m@ 1.10% Cu from 51.15, Including 13.16m @ 2.76% Cu from 51.15
CP-097: 3.05m @ 2.12% Cu from 68.88m and 10.37m @ 1.95% Cu from 119.63m
CP-113: 19.72m @ 1.34% Cu from 62.48m
CP-114: 38.1m @ 0.6% Cu from 59.44m
CP-116: 21.64m @ 1.07% Cu from 75.29m
CP-117: 46.94m @ 0.68% Cu from 73.46m
CP-119: 36.27m @ 2.28% Cu from 72.24m
CP-120: 33.34m@ 1.59% Cu from 72.12m, including 22.86m @ 2.05% Cu from 82.6m
CP-122: 56.17m @ 1.61% Cu from 56.91m
CP-126: 2.72m @ 14.68% Cu from 71.29m
CP-127: 62.48m @ 1.17% Cu, Including 3.05m @ 19.85% Cu from 102.72m
CP-133: 2.9m @ 6.95% Cu from 67.51m
CP-140: 7.87m @ 3.85% cu from 36.33m and 1.34m @ 8.37% Cu from 62.67m
CP-142: 8.66m @ 2.33% Cu from 48.77m
LDN-2017 30.79m @ 1.01% Cu from 102.41m and 3.66m @ 2.41% Cu from 144.78m
LDN-2017B: 3.89m @ 7.78% Cu from 72.92m
LDN-2017C: 11.82m @ 1.46% Cu from 67.28m and 11.82m @ 1.46% Cu from 67.28m
18-CP-03: 10.36m @ 1.67% Cu from 83.21m, 21.03m @ 0.67% Cu from 101.19m and 13.84m @
1.26% Cu from 130.64m, including 5.19m @ 2.78% Cu from 139.29m
18-CP-09: 6.71m @ 6.89% Cu from 26.82m and 5.49m @ 2.11% Cu from 54.86m
Figure 2: Type Drill Section of the advanced Cowley Park Copper Prospect. Recently collated
historical drill results, section
shows the widths and shallow nature of the mineralization drilled to
date
, (505,850mE)
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/160995_b0e50f94c46cb80c_003full.jpg
Historically, much of the project area has been held by multiple parties before its consolidation into a
coherent land package by the projects vendor, H. Coyne & Sons Ltd.
As a result, exploration outside of
historically producing areas has been sporadic and unfocussed to date, including the Cowley Park
prospect.
At the Cowley Park prospect, diamond drilling was carried out in the late 1960s by New Imperial Mines
Limited (NIM), with drilling loosely defining the main mineralized zone. More thorough drilling was
conducted in the early 1970s by Whitehorse Copper Mines Ltd (WCM).
Drilling completed by WCM,
defined a shallow historical reserve prior to the implementation of National Instrument 43-101 that was
never exploited before the closure of the Whitehorse Copper Mine. Further drilling was completed at
Cowley Park by Yankee Hat Minerals Ltd (2008) Lobo Del Norte Ltd (2016-18) and H.Coyne & Sons
Ltd. (2018-20).
Gladiator commenced consolidating the historic drilling at Cowley Park late last year, as part of an
overall digital data consolidation of drilling and mining activity of the entire Project. This represents the
first time a comprehensive review of regional datasets has been undertaken since the mine(s) closure in
1989.
The Cowley Park, compilation comprised entering and registering historic drilling from the original
geological drill logs and assay data held by the Yukon Government Archives or reported in Assessment
reports and/or excel spreadsheets completed by geologists from previous operators and H. Coyne &
Sons Ltd. that were referenced in the report released by the Company on the 7th February, 2023 titled
"NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Whitehorse Copper Project Yukon Territory".
This data was captured by Gladiator and recorded in digital format, validated, and loaded into an
industry standard database for the first time. This work identified a large amount of drilling (219 holes),
including the addition of 53 holes from archival geological drill logs.
Historic downhole drill hole intercepts at Cowley Park previously reported by Gladiator (refer to the
Company's news release dated February 13, 2023) included:
CP-112: 54.25m @ 1.79% Cu from 41.76m, including 10.67m @ 6.93% Cu from 85.34m
CP-115: 20.73m @ 1.19% Cu from 47.85m and 32.62m @ 2.46% Cu from 80.77m
CP-125: 23.32m @ 3.53% cu from 51.51m, including 18.44m @ 4.42% Cu, from 56.39m
downhole & 10.31m @ 1.41% Cu from 87.84m
CP-144: 53.38m @ 1.35% Cu from 19.17m, including 38.57m @ 1.73% Cu, 7.15 g/t Ag from
33.98m
18-CP-03: 10.36m @ 1.67% Cu from 83.21m, 21.03m @ 0.67% Cu from 101.19m, 13.84m @
1.26% Cu from 130.64m
18-CP-06: 31.09m @ 1.27% Cu from 71.02m, including 23.04m @ 1.59% Cu, 10.28 g/t Ag from
74.98m
19-CP-08: 43.28m @ 2.24% Cu from 93.27m, including 40.54m @ 2.36% Cu & 4.75 g/t Ag from
95.1m, including 13.72m @ 5.41% Cu & 19.22 g/t Ag from 109.42 m
Holes were drilled at various dips on nominal grid with lines oriented ~011 degrees, with holes CP-001 -
135 analyzed for predominantly Copper exclusively by the operators internal laboratory. A complete list
of the complied holes, significant intercepts, and their details, including their drill collar location, direction
of the hole (dip and azimuth) and hole depth can be found at:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mn25VTZ5DSvCH-
NfXUYRnCmB6WxwWVE5NVYMdYKd41U/edit#gid=1204953821
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 and practices.
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.
Exploration Update
The Company is carrying out a significant data compilation and review of the available historic drilling
over the greater tenement package. 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 3 below).
Figure 3: Plan map of the Whitehorse Copper Project showing geology and location of key prospects
within the main trend (Quoted Historic Resources and Reserves after Tenny, D (1984) & Watson, P.H.
(1984).
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/160995_b0e50f94c46cb80c_004full.jpg
Reference to historic resources and reserves at the Whitehorse Copper Project are taken from publicly
available reports mainly, The Whitehorse Copper Belt, Mining and Geology (1967-1980) prepared by
Tenney, D in 1984 for the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. Additional information was taken
from the report by Watson, P.H, 1984 The Whitehorse Copper belt - A Compilation, prepared for the
Yukon Geological Survey. These documents can be found at the following links:
https://data.geology.gov.yk.ca/Reference/42205#InfoTab
https://data.geology.gov.yk.ca/Reference/42011#InfoTab
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 Ore 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.
Moving forward, the Company's initial exploration plan will focus on defining and extending mineralization
at the Cowley Park Copper deposit, with diamond drilling scheduled to commence in April. Cowley Park
had reached feasibility stage before operations were shut down in 1982. Identified mineralisation at
Cowley remains open along strike and down dip.
Prior to the recent collation of drilling completed by
Gladiator, drilling has never been fully collated and displayed in modern three-dimensional mining
related software.
Additionally, in the short term, Gladiator has commenced logging and sampling of approximately 10,000
meters of unassayed core from exploration drilling completed in recent years that is yet to be assayed
and logged.
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.
About 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 skarn ore 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 by incurring exploration expenditure 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