Metalero Reports Extended Copper and Gold Soil Results at the Cantin Target on the Benson Project, Quesnel Trough, British Columbia.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Metalero Reports Extended Copper and Gold Soil Results at the Cantin Target on the
Benson Project, Quesnel Trough, British Columbia.
Edmonton, AB, February 12, 2026 – Metalero Mining Corp. (TSXV: MLO) (“Metalero” or the
“Company”) is pleased to announce addi tional results from its recently completed I onic
Leach soil geochemical survey at the Cantin Target, part of the Company’s road accessible
flagship Benson Project, located in the prolific Quesnel Trough of central British Columbia
(Figure 1).
“The results from our 2-week follow-up sampling campaign at Cantin have expanded and
refined our previously defined copper and gold anomalies which cover > 23 km2 (combined)
and remain open in sever al directions. We now see two discrete soil anomalies, each of
which correlate with the QUEST Artificial-Intelligence targets which drew us to Benson in the
first place.” stated Rob L’Heureux, President & CEO of Metalero Mining. “And considering
these Cantin anomalies represent less than 15% of the Benson Project area, we are excited
to explore the other target areas while moving Cantin ahead to our maiden drill campaign.”
Both the copper and gold soil analyses at Cantin show two distinct anomalies overlying the
strong magnetic signature from airborne geophysical surveys. The Cantin Northwest
anomaly (> 8km 2) includes approximately 135 samples which show the anomaly could
extend to the northeast, northwest or southwest directions (Figures 2 and 3 ). The Cantin
Southeast anomaly (> 15km 2) comprises roughly 260 samples and shows the potential to
still be open to the south and northeast.
The two 2025 Ionic Leach programs, conducted in the spring and fall of 2025, were designed
to evaluate and refine copper -gold targets across the underexplored Cantin area, where
historical exploration and recent Geoscience BC Artificial -Intelligence (AI) work has
indicated strong potential for porphyry -style mineralization known as the QUEST targets . A
total of 835 soil samples have been collected at the Cantin, Sundberg, and Chiaz targets
with a 100-metre sample spacing and sample lines 500 to 1,500 metres apart.
Figure 1. Map of BC showing Benson, known porphyry Cu-Au occurrences, and some of the
major, recent projects and mines all within the Quesnel Trough. Benson is host to known
mineralization associated with porphyry systems which have not been systematically
explored since the early 1990s.
Figure 2. Two discrete copper -in-soil anomalies (yellow outlines) covering >8 km2 (Cantin
Northwest) and >15 km2 (Cantin Southeast) at the Cantin Target, Benson Project. These soil
anomalies are centred on the AI-driven targets identified by Geoscience BC (QUEST), overlap
regional magnetic highs, and remain open in several directions. The 1300 ppb Cu limit
represents the 80th percentile for all Ionic Leach sampling conducted by MLO at Benson to
date (n=835).
Figure 3. Two discrete gold -in-soil anomalies (white outlines) covering >7 km2 (Cantin
Northwest) and > 14km2 (Cantin Southeast) at the Cantin Target, Benson Project. These soil
anomalies are centred on the AI-driven targets identified by Geoscience BC (QUEST), overlap
regional magnetic highs, and remain open in several directions. The 0.71 ppb Au limit
represents the 80th percentile for all Ionic Leach sampling conducted by MLO at Benson to
date (n=835).
Corporate Undertakings
Metalero is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement which will consist of up
to 3 ,000,000 common shares (the “Shares”) at a price of $0.15 per Share for total gross
proceeds of $ 450,000 (the “Offering”). The net proceeds from the Offering are intended to
fund ongoing exploration and development activities on the Company's mineral properties
and for general working capital purposes. The Offering is subject to regulatory approval,
including that of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued will be subject to a statutory
hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance.
The Company has granted a total of 2,300,000 incentive stock options to certain officers,
directors and consultants of the Company . Each stock option is exercisable at a price of
$0.15 per common share for a period of five years from the date of grant, subject to the terms
of the Company’s 10% rolling stock option plan and the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange.
QAQC Procedures
Sample preparation and analysis for the Benson soil survey was completed at the ALS Global
facility in Vancouver , BC. A non-biased 50g nominal soil sample was collected from the
entire field sample without drying or screening. The Ionic Leach method was used to analyze
samples f or 61 elements . This pr ocedur e is defined b y sta tic sodium cyanide leach using
ammonium chloride, citric acid, and EDTA, with the leachant buffered to an alkaline pH of
8.5. A secure chain of custody procedure was maintained in stori ng and transporting
samples.
Benson Project Background
The Benson Project is strategically located in the Quesnel Trough, one of Canada’s most
important mineral belts . The Quesnel Trough is a Triassic/Jurassic -age belt of volcano -
sedimentary and intrusive rocks which hosts >360 alkalic copper-gold porphyry occurrences
and deposits. The >1,500 km long Quesnel Trough runs through the middle of BC stretching
from the US to the Yukon Territory. It hosts several types of gold deposits and numerous
major mines which produce copper and gold as well as variable amounts of silver.
High profile and long-lived mines in the Quesnel Trough include Highland Valley, Mt Milligan,
New Afton , and Kemess which are complemented by recent exploration work including
Woodjam, MPD, Kwanika, and the extensive staking by Australian mining giant, the
Fortescue Group.
The Benson Project lies close to infrastructure and is traversed by Highway 26 and a vast
network of logging roads allowing for ready access to all parts of the Property and capital -
efficient exploration. The large land package covers 5 different target areas i lluminated by
recent Artificial-Intelligence (“AI”) work by Geoscience BC (Mitchinson et al., Geoscience BC
Report 2022-07). This AI study incorporated a wide variety of historical datasets including
geophysics, geology, sampling information, and drilling data (where present) to identify high
potential ( “porphyry-like”) anomalies with similarities to known porphyry deposits
elsewhere in the belt. Even the l imited historical exploration at Benson has identified
numerous gold and copper surface geochemical anomalies while modest , historical drill
programs have intersected skarn and epithermal gold and silver mineralization, which are
both intrusive-related styles of mineralization and are commonly associated with porphyry
systems.
About Metalero Mining Corp.
Metalero Mining Corp. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on copper
and gold projects in the Americas. Its 173 square kilometre, road-accessible Benson Project
serves as Metalero’s flagship and is host to five prospects containing gold and copper within
porphyry-related mineralized systems.
Qualified Person The technical content of this news release pertaining to the Benson
Project was reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne , M.Sc, P .Geol., P .Geo., a non-
independent qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
“Rob L’Heureux”
Rob L’Heureux,
Chief Executive Officer and President
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +1.780.916.5482
Website: www.metaleromining.com
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