WESTERN ALASKA MINERALS REPORTS GALLIUM, AMERICA’S #1 CRITICAL MINERAL, IN HIGH-GRADE ZINC CONCENTRATES AT WATERPUMP CREEK 63.8 to 116 ppm Gallium in Zinc Concentrates grading 53 to 58% __________________________________________________________________________________________
1 https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47982
NEWS RELEASE
WESTERN ALASKA MINERALS REPORTS GALLIUM, AMERICA’S #1 CRITICAL MINERAL,
IN HIGH-GRADE ZINC CONCENTRATES AT WATERPUMP CREEK
63.8 to 116 ppm Gallium in Zinc Concentrates grading 53 to 58%
__________________________________________________________________________________________
TUCSON, ARIZONA, US – April 10, 2025 – Western Alaska Minerals Corp. (the “Company” or
“WAM”) ( TSX-V: WAM ) is pleased to announce that significant gallium ("Ga") values were
identified in high -grade zinc concentrates generated through recent first -pass metallurgical test
work on mineralized materials from the Waterpump Creek ("WPC") Inferred Resource (2.38 M ton
high-grade sulfide mineralization grading 279 g/t silver, 11.2% zinc, and 9.8% lead) at its 100%
owned Illinois Creek Project in western Alaska (See Press Release of April 2, 2024).
This marks the Company's first report of gallium – which has been designated the United States' #1
critical mineral¹ due to its high risk of supply disruption. Gallium values ranging from 63.8 to 116
ppm were reported in assays of zinc concentrates grading 53 to 58% zinc, generated from sulfide-
rich drill core composites ranging from 14.5 to 23.7 ppm gallium head grade . Individual assay
results outside of these composites range from 41.1 to 63.9 ppm gallium. Analyses confirm that
gallium resides within the zinc mineral sphalerite. Further metallurgical testing is planned and will
be reported once in progress.
Highlights:
• Zinc concentrates grade from 53 to 58%
• Total zinc in the Inferred Resource is 591 million pounds (295,000 tons)
• Gallium grades range from 63 to116 ppm gallium in zinc concentrates (Table 1)
“With gallium now recognized as the United States' top Critical Metal, we are particularly
encouraged to have first-pass metallurgical results show such strong gallium values in potentially
marketable grades of zinc concentrate at Waterpump Creek. Producing gallium-rich zinc
concentrates like these may be a pivotal opportunity for WAM to benefit from fast-track permitting
incentives en route to providing a domestic suppl y of these two critical minerals,” said CEO Kit
Marrs. “We are pleased to see that the concentrates grade well over the 50% threshold for salability,
and with the overall high grades at Waterpump Creek we could probably produce significant
volumes of both gallium and zinc. The new high grade gallium assays indicate areas to focus on in
WPC and farther south where we believe sulfides continue into WPC South.”
Dr. Peter Megaw, advisor to Western Alaska Minerals adds, "It is unusual to see gallium grades this
high in the periphery of any CRD system, so we are ramping up e fforts to quantify gallium, and its
common Critical Metal associate indium, throughout the project.”
Waterpump Creek Zinc and Gallium Metallurgy:
The WPC Inferred Resource includes gallium-rich sphalerite and silver -rich galena as its pri ncipal
minerals and metals . The WPC Inferred Resource of 2.38 M tonnes of high -grade sulfide
mineralization grading 279 g/t silver, 11.2% zinc, and 9.8% lead was completed and reported on
February 22, 2024. Metallurgical testing has been completed on composites taken from 8 selected
drill holes. The results reported here are assays of three concentrates reported by ALS Metallurgy
Kamloops (March 19, 2025 ). Additional metallurgical test work is planned for the evaluation of
gallium deportment. R esults will be reported when available. See below for more metallurgical
details.
Table 1: Waterpump Creek Zinc and Gallium Metallurgical Results
WAM
Composite
Drill Core
Thickness
(m)
Head Grade
Ga
(ppm)
Head Grade
Zn
(%)
Zn Conc.
Ga
(ppm)
Zn Conc.
Zn
(%)
1 36.1 14.5 11.7 64 55
3 24.8 14.5 9.5 66 58
5 35.4 23.7 9.8 116 53
High-Grade Gallium Drill Core Assays:
In addition to the zinc concentrate results in Table 1, WAM is re -analyzing select WPC drill core
samples by ICP-MS methods for gallium. The first batch of results returned values ranging from 41.1
to 63.9 ppm gallium (Table 2). The second batch of results is expected in Q2 2025. These intercepts
were not included in the representative composites reported in Table 1; however, these results in
Table 2 highlights that zones of high-grade zinc and gallium exist within the WPC Inferred Resource.
Table 2: First ICP-MS Gallium Assays from Waterpump Creek Deposit Drill Core
Drill Hole From
(m)
To
(m)
Thickness
(m)
Ga
(ppm)
Zn
(%)
WPC23-0029 148.76 149.6 0.84 41.1 31.02
WPC23-0033 181.66 182.32 0.66 47.2 31.36
WPC23-0030B 232.87 233.78 0.91 52.3 5.19
WPC23-0030B 246.91 247.95 1.04 45.4 20.90
WPC23-0030B 247.95 249.34 1.39 62.9 28.40
WPC23-0030B 271.12 272.34 1.22 63.9 14.40
Metallurgical Context on WAM’s Gallium Analyses
Metallurgical testing of W aterpump Creek drill core and the results reported here are assays of
three concentrates reported by ALS Metallurgy Kamloops on March 19, 2025. Three metallurgical
composites were generated from sulfide-rich drill core coarse assay rejects from various intervals
and depths from 8 WPC drill holes drilled during the 2022 season. Composites represented
intercepts between 24.8 and 36.1 meters (drill core lengths) through the WPC mineralized body,
and these composites are considered representative of the WPC Inferred Resource. The
composites were delivered to ALS labs in Kamloops, British Columbia . ALS Metallurgy used
standard metallurgical testing methods for lead, zinc, and silver recovery.
The composites had gallium head grades ranging from 9.45 ppm to 23.7 ppm gallium and
concentrate grades in potentially saleable zinc concentrates ranging from 63.8 to 116 ppm gallium.
Composite 5 had gallium grades of 23.7 ppm gallium which translated into a zinc concentrate
grading 116 ppm gallium (Table 1) using conventional flotation techniques to recover zinc.
Composite 5 consists of material from drill holes WPC22-20 and WPC22-22 which represent 35.4m
of drill core intercept within the deposit. Additional metallurgical test work is planned for the
evaluation of gallium deportment. Results will be reported when available.
For more information about gallium, refer to the USGS Gallium fact sheet
(https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2013/3006/pdf/fs2013-3006.pdf) and the USGS report, Chapter H of
Critical Mineral Resources of the United States – Economic and Environmental Geology and
Prospects for Future Supply (https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1802/h/pp1802h.pdf).
Targeting Additional High-Grade Silver at Waterpump Creek South
Moving forward, Western Alaska Minerals will focus on precious metals and critical minerals , so
the 2025 exploration program will be primarily directed at targeting discovery of the southern
extension of the high-grade WPC silver-lead-zinc resource in the Waterpump Creek South area (see
Figure 1). The WPC Inferred Resource includes gallium-rich sphalerite and silver-rich galena as its
primary minerals and metals and remains open to the south across the 4700N fault . The
Waterpump Creek South target presents the highest potential for significant expansion of our
existing resource base.
Figure 1. Waterpump Creek Resource and WPC South Target Area
National Security and Potential Fast-Track Development Implications:
Gallium: Top-ranked U.S. critical mineral due to its high supply risk and essential role in technology
and defense applications1
Zinc: An important US Critical Mineral due to its essential role in infrastructure and renewable
energies2
Domestic Supply: Claim package covers >73,000 acres on State of Alaska land; all claims are
100% owned by WAM with no underlying royalties – a clean asset.
Direct contribution to U.S. defense and technology sector mineral independence: Alaska-
based reporter, Shane Lasley recently published, “ Alaska, which happens to host 49 out of the 50
U.S. critical minerals and some of the nation's richest deposits of copper and gold, stands to benefit
from Trump's push for increased domestic minerals production and his overall vision of unleashing
Alaska's extraordinary resource potential.” 3
Executive Order: Potential to fast -track development of domestic critical mineral supply chains
further to a Critical Minerals Executive order, issued by the U.S. Government (March 20, 2025)
1 https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47982
2https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/zinc-statistics-and-
information#:~:text=Zinc%20is%20necessary%20to%20modern,products%20to%20rubber%20and%20medicines.
3 https://www.miningnewsnorth.com/story/2025/03/28/news/trump -order-adds-to-alaska-mining-
tailwinds/9009.html
Qualified Person
The Qualified Person who reviewed and approved the technical disclosure in this release is Andrew
West, Certified Professional Geologist, a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument
43-101. He is a Certified Professional Geologist with the Amer ican Institute of Professional
Geologists (AIPG CP-11759). Mr. West was WAM’s VP Exploration from 2023 to April 2025.
His review verified the technical data disclosed, including geology, sampling, analytical and QA/QC
data underlying this news release, including reviewing the reports of ALS, methodologies, results,
and all procedures undertaken for quality assurance and q uality control in a manner consistent
with industry practice.
Jeffrey B. Austin, P.Eng., of International Metallurgical and Environmental Inc., a Qualified Person
as defined by National Instrument 43 -101, registered in British Columbia, has reviewed and
approved the metallurgical results.
About WAM
Western Alaska Minerals (WAM.V) is pioneering North America’s next major silver and critical
minerals district at the Illinois Creek Project, a prolific 8-km mineral corridor hosting two stand -
alone deposits with a new Warm Springs discovery zone in between. The IC project claims cover a
100% owned land package of 73,535 acres (115 square miles or 29,758 hectares), located
approximately 38 kilometers by road to the region’s marine highway, the Yukon River.
Anchored by the high-grade silver mineralization of the Waterpump Creek zone, 75 Moz @ 980 g/t
AgEq (Inferred), open to the north and south and the historic Illinois Creek mine, 525 Koz AuEq - 373
Koz @ 1.3 g/t AuEq (Indicated), 152 Koz @ 1.44 g/t AuEq (Inferred), WAM’s 100% owned carbonate
replacement deposit shows significant exploration potential across its entire length.
Headquartered in both Alaska and Arizona, WAM brings together a team with a proven track record
of large-scale mine discoveries.
On behalf of the Company
“Kit Marrs”
Kit Marrs
President & CEO
Phone: 1-520-200-1667
For further information, please contact:
Vanessa Bogaert, Director of Corporate Communications/IR
Or visit our website at: www.westernalaskaminerals.com
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