Gold Hart Copper to Upsize Financing Due to Strong Investor Demand Intends to Add Another Drill Rig at Tolita North of the Lundin-Filo-BHP Vicuña Complex & Accelerate Exploration at Nessa West of the Kinross La Coipa Gold Mine
Gold Hart Copper to
Upsize Financing Due to
Strong Investor Demand
Intends to Add Another Drill Rig at Tolita North of the
Lundin-Filo-BHP Vicuña Complex & Accelerate Exploration
at Nessa West of the Kinross La Coipa Gold Mine
February 20, 2026 7:36 AM EST | Source: Gold Hart Copper Corp.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 20, 2026) - Gold Hart Copper Corp. (TSXV: HART)
(the "Company", "Gold Hart", "Gold Hart Copper", or "HART") is pleased to provide an update in
regards to its acquisition of Rhyolite Resources Ltd. and the concurrent financing.
Per the Company's prior announcement (Feb. 17, 2026), Gold Hart Copper signed an agreement
to acquire Rhyolite Resources Ltd. concurrent to a financing of a minimum of $4-Million up to a
maximum $10-Million. The Company currently intends to upsize this financing, and will likely
close on approximately $10-Million up to a maximum of $15-Million, although there has been
demand well in excess of that number.
Gold Hart Copper believes the upsized financing can significantly accelerate exploration at its
portfolio of properties. Gold Hart is currently amongst the largest independent land owners
surrounding major miners where the famous Maricunga Gold Belt meets the emerging Vicuña
Copper Belt - with the Tolita, Toro, Zelma, Cachitos, and Casale Sur properties. Additionally, HART
recently completed a roll-up of four historic assets on the Domeyko Fault System just west of
Kinross' La Coipa Gold Mine, known as the Nessa Complex and comprised of four primary mining
claims Nessa, Ringo, Manto Carolina, and Rebecca with high grades on surface and including 14
historic artisanal gold & copper mining pits.
Tolita - North of Lundin's Caserones and BHP-Filo-Lundin Vicuña Joint-Venture - Vicuña
District
Tolita hosts a large 4.5km IP anomaly, recently expanded 76% from the initial 2.4km anomaly. In
3 historic shallow (200m) RC drill holes, Tolita was shown to have long intercepts of gold &
copper in all 3 holes, including 150m & 164m of mineralization in the 2 better holes. Gold Hart
added 2 diamond drill holes of approximately 600m each, confirming the presence of a porphyry
system, and 360m and 231m of gold, copper, and molybdenum mineralization, respectively. Gold
Hart is currently in the process of completing its deepest drill hole yet, expected to exceed
1km, and hopes to be in a position to announce completion of the hole in the coming days.
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In addition to the encouraging drilling and large geophysical anomaly, Tolita has had 5,600m of
trenching, including many intercepts of gold grades on surface. For example, 9 long trenches
averaged 95m each with an average gold grade of 0.21g/t, including up to 1.71g/t gold. Tolita also
hosts higher grades on surface, with up to 52g/t gold equivalent including 3.99% copper.
As prior announced, Gold Hart intends to add an additional drill rig at Tolita's highest-grade
trench - with up to 52g/t gold equivalent including 3.99% copper on surface - within 10m of
8.61g/t gold. Gold Hart expects to have this drill rig on site by early March. This will be an RC drill
rig to completement the diamond drill already on site. The objective of the RC campaign is to
demonstrate higher grade pockets closer to surface, beyond the larger porphyry target being
targeted with the diamond drill. Gold Hart owns Tolita with no royalties.
Gold Hart Vice President, Rodrigo Díaz Tillería (P.Geo), commented, "Our focus remains the large-
scale porphyry potential of Tolita. But Tolita also offers the rare opportunity to target and
hopefully prove a high-grade shallower component of the asset. In the Vicuña District where 1g/t
gold on surface is rare, we have 52g/t gold and simply put we need to test it. RC drilling is
significantly faster and cheaper, does not require water to operate, and is well suited to the
characteristics of this target. Our current geological model assumes that this high-grade trench at
Tolita may only be a fraction of the size of the larger system, but we do believe it hosts potential
for generating higher grade intercepts close to surface and therefore potential to add high grade
ounces, thereby demonstrating another facet to the Tolita asset." HART anticipates launching its
RC drill campaign at this trench in early March.
Gold Hart recently hosted a site visit which included tours of the Tolita & Nessa assets. Gold Hart
board and advisory board members including the honourable John R. Baird, Mark Kucher, and
Aleta Shiff were also in attendance. In this 360-degree immersive video — which allows you to
interactively toggle views — Gold Hart co-founder Jonathan Warner explains the diamond drilling
process
https://cloud-va.insta360.com/share/va/374Q7q0e1K66213G4421719040 also accessible on
YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lw3fGWwQH2Q.
Gold Hart Copper - Portfolio of Assets in Vicuna and Domeyko
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_portfolio_of_assets_in_vicuna_and_domeyko_-_1.jpg
Gold Hart - Tolita High Grade Gold Copper Trench On Large IP Anomaly
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10786/284647_gold_hart_-
_tolita_high_grade_gold_copper_trench_on_large_ip_anomaly_-_2.jpg
Toro - Surrounded by Penoles & Fresnillo - Vicuña District
Toro had 6 holes drilled by a prior optionor, with all holes intercepting gold & silver. Toro is
believed to have potential as a low to moderate sulfidation epithermal system. In contrast to the
2.5km length of the Tolita IP anomaly, Toro is 800m - 1km, so considerably smaller. However, the
Company believes Toro has potential to be a standalone asset with potential for higher grade
ounces relatively close to surface. The prior optionors did not have the benefit of the IP Survey
and did not intercept the anomaly discovered by Gold Hart. With the additional funds on hand,
Gold Hart is well positioned to add a drill rig at Toro. Gold Hart owns Toro with no royalties.
Zelma - Surrounded by Barrick & Newmont's Cerro Casale / Norte Abierto -Vicuña-Maricunga
District
The Zelma Property is surrounded on all 4 sides by Barrick & Newmont's mega Norte Abierto JV
containing 53-Million ounces of gold, 14-Billion pounds of copper, and 128-Million ounces of
silver. Norte Abierto is widely considered the largest undeveloped gold-copper-silver asset on the
continent. Zelma is a historic asset, formerly known as Lobas, hosting a unique aster anomaly, yet
has only received one small preliminary geochemical survey conducted by Gold Hart, with the
majority of samples taken containing anomalous values of gold, copper, or molybdenum. Gold
Hart intends to utilize some of the additional funds for exploration at Zelma. Gold Hart owns Zelma
with no royalties.
Casale Sur & Cachitos Properties - SW Corner of Barrick & Newmont's Cerro Casale / Norte
Abierto - Vicuña-Maricunga District
Cachitos was personally staked by Gold Hart co-founder Dr. Frutos decades ago, after he was
involved in the discovery of the adjacent Cerro Casale / Norte Abierto mega gold-copper-silver
deposit. Cachitos was prior optioned for US$6.5-Million plus a royalty. Gold Hart owns Cachitos
with no royalties. More recently, Gold Hart was able to add the Casale Sur claims adjacent to
Cachitos via the Chilean government mining auction, significantly expanding the property size. Dr.
Frutos believes there's potential for a porphyry under cover, and Casale Sur hosts an interesting
aster anomaly. With the additional financing, Gold Hart will be well positioned to allocate a budget
for exploration on these assets. Gold Hart owns Casale Sur with no royalties.
Gold Hart - Nessa - High Grades Copper Gold Surface
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_high_grades_copper_gold_surface_-_3.jpg
Gold Hart - Nessa Gold Copper Complex Expansion 3.3X
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_nessa_gold_copper_complex_expansion_3_3x_-_4.jpg
Gold Hart - Nessa Expansion - Copper Chunks
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_copper_chunks_-_5.jpg
Nessa Complex - S of Codelco's Portrerillos / El Salvador Copper Complex & W of Kinross' La
Coipa Gold Mine - Domeyko Fault System
The Nessa properties (Nessa, Ringo, Manto Carolina, and Rebecca) sit on the renowned Domeyko
Fault System of Chile, most famous for hosting the Escondida Copper Mine - now the largest
copper mine in the world - which was first staked by Gold Hart co-founder Dr. Jose Frutos in the
1970s. Dr. Frutos recognized and personally staked some of the Nessa claims nearly two decades
ago, due to the unique surface alteration - visible from satellite imagery - with high grades on
surface and several historic mines which exploited gold, copper and silver at or near surface via
pits and shallow tunnels. The historic mines coincide with a pervasive yet intense hydrothermal
alteration (silicic-argillic to quartz-sericitic with abundant kaolin in the central part) with a halo of
propilitic alteration in the periphery, with disseminated gold-copper-silver mineralization
throughout.
Gold Hart recently expanded the Nessa property by 330% (3.3X) from an initial property size of
4,100Ha up to a current land position of 13,500Ha (135km). The Nessa Complex is just south of
the massive Codelco El Salvador - Portrerillos copper mining and smelting complex, one of the
oldest copper smelting facilities in the country. Nessa is also surrounded by major miners
Newmont, Solaris, JX Nippon, and Anglo American, and sits just northwest of Rio2's Fenix gold
deposit and just west of Kinross' La Coipa gold mine. In addition to Escondida, the Domeyko Fault
System is also home to Chiquicamata and Collahuasi, which are together three of the top five
copper mines in Chile. More information about the Domeyko Fault System can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domeyko_Fault.
The Nessa properties were known to host 13 historic artisanal high-grade gold & copper pits,
which were mined using mules due to lack of access. Additionally, historic geochemical surveys
discovered high grades on surface for gold, copper, and silver, with samples up to 25g/t gold,
3.25% copper, 958g/t silver. However, the Company has now discovered additional copper
showings on surface and historic mining pits, and now believes there may be other unknown
targets on these assets. Gold Hart recently completed a follow-on geochemical survey and
obtained additional high grade samples, including up to 9.7g/t gold, 968g/t silver, and several
copper samples exceeding 5000ppm copper. The Company hopes to be in a position to report
on the final copper values for those higher grade copper samples, in the coming days.
The Company believes there is potential to allocate funds from the current financing to the
exploration and development of Nessa. Specifically, the Company is planning a 500-1,000
sample geochemical survey in the coming weeks, to be followed by trenching and geophysical
surveys.Gold Hart hopes to have Nessa drill ready this year, and believes the property may be
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particularly amenable to shallower and cheaper RC drilling due to the shallow nature of the grades
and historic mining pits encountered thus far. Gold Hart owns the Nessa Complex with no
royalties.
Please visit the Gold Hart Copper YouTube channel for footage of the road construction and
copper oxides at Nessa: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ax6fOStX72c.
Gold Hart - Nessa Expansion - Historic Mines
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_historic_mines_-_6.jpg
Gold Hart - Nessa Expansion - Visible Copper Manto
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_visible_copper_manto_-_7.jpg
Gold Hart - Nessa Expansion - High Grades on Surface
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_high_grades_on_surface_-_8.jpg
About Gold Hart Copper
Gold Hart Copper is one of the largest independent land owners surrounding major miners where
the famous Maricunga Gold Belt meets the emerging Vicuña Copper Belt in Chile. HART is
actively acquiring, exploring and developing its portfolio of gold, copper & silver properties
adjacent to the largest gold and copper assets on the continent.
HART has rolled-up a portfolio of historically significant assets surrounding majors, in some cases
personally staked by the very same geologists who made the adjacent mega-discoveries, since
the early 1990s. Some of the Gold Hart properties have already undergone a first phase of drilling,
with highly encouraging results of gold, copper, silver, and molybdenum. Gold Hart properties are
controlled 100% and not subject to any royalties whatsoever.
HART believes it may be sitting on one of the only fully-preserved untested large-scale gold-
copper-silver porphyry targets in the Vicuña District - an asset that was first recognized for its
uniquely high grades of gold and copper on surface - and staked by one of the Maricunga-Vicuña
district's pioneering geologists in 1993. Gold Hart Copper is fully funded for its planned drill
campaign.
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