TALA.V · 2025-01-13 12:00:00

Fuerte Metals Geophysical Survey Confirms Two Significant Porphyry Cu-Au Targets at its Placeton Project, Chile

Exploration Programs

Fuerte Metals Geophysical Survey Confirms

Two Significant Porphyry Cu-Au Targets at its

Placeton Project, Chile

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 13, 2025) - Fuerte Metals Corporation (TSXV:

FMT) (OTCQB: FUEMF) ("

Fuerte

" or the "

Company

") is pleased to report results from a recently

completed geophysical surveying program, along with a compilation and review of historical data, at its

Placeton Project in Chile. The 100% owned Placeton project consists of 7,257 Ha of exploitation

concessions with two undrilled porphyry copper-gold targets situated between the world class Relincho

and El Morro/La Fortuna porphyry copper-gold deposits of the Nueva Union project (Figures 1 & 2).

Nueva Union is a joint venture between Teck and Newmont Mining and currently hosts Proven and

Probable Mineral Reserves of 19.7 billion pounds of copper and 10.3 million ounces of gold (Teck 2022

Annual Information Form).

The Placeton project is approximately 55 km east of the mining city of Vallenar in the Atacama Region of

northern Chile. The project is accessible from several directions by road and is surrounded by the Nueva

Union joint venture.

Tim Warman, Atacama's CEO, commented: "Results from the recent geophysical surveys, along with the

known surface alteration, geochemical anomalies, and the age of the intrusives have defined a pair of

excellent, shallow copper-gold porphyry targets at less than 4,000 m elevation at Placeton and Caballo

Muerto. It's quite remarkable that these targets have never been drill tested, given their location in the

midst of a giant copper porphyry district and the prominence of the alteration systems, particularly at

Caballo Muerto. Previous companies working in the area were aware of the targets, but Fuerte is the

first to carry out sufficient work to bring them to a drill-ready state. The next stage of exploration will

involve drill testing both the Placeton and Caballo Muerto targets."

Project Highlights

The Placeton project hosts two large, shallow copper-gold porphyry targets (Caballo Muerto and

Placeton) defined by geology and alteration, surface geochemistry, the age of the intrusives and

geophysics.

Caballo Muerto Target

The Caballo Muerto target is defined by a prominent zone of porphyry-style alteration coincident with a

semi-circular hill approximately 900 by 500 metres in size, below 4,000 m elevation and extending

northeastwards into the adjacent Nueva Union concessions (Figures 3 & 4). Extensive porphyry-style D-

veining is present across the Caballo Muerto hill, with evidence of remnant sulphide minerals seen in

outcrop. Previous work by Metallica Resources in the early 2000s had defined a distinctive alteration

mineral assemblage that is visible in ASTER satellite imagery at the El Morro/La Fortuna copper-gold

porphyry deposit. Figures 3 & 4 illustrate that this characteristic alteration mineral assemblage is also

well developed at Caballo Muerto, and at Placeton.

Surface geochemical sampling by Fuerte and other companies shows elevated copper, molybdenum

and gold centered over the alteration zone at Caballo Muerto. Background levels in the surrounding

country rock are generally near or below detection levels, with higher values over the alteration zone of up

to 2.6% for copper, 284 ppm for molybdenum and 285 ppb for gold. The geochemical anomaly also

shows a good correlation between all three elements (Figure 5).

A ground magnetic survey over Caballo Muerto shows a large, well-defined magnetic low coincident with

the alteration anomaly and surrounded by an annular magnetic high that extends northeastward into the

adjacent Nueva Union ground (Figure 6).

The pole-dipole induced IP survey shows a strong chargeability high that is also coincident with the

porphyry-style alteration, magnetic low and low resistivity area (Figure s 7 & 8). The summary report by

Southernrock Geophysics, who carried out the data collection and interpretation of the survey results,

noted: "The chargeability varies between 2 and 97 ms with a median of 32 ms, with much of central

block of the five recently acquired survey lines presenting intense IP responses and zones of relatively

low resistivity. Zones of elevated IP chargeability response suggest the presence of disseminated

conductive metallic sulphides, pyrite being particularly responsive. Reduction in resistivity may, among

other causes, relate to increased electrical conductivity in zones with higher density veining of sulphides

and/or changes in alteration type and intensity. Interestingly, the zone of lowest resistivity (nominally <100

Ωm) is roughly coincident with the centre of a partial ring of the higher range of chargeability, extending

to large depth. This distribution may be conceptually related to a nucleus of more developed stockwork

of sulphide mineralization, perhaps with higher copper content, partially surrounded by an outward

transition to pyrite-dominant disseminated mineralization". These observations, along with the observed

geology, alteration, geochemistry and magnetics, suggest good potential for an El Morro style porphyry

copper-gold system at Caballo Muerto.

Placeton Target

The Placeton target consists of two areas of prominent porphyry-style alteration that outcrop over an

approximately 1.8 km north-south zone (Placeton North and Central, Figures 2, 3 & 4). The surface

alteration signature at the Placeton target is less prominent than at Caballo Muerto due to the presence

of younger volcanics that partially cover the system. A third target, Placeton South, shows less intense

alteration and may be peripheral to the main system at Placeton North and Central.

Surface geochemical sampling by Fuerte and other companies shows elevated copper, molybdenum

and gold centered over the alteration zones at Placeton North and Central. Background levels in the

surrounding country rock are generally near or below detection levels, with higher values over the

alteration zone of up to 2.4% for copper, 48 ppm for molybdenum and 50 ppb for gold. These

geochemical anomalies also show a good correlation between all three elements (Figure 5).

A drone magnetic survey over the Placeton targets shows both the North and Central alteration zones

are coincident, and generally near the edge of magnetic lows (Figure 6).

A gradient array IP survey was only completed over the Placeton North target and shows a north-south

trending chargeability anomaly that may indicate the presence of disseminated conductive metallic

sulphides. A resistivity anomaly is coincident with the surface geochemical and alteration anomalies and

may also be indicative of sulphide mineralization. The summary report by Southernrock Geophysics, who

carried out the data collection and interpretation of the survey results, noted: "The subsurface

environment at the Placeton survey area is characterized by low to moderate resistivities in the upper

200 to 500m beneath the surface with a more resistive deeper response below this. Coherent zones of

low resistivity in the upper 500m may correspond to increased weathering, contrasts in the permeability

(and water content) of the volcano-sedimentary sequence or may be coherent with increased alteration

and/or sulphide mineralization, particularly in the case of the north-south trend of anomalously elevated

chargeability response through the centre of the surveyed area."

These observations, along with the observed geology, alteration, geochemistry and magnetics, suggest

good potential for a porphyry-style copper deposit with a north-south trending structural control,

especially with copper present in a small informal working within a small porphyry window at Placeton

North.

Both the Caballo Muerto and Placeton targets show compelling evidence for the presence of porphyry-

style copper-gold systems, with geological, geochemical and geophysical signatures similar in size and

character to the surrounding Nueva Union copper porphyries. The Company has developed a clear plan

for drill testing each target as a next step.

Figure 1- Location of Fuerte Metals Placeton/Caballo Muerto project in relation to other major

copper-gold porphyry deposits in north-central Chile.