Surge Copper Receives Berg Exploration Permit, Mobilizes Drills to the Berg Property, and Provides Exploration Update
PO Box 10351 888-700 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V7Y 1G5
www.surgecopper.com
TSX-V Trading Symbol: SURG
OTCQX: SRGXF
Frankfurt Trading Symbol: G6D2
Telephone: +1 (604) 781-5454
Email: [email protected]
August 17, 2022
NEWS RELEASE
Surge Copper Receives Berg Exploration Permit, Mobilizes Drills to the Berg Property,
and Provides Exploration Update
August 17, 2022, Vancouver, British Columbia – Surge Copper Corp. (TSXV: SURG)
(OTCQX: SRGXF) (Frankfurt: G6D2) (“Surge” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the
receipt of a new exploration permit covering the Berg Property and several contiguous 100%
owned properties in the northern part of the district. Two skid-mounted drill rigs and one
helicopter-supported drill rig are being mobilized to this area to focus on drill testing priority targets
during the second phase of the 2022 field exploration program. During the first phase, Surge
conducted district-wide reconnaissance exploration to confirm and advance multiple targets for
drill testing, while two drill rigs conducted expl oration target drilling on the Ootsa Property, as
further described below.
Highlights
Berg 5-year exploration permit has been received and three drills will be mobilized to the
Berg property shortly to start systematic drill testing on multiple exploration targets
Year to date, ongoing surface exploration at the Ootsa and Berg Properties has included
the collection of over 4,000 soil samples, the completion of 12 induced polarization (IP)
geophysical lines over 6 exploration targets, and widespread surface mapping and rock
sampling
Surface work is identifying new mineralized exposures and supporting drill targeting on
known exposures
Phase one drilling at Ootsa of 6,300 metres over 17 holes, expanding the Seel Breccia
Zone and testing 5 exploration targets surrounding the Seel and Ox deposits, with assay
results expected later in the season
Surge Copper is undertaking a roughly $6.5 million fully-funded exploration program
across the Ootsa and Berg properties designed to advance and drill test multiple
exploration targets
Surge Copper Corp. 2
Berg Exploration Permit
The Company is very pleased to announce the receipt of a five-year, area-based exploration
permit for the Berg property. The permit is sufficient to initiate a widescale drill and exploration
program across all the known targets on the property by allowing for 100 drill sites and access
trails, and 150 line-kilometres of ground-based geophysical surveying. The permit also allows for
the operation of two exploration camps, one at high elevation at the Berg deposit, and a second
at low elevation near the Sibola target, accessed by existing service roads. A reclamation bond
of $130,000 has been posted in connection with the permit bringing the total reclamation bond
amount to $242,500. Under the terms of the permit, the Company will undertake annual reporting
of disturbances and reclamation progress to the Inspector of Mines. The permit allows for year-
round exploration in areas below 1,200 metres elevation while exploration activities in areas
above 1,200 metres elevation must be conducted between July 16 and October 31. The Company
expects the second phase of the 2022 exploration program to run to the end of 2022.
Surge is currently in the process of establishing the low elevation road-accessible camp at Sibola
to support drilling and other exploration activities, with drills being mobilized to this area to begin
target drilling when setup activities are complete. The remaining metres in the previously
announced up to 22,000 metre exploration program will be testing targets within the new permit
area.
Field Exploration Program Update
During the first phase of the 2022 exploration program which has been ongoing since early June,
multiple field crews have been active throughout the Ootsa and Berg project areas conducting
surface soil and rock sampling, mapping, and IP geophysical surveying. The objective of this work
is to advance multiple exploration targets for drill testing. During 2022 to date, over 4,000 soil
samples have been collected with roughly 2,800 of those collected over the Bergette and Sylvia
targets and surrounding areas. Twelve IP lines have been completed over 6 exploration targets
and IP work is anticipated to continue into late fall. Figure 1 provides a regional map highlighting
the large number of exploration targets across the district which are being advanced through
reconnaissance exploration during 2022. All these targets are considered early stage, with most
having no prior drilling, and a few targets having limited shallow drilling, which in some cases
confirmed porphyry style mineralization and alteration.
Surge Copper Corp. 3
Figure 1. Regional map of the Ootsa and Berg Properties, highlighting regional
exploration targets.
Following work completed to date in the first phase, the Berg regional targets, including Sibola,
Bergette, Sylvia, NE, and Fire are prioritized for the second phase of the 2022 exploration program
and are expected to be systematically drill tested as surface data collection and IP surveys are
completed. The first target scheduled for drill testing on the Berg property is the Sibola target,
which contains a large zone with coincident ZTEM, IP chargeability, and magnetic anomalies,
within a low-lying till-covered area. Figure 2 shows recent photos from reconnaissance exploration
at Sylvia and Bergette and Figures 3 and 4 provide a ZTEM map showing the Berg area
exploration targets and a cross section through the Sibola target. Fieldwork continues to advance
the NE Target, Bergette, Sylvia, and Fire in preparation for drill testing.
Surge Copper Corp. 4
Figure 2. Photos of 2022 exploration program. Left: Large outcrop of green copper
stained rock (malachite) discovered north of the Sylvia prospect by contractors
Anomalous Exploration Ltd. Right: steeply dipping zone of hematite stained (red) K-
feldspar-magnetite-chalcopyrite alteration located east of Bergette.
Surge Copper Corp. 5
Figure 3. Berg Regional Exploration Targets Map, ZTEM background.
Surge Copper Corp. 6
Surge Copper Corp. 7
Figure 4. Vertical Pseudosection A-A’ showing 3D ZTEM inversion model through the
Sibola target, proposed drill holes, and drill trace for shallow historical drill hole DDH-75-
6 located approximately 2km to the east.
In parallel with the regional reconnaissance program, two drills have been active on the Ootsa
Property. One drill is currently completing an initial test on a previously undrilled target east of the
Blackjack zone, and a second drill is testing th e eastward extension of the high-grade Breccia
Zone on the east side of the Seel deposits. To date in 2022, 17 core holes for 6,300 metres of
drilling have been completed at Ootsa including 6 holes testing 5 exploration targets surrounding
the Seel and Ox deposits, and 11 holes expanding the Seel Breccia zone eastward. Further
details will be provided as assays are received.
The Seel Breccia eastern extension target area contains a 600-metre long zone prospective for
breccia style mineralization as highlighted by hole S18-214 which intersected 22 metres grading
1.02% copper and 35.3 g/t silver within a larger area containing 0.5% copper and 17.6 g/t Ag over
48 metres (previously released, see September 5, 2018 news release). Multiple holes have been
stepping outward to follow the mineralization seen in hole S18-214 to the east and west, and
holes are being targeted to test the large area between hole S18-214 and the main Seel Breccia
zone, which remains open toward the east, but due to lack of drilling was not included in the
recently released resource update for the Ootsa Property.
Figure 5. Seel Breccia East showing 2022 drill holes.
Surge Copper Corp. 8
Figure 6. Photos from 2022 drilling at Seel Breccia East. Left, hole S21-316 brecciated
rock with pyrite-chalcopyrite-carbonate matrix. Right, hole S22-321, breccia
mineralization containing chalcopyrite in an iron carbonate matrix.
Upcoming Catalysts
The Company anticipates updating the market on results from the following activities:
Results from the West Seel metallurgical testwork program
Exploration updates throughout the 2022 field program
Qualified Person
Dr. Shane Ebert P.Geo., is the Qualified Person for the Ootsa and Berg projects as defined by
National Instrument 43-101 and has approved the technical disclosure contained in this news
release. The survey data and data quality have been prepared, processed, and validated by
experienced professionals at Geotech Ltd.
About Surge Copper Corp.
The Company owns a 100% interest in the Ootsa Property, an advanced-stage exploration project
containing the Seel and Ox porphyry deposits located adjacent to the open pit Huckleberry
Copper Mine, owned by Imperial Metals. The Oots a Property contains pit constrained NI 43-101
compliant resources of copper, gold, molybdenum , and silver in the Measured and Indicated
categories.
The Company is also earning a 70% interest in the Berg Property from Centerra Gold. Berg is a
large, advanced-stage exploration project located 28 km northwest of the Ootsa deposits. Berg
contains pit constrained 43-101 compliant resources of copper, molybdenum, and silver in the
Measured and Indicated categories. Combined, the adjacent Ootsa and Berg properties give
Surge a dominant land position in the Ootsa-Huckleberry-Berg district and control over three
advanced porphyry deposits.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
“Leif Nilsson”