Western Exploration Expands Exploration Footprint at Gravel Creek with 3.0 km Untested Structural Corridor at the Past Producing Wood Gulch Mine
Western Exploration Expands Exploration
Footprint at Gravel Creek with 3.0 km Untested
Structural Corridor at the Past Producing
Wood Gulch Mine
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 24, 2025) - Western Exploration Inc. (TSXV:
WEX) (OTCQX: WEXPF) (the "Company" or "Western Exploration") has defined a major new
exploration target zone in the Wood Gulch-Gravel Creek area that will accelerate the Company's efforts
to grow the Gravel Creek resource.
Western Exploration CEO, Darcy Marud, commented:
"In 2024 Western successfully added a new,
drill-tested target for resource expansion only 100-meters east of the Gravel Creek resource in the
Jarbidge rhyolite (as reported on January 08, 2025). Now, we have identified untested potential along
the Tomasina Fault system, 1.0 km west of Gravel Creek. This new target bears many geologic,
structural and geochemical similarities to Gravel Creek. The Jarbidge and Tomasina exploration
targets are transformational for Western Exploration as they offer significant new resource expansion
potential to the current Gravel Creek resource."
The new Tomasina target zone is over 3.0 km long with three outcropping zones of mineralization and
had past production from the Wood Gulch mine. The identified strike length is over five times the known
strike length of current Gravel Creek mineralization and the presence of the highly receptive Frost Creek
tuff along the fault gives us potential for wide (10.0-25.0 meter) zones of high-grade Au-Ag
mineralization, as this is the favourable host to mineralization at Gravel Creek.
Additionally, the target is
75-400 meters from the surface, which will reduce drill costs and would have a positive impact on
potential future development.
Mr. Marud added
"Drill testing the Tomasina Fault Zone will be a key part of Western Exploration's
exploration program on the Aura Project in 2025. In combination with the continued evaluation of the
high-grade vein zone outlined in the Jarbidge rhyolite in 2024, we believe we have a significant
opportunity to continue to grow the Gravel Creek resource base".
Highlights
A 3.0-kilometer strike length target has been identified along the Tomasina Fault Zone, at depth
and to the east of the outcropping Saddle and Wood Gulch NI 43-101 resource zones.
The Wood Gulch Open Pit (previously mined in 1989-1991 by Homestake Mining Company)
contained some of the highest grade drill intercepts recorded on the Aura Property, including
13.72 meters @ 29.59 g/t AuEq
in WG-125 and
9.14 meters @ 30.38 g/t AuEq
in WG-
145.
Geologic interpretation confirms that the highly prospective volcanic host rocks at Gravel Creek
are intersected by the Tomasina Fault system at depth and adjacent to Wood Gulch.
The Frost Creek tuff has proven to be a very receptive host rock at Gravel Creek (1.0 km to
the east), containing wide intercepts within the current resource including
18.29 meters true
width @ 9.67 g/t AuEq
(WG391) and
20.43 meters true width @ 11.97 g/t AuEq
(WG443).
Using the Gravel Creek model as an analogy, 2025 drilling will prioritize favorable targets where
the Tomasina Fault zones crosscut the Frost Creek tuff down dip from known surface
mineralization in the Wood Gulch and Saddle resources.
The target area is within the approved Wood Gulch Plan of Operations, with drill sites permitted for
use in 2025.
Tomasina Target Overview
Drilling and past open pit mining has intersected high grade Au-Ag mineralization along a 2.2 km
distance and over a vertical range of +1.0 km in the Wood Gulch/Gravel Creek area. Mineralization is
hosted in both Tertiary volcanic and older sedimentary host rocks. The zone is cut by two prominent NW
trending, NE dipping normal fault systems; the GC and Tomasina Faults (
Figure 1).
The GC Fault is the
feeder source for mineralization in the Gravel Creek resource area, particularly where in fault contact with
the Eocene Frost Creek tuff.
Figure 1. Overview map of the Wood Gulch-Gravel Creek area, with table showing wide distribution of
high-grade gold values over a 1.0 km vertical range. Au-Ag mineralization appears to be sourced
primarily along NW trending fault zones.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7771/242008_b16a35d944e98983_001full.jpg
Relogging of drill core and reverse circulation chips, in combination with updated 3D geologic modeling,
indicates that the Tomasina Fault system intersects the highly prospective Frost Creek tuff along a strike
length of at least 3.0 km (
Figure 2)
. No legacy holes have crossed the projected fault trace at depth. Only
three legacy holes (WG355, WG360 and WG421) were drilled within 75 meters of the projected fault,
and all intersected highly anomalous Au-As-Sb-Ag, with local intercepts up to 12.09 g/t AuEq (
see
Figure 2 and Table 1
).
Priority Tomasina drill holes for 2025 will be targeting the inferred intersection of the Frost Creek tuff with
the Tomasina Fault zone down dip of the previous Wood Gulch open pit mining and the Saddle and
Wood Gulch NI 43-101 resources (
Figure 3
).
Figure 2. Simplified Plan Map on 1900m elevation of the Wood Gulch-Gravel Creek area,
showing NI
43-101 resource areas, NW trending structures and the projected distribution of the Eocene Frost
Creek tuff host rock. Key 2025 target areas are where the Tomasina Fault crosses the Frost Creek tuff
down dip from known mineralized zones at Saddle and Wood Gulch.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7771/242008_b16a35d944e98983_002full.jpg
Table 1. Results from legacy exploration holes drilled within 75 meters of the deep Tomasina Fault
Projection.
HOLE_ID
From (m)
To
(m)
Interval
(m)
Au
ppm
Ag
ppm
AuEq
ppm
As
ppm
Sb
ppm
Host
Rock
Distance to Modeled
Tomasina Fault
(m)
WG-355
269.75
283.46
13.71
1.67
28.5
2.01
234.7
10.2
Frost Creek Tuff
28m in Hanging wall
WG-355
with
269.75
271.27
1.52
10.90
101.0
12.09
72.0
22.0
Frost
Creek/Schoonover
contact at 294m
28m in Hanging wall
WG-355
288.04
301.75
13.71
1.00
11.7
1.14
1434.3
22.2
PMs Schoonover
35m in Hanging wall
WG-360
195.07
201.17
6.10
0.83
10.7
0.96
939.0
16.5
TMr Mori Road Fm.
54m in footwall
WG-360
211.84
237.74
25.90
0.91
11.1
1.04
310.1
17.9
PMs Schoonover
55m in footwall
WG-360
with
211.84
213.36
1.52
1.92
101.0
3.11
384.0
44.0
PMs Schoonover
55m in footwall
WG-360
and
228.60
230.12
1.52
7.28
15.4
7.46
598.0
24.0
PMs Schoonover
55m in footwall
WG421
403.86
413.00
9.14
1.13
2.8
1.16
942.4
19.5
Frost Creek Tuff
75m in hanging wall
WG421
and
431.29
440.44
9.15
0.89
7.8
0.98
847.7
26.5
Frost Creek Tuff
75m in hanging wall
AuEq calculated at 85:1 Ag:Au
Figure 3. Cross section AA'
from the Saddle to Gravel Creek Resource areas, showing distribution of
the Frost Creek tuff host rock in relation to the GC and Tomasina Faults.
The Tomasina Target is an
undrilled analogy to the 700K AuEq oz. Gravel Creek deposit, with potentially five times the strike
length.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7771/242008_b16a35d944e98983_004full.jpg
Company Webinar - February 26, 2025
Join us for a Company Update: 2025 Objectives at the Aura Project on February 26, 2025, at 1 PM PST.
CEO Darcy Marud will share key updates and upcoming milestones for the project in the year ahead.
Register HERE
:
Webinar Registration - Zoom
Upcoming Event - 2025 Prospectors and Developers Conference, March 2
nd
- 5
th
Western Exploration is pleased to invite shareholders and those interested in learning more about the
Company to visit Booth 2104 at the 2025 Prospectors and Developers Conference at the Metro Toronto
Convention Centre.
ABOUT THE AURA PROJECT
The 6,000-hectare Aura Project has established mineral resource estimates in three different deposits
(Doby George, Gravel Creek and Wood Gulch), as reported in the
"2021 Updated Resource Estimates
and Technical Report for the Aura Gold-Silver Project, Elko County, Nevada"
dated October 20, 2021
(with an effective date of October 14, 2021) that was prepared for the Company by Mine Development
Associates (the "
Technical Report
"; see
Table 3
below).
The mineral resource estimates in the
Technical Report were established in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 -
Standards of
Disclosure for Mineral Projects
("
NI 43-101
").
In addition, the Aura Project has well established infrastructure including year-round accessibility by
highway and county-maintained road and nearby access to water and electricity.
Table 3. Mineral resource estimates for the Aura Project as reported in the 2021 Technical Report
MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE
(1)
Indicated
Inferred
Tonnes
Au
(g/t)
Au
(ozs)
Ag
(g/t)
Ag
(ozs)
AuEq
(g/t)
AuEq
(oz.)
Tonnes
Au
(g/t)
Au
(ozs)
Ag
(g/t)
Ag
(ozs)
AuEq
(g/t)
AuEq
(oz.)
Doby
George
(2)
12,922,000
0.98
407,000
-
-
0.98
407,000
4,999,000
0.73
118,000
-
-
0.73
118,000
Wood
Gulch
(3)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4,359,000
0.66
93,000
5.80
808,000
0.74
104,543
Gravel
Creek
(4)
1,315,000
4.73
200,000
75.0
3,169,000
5.81
245,271
2,744,000
4.16
367,000
60.20
5,307,000
5.02
442,814
TOTAL
14,237,000
1.33
607,000
75.0
3,169,000
1.43
652,271
12,102,000
1.48
578,000
15.74
6,115,000
1.71
665,357
Notes
:
(1) Au equivalent oz assumes US$1,800 per oz Au and 70:1 ratio of Ag:Au.
(2) Pit constrained 0.2 g/t AuEq cutoff for oxide, 0.4 g/t Au cutoff for mixed and 1.4 g/t Au cutoff for unoxidized.
(3) Pit constrained 0.2 g/t AuEq cutoff.
(4) 3.0 g/t Au cutoff.
About Western Exploration
Western Exploration is focused on advancing the 100% owned Aura Project, located approximately 120
kilometers/75 miles north of the city of Elko, Nevada. The Aura Project includes three unique gold and
silver deposits: Doby George, Gravel Creek, and Wood Gulch. Western Exploration is comprised of an
experienced team of precious metals experts that aim to lead the company to becoming North
America's premiere gold and silver development company.
Additional information regarding Western Exploration can be found on Western Exploration's corporate
website (
www.westernexploration.com
) on SEDAR+ (
www.sedarplus.ca
) under Western Exploration's
issuer profile.
For more information, please contact:
Darcy Marud
Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: (775) 329-8119
Email:
Nichole Cowles
Investor Relations
Telephone:
775-240-4172
Email:
Qualified Person Approval
The scientific and technical content in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mark
Hawksworth, General Manager of the Western Exploration's Aura Project, who is a "qualified person"
within the meaning of NI 43-101.
Quality Assurance - Quality Control
Drill program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control (
QA/QC
") and the interpretation of results is
performed by qualified persons employing a QA/QC program consistent with NI 43-101 and industry
best practices.
Drill core samples were delivered by Major Drilling to Western Exploration's warehouse/logging facility in
Mountain City and washed, photographed, and logged by company geologists. Sample intervals were
marked and recorded. Quality control (QC) samples were inserted at regular intervals in the sample
stream with all sample shipments, including blanks, core duplicates and reference materials, to monitor
laboratory performance. Core was kept in the secure Mountain City facility until transported for assay.
Drill core samples were transported by Neilsen Exploration to ALS Chemex located in Sparks, Nevada,
for sample preparation and analysis. Core was sawed at the ALS facility, with ½ prepared for assay and
½ core preserved and returned to Western's Mountain City facility. Samples were analyzed for gold
using ALS CHEMEX fire assay procedure Au-AA13, with over limits being analyzed by Au_GRA21.
Samples were analyzed for silver and a 40 element suite using ALS Chemex procedure ME-ICP41, with
over limits being analyzed by Ag_GRA21. Split core, all pulps and select rejects are returned to
Mountain City for secure long term storage.
Oriented core data was collected following methodology established by Oriented Targeting Solutions.
Oriented Targeting Solutions compiled data in Access and completed the first pass interpretation
utilizing Leapfrog software.
Please see below under the heading
"Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information"
for
further details regarding the risks facing Western Exploration.
For additional information on the Aura Project, please see the Technical Report, which has been
prepared in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101, a copy of which is available on SEDAR+
(
www.sedarplus.ca
) under Western Exploration's issuer profile and on Western Exploration's corporate
website (
www.westernexploration.com
).
Cautionary Statements Regarding Estimates of Mineral Resources
This news release uses the terms measured, indicated, and inferred mineral resources as a relative
measure of the level of confidence in the resource estimate. Readers are cautioned that mineral
resources are not mineral reserves and that the economic viability of resources that are not mineral
reserves has not been demonstrated. The mineral resource estimate disclosed in this news release may
be materially affected by geology, environmental, permitting, legal, title, socio-political, marketing, or
other relevant issues. The mineral resource estimate is classified in accordance with the Canadian
Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum's
"CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and
Mineral Reserves"
(CIM) incorporated by reference into NI 43-101. Under NI 43-101, estimates of
inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies or economic
studies except for preliminary economic assessments. Readers are cautioned not to assume that further
work on the stated resources will lead to mineral reserves that can be mined economically.
Inferred mineral resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether
they can be mined legally or economically. On October 31, 2018, the SEC adopted new mining
disclosure rules ("
S-K 1300
") that are more closely aligned with current industry and global regulatory
practices and standards, including NI 43-101, although there are some differences in the two standards.
Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits contain in this release may not be comparable with
information made public by U.S. companies that report in accordance with S-K 1300.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-
looking statements"). These forward-looking statements, by their nature, require the Company to make
certain assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Any
statement that involves predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives,
assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always, using phrases such as "expects", or
"does not expect", "is expected", "interpreted", "management's view", "anticipates" or "does not
anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "potential", "feasibility", "believes"
or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results
"may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of
historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking
information. This news release contains the forward-looking information pertaining to, among other
things: the significance of the results of the 2023 drill program; the accuracy of results from prior
exploration activities conducted at the Aura Project; the key assumptions, parameters and methods
used to estimate the mineral resource estimate disclosed in this news release; the prospects, if any, of
the Doby George, Wood Gulch and Gravel Creek mineral deposits; the potential to greatly expand
resources within the Gravel Creek mineralized system; future drilling at the Aura Project; the significance
of historic exploration activities and results; the ability to expand the existing mineral resources at the
Aura Project. Such factors include, among others, risks relating to the ability of exploration activities
(including drill results) to accurately predict mineralization; errors in management's geological modelling;
the ability of Western Exploration to complete further exploration activities, including drilling; property and
royalty interests in respect of the Aura Project; the ability of the Company to obtain required approvals;
the results of exploration activities; risks relating to mining activities; the global economic climate; metal
prices; dilution; environmental risks; and community and non-governmental actions. Although the
forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or
believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, Western Exploration cannot assure shareholders
and prospective purchasers of securities of the Company that actual results will be consistent with such
forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated,
estimated or intended, and neither Western Exploration nor any other person assumes responsibility for
the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. Western Exploration does not
undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or
forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be
required by law.
For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the
forward-looking statements and forward-looking information made in this news release concerning
Western Exploration, see the management information circular dated November 12, 2021, available
electronically under Western Exploration's issuer profile on SEDAR (
www.sedarplus.ca
). The forward-
looking statements set forth herein concerning Western Exploration reflect management's expectations
as at the date of this news release and are subject to change after such date. Western Exploration
disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
Neither the 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 news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory
authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
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