Omineca Signs MOU To Fully Fund Fraser Canyon, The Company’s Second Placer Gold Recovery and Exploration Project
Omineca Signs MOU To Fully Fund Fraser Canyon, The Company’s
Second Placer Gold Recovery and Exploration Project
Omineca Mining and Metals Ltd. – March 9, 2026 (TSXV: OMM) (OTCQB: OMMSF)
(“Omineca” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding (“MOU”) with PSI Group (“PSI”). As a strategic partner, PSI will fully fund
all costs associated with the exploration, development, engineering, mining, and
operating capital and expenses of the Fraser Canyon Project, located 12 kilometers
northwest of Quesnel, BC, in return for a 75% share of recovered metals from placer
operations, with Omineca retaining a 25% zero-cost carried interest.
The Fraser Canyon Property claims extend 11 kilometers along the Fraser River
encompassing a known, buried paleochannel that trends south-southeast. Historically, up
to 1986, the Canyon Mine (now “South Placer”) and the Tertiary Mine (now “North Placer”)
collectively produced 1,482 oz of raw placer gold (please see “Property” below).
The Strategic Partnership program plans will be announced as they are finalized and
include:
• Data review, engineering and a submission of a Notice of Work (“NOW”) for permitting
site preparation of South Placer and North Placer properties and an underground, 300
meter test mining bulk sample operation at South Placer.
• Methodology for the North Placer mining operations based on knowledge gained at
the South Placer trial mining program.
• Framework for longer term operations to mine both the North and South placer areas
concurrently and to develop a formal mine plan submission to the ministry.
• A plan for investigating the underlying mineral claims for potential lode gold
occurrences including groundwork, sampling, geophysics and exploration drilling.
Property Details:*
The Fraser Canyon Project is a large group of placer and mineral claims that parallel the
Fraser River 12 kilometers north of and upstream from the city of Quesnel, BC. The claims
are located along the known location of deeply buried unconsolidated to weakly cemented
gold-enriched Miocene fluvial conglomerates of the Fraser Bend Formation. The
auriferous conglomerates occupy a buried paleochannel that trends SSE and crosses
beneath an easterly-flowing section of the Fraser River called the Fraser Canyon. A 433-
meter long section of the paleochannel was explored and partially mined underground at
two locations on the north and south sides of the Fraser Canyon called the Tertiary (1907-
1917) and Canyon (1986) mines. The two mines collectively produced 1,482 oz of raw
placer gold (892 fineness).
In 1986, underground development was conducted at the Canyon Mine using
conventional drill-and-blast methods. A 772-foot main drift was advanced along the center
of the gold-enriched paleochannel, with 13 alternating left and right crosscuts each 50–
100 feet long. That operation produced 10,804 loose cubic yards of pay gravels over a
100-day period. The surface wash plant operated for 51 of 100 days, processing 9,932
loose cubic yards of pay gravels recovering 421.634 troy ounces of refined gold and
40.342 troy ounces of silver.
PSI’s placer gold recovery plans include applying modern technologies to shorten
excavation time by using multiple roadheaders - advanced, self-propelled and extremely
powerful rock cutting machines designed to tunnel, excavate and load substantially faster
than conventional drill and blast methods. A pre-sorting and gold recovery operation
underground is planned to further expedite processing time and allow for continuous
mining and processing all year round.
Strategic Partnership:
Omineca has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with PSI Group, a Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan based leader in advanced mining engineering and ground support
technologies with over 20 years of proven success across North America and Europe.
This strategic partnership establishes a fully funded framework for the engineering,
design and operation of the Fraser Canyon Project, to expedite the initiation of a trial
mining and placer gold recovery program in 2026.
Under the MOU, PSI assumes full responsibility for all Capex and Opex funding and
executing all aspects of the project, including engineering, exploration, development,
mining operations, and site reclamation. PSI will also lead interactions with the Ministry
of Mining and Critical Minerals (MCM) with Omineca maintaining oversight as the
registered landowner. Timelines are aimed at a NOW submission in Q1 2026 with trial
mining to begin by Q4 2026, subject to permitting and regulatory approvals. In return,
PSI will receive a 75% share of recovered metals from placer operations, while Omineca
retains a 25% carried interest at zero cost.
The MOU also includes provisions for PSI’s ability to earn up to a 50% ownership interest
in each of the three project components: South Placer, North Placer and Mineral
Exploration through performance-based milestones and timelines. Omineca and PSI are
working towards a definitive agreement based on the terms of this MOU which will be
announced once finalized.
“PSI Mining is pleased to have partnered with Omineca to recommence mining operations
at Omineca’s historic Fraser Canyon property”, commented Dr. Curtis Bertholet, P.Eng.,
President and CEO of PSI Mining Inc. PSI and Omineca are reuniting the original team
that was responsible for the 1986 bulk sample at the Fraser Canyon Project and the
geological and geophysical surveys and analysis that followed. PSI will add its
contemporary experience, engineering technologies, equipment and systems
specializing in Mine Ground Control, Real Time Backfill, and Low Carbon Footprint Mine
Operational Services with the goal of rapidly re-initiating the recovery of placer gold from
the underground paleochannel at Fraser Canyon.
*The historical placer recovery figures disclosed in this news release are derived from
past operator records, government filings and technical reports that pre-date the
implementation of NI 43-101.
Qualified Person
All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by, or
approved by Stephen Kocsis, P.Geo. Mr. Kocsis is an independent qualified person for
the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Omineca Mining and Metals Ltd.
Wingdam, BC
Omineca’s flagship Wingdam gold exploration and placer recovery projects are located
along the Barkerville Highway 45 km east of the City of Quesnel. The Wingdam Property
includes mineral tenures totaling over 61,392 hectares (613 square kms) and in excess
of 15 linear kilometers of placer claims, both encompassing the Lightning Creek valley
where topographic conditions created thick layers of overburden, which preserved a large
portion of a buried paleochannel containing placer gold-bearing gravels. Omineca also
has an exploration and diamond drill program currently underway exploring for the
potential multiple hard rock sources of the placer gold at Wingdam.
Fraser Canyon, BC
Part of Omineca’s original acquisitions in the Cariboo Mining District, the Fraser Canyon
Project located 12 kilometers northwest of Quesnel, BC. is now slated to reinitiate the
development of the underground paleochannel for the recovery of placer gold. Historically,
two mines north and south of the Fraser River collectively produced 1,482 oz of raw placer
gold.
For further information, please contact:
Tom MacNeill
President and CEO
306-653-2692
Forward Looking Statements
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Omineca and its
business. Such statements are based on the current expectations and views of future
events of Omineca’s management. In some cases, the forward-looking statements can
be identified by words or phrases such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”,
“intend”, “potential”, “estimate”, “believe” or the negative of these terms, or other similar
expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking events
and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and could differ materially
with other factors beyond the control of Omineca. No forward-looking statement can be
guaranteed. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on
assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which
may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be
materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Accordingly, readers should
not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information. Forward-
looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Omineca
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement,
whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by
applicable securities laws.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term
is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this release.