WESTERN EXPLORATION REPORTS POSITIVE ASSAY RESULTS FROM 2024 DRILLING PROGRAM AT GRAVEL CREEK Drill results of up to 1.01 meters of 68.32 g/t AuEq and 0.49 meters of 111.54 g/t AuEq Highlight Potential Resource Expansion
WESTERN EXPLORATION REPORTS POSITIVE ASSAY RESULTS FROM
2024 DRILLING PROGRAM AT GRAVEL CREEK
Drill results of up to 1.01 meters of 68.32 g/t AuEq and
0.49 meters of 111.54 g/t AuEq Highlight Potential Resource Expansion
Northeast of the Current Gravel Creek Deposit
Vancouver, British Columbia – October 7, 2024 – Western Exploration Inc. (TSXV: WEX;
OTCQX: WEXPF) (the "Company" or "Western Exploration") is pleased to announce initial
assay results from its 2024 core drilling program in the Jarbidge rhyolite north- east of the
Gravel Creek resource area at the Company's wholly -owned Aura gold- silver project ,
located in Elko County, Nevada (the "Aura Project").
Highlights of 2024 Drill Program
• Four oriented core holes totaling 2,789 meters have been completed and one hole is
in progress to offset the high-grade intercepts in the Jarbidge rhyolite (“Discovery
Section”) (see the Company's news release dated January 08, 2024, entitled
"Western Exploration Provides Update on Drilling Activities at Gravel Creek").
• Hole WG459 was drilled 80 meters north on strike from the Discovery Section and
reported individual assays of up to 75.30 g/t Au and 3,080 g/t Ag, with key intercepts
including:
• 3.69 meters of 22.06 g/t AuEq (16.66 g/t Au and 458.6 g/t Ag)
• 6.10 meters of 12.44 g/t AuEq (8.52 g/t Au and 333.5 g/t Ag)
The drill results in holes WG459 provide further definition to a set of high-grade Au-Ag
bearing veins and breccias in the Jarbidge rhyolite adjacent to the Gravel Creek resource
area. Assay results from additional core holes and interpretation of oriented core data will
be reported in subsequent news releases.
Assay Results Support Potential for Resource Expansion
Western Exploration CEO , Darcy Marud, commented: "Western Exploration is extremely
pleased with the initial results of the 202 4 drill program, which intersected assay values of
up to 75.3 g/t Au and 3,080 g/t Ag in hole WG459. These results support the Company's
belief that high grade veins continue at least 80 meters to the north of the Discovery Section,
as reported in January 2024. Oriented core drilling is still ongoing to extend the north/north-
west trending vein zone and to connect with multiple high grade Au intercepts identified by
wide-spaced legacy holes in an area of approximately 550 meters by 350 meters in size.
The Company anticipates that these results will help support the expansion of the mineral
resource at Gravel Creek.”
2
Multiple High-Grade Au -Ag Vein Drill Intercepts Peripheral to the Gravel Creek
Deposit
Previous drilling in the Miocene Jarbidge rhyolite to the north -east of the Gravel Creek
deposit intersected multiple high-grade Au-Ag bearing vein intercepts, with individual assays
of up to 237.0 g/t AuEq in hole WG379 and 2,800.0 g/t Ag in hole WG 456. None of these
Jarbidge-hosted intercepts have been included in previous resource estimates . Oriented
core drill results from the Company's 2023 drilling program provided the first set of data that
the Company has used to begin linking vein intercepts, with a preliminary interpretation of
vein trends shown on the Discovery Section 500N (see Figure 1 below).
Figure 1. Jarbidge Discovery Section Cross Section, showing interpreted continuity of high-
grade values along sub parallel structural zones, based on oriented core measurements in
holes WG456 and WG457. The vein zones and subsidiary splays have over 20.0 g/t AuEq
grades on a dip length of potentially over 200 meters (AuEq calculated at 85:1 Ag: Au; see
Figure 2 below for location reference).
Four oriented core holes totaling 2,789 meters have been completed during the 2024 drill
program, with hole WG462 currently in progress 160 meters north of the Discovery Section.
Hole WG459 was drilled 80 meters to the n orth of the Discovery Section on section 580N
(see Figure 2 and Figure 3 below). The hole intersected multiple quartz-pyrite marcasite-
bearing veins and breccias, highlighted by an upper and lower vein/breccia/stockwork zone
containing intercepts of over 60.0 g/t AuEq, surrounded by lower grade mineralization .
Significant assay intercepts are summarized in Table 1 with drill hole coordinates included
3
in Table 2. Oriented core data is being interpreted as drilling proceeds and will be reported
in future news releases.
Figure 2. Plan view Gravel Creek area, showing the Gravel Creek resource zone, location
of 2023 Discovery Section (Figure 1) and hole WGC459 (described in this news release)
and traces of the 2024 drill holes with assays pending or planned.
Table 1. Summary of Significant Drill Intercepts in 2024 core hole WGC459.
FROM TO INTERVAL* AuEq ** Au Ag
DRILL HOLE (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t) (g/t)
WGC459 540.87 541.63 0.76 5.85 3.36 212.0
WGC459 543.89 547.58 3.69 22.06 16.66 458.6
includes 543.89 544.90 1.01 68.32 51.50 1,430.0
includes 547.09 547.58 0.49 20.14 15.45 399.0
WGC459 565.44 565.81 0.37 26.50 22.50 340.0
WGC459 651.36 657.46 6.10 12.44 8.52 333.5
includes 654.78 655.27 0.49 111.54 75.30 3,080.0
* Estimated true width is 80-100% of Interval Width; Intervals are calculated with a 3
g/t AuEq cutoff, with limited +1.0 g/t AuEq internal dilution.
4
** AuEq is calculated at 85:1 Ag:Au
Table 2. Coordinates for 2024 completed drill holes (UTM NAD 83, Zone 11)
Drill Hole Easting
(m)
Northing
(m)
Elevation
(m)
Depth
(m) Azimuth Dip
WGC458
586,974.0
4,616,060.0
2,186.3 764.1 99.0 64
WGC459
587,067.0
4,616,194.0
2,226.0 712.3 95.3 70
WGC460
587,067.0
4,616,194.0
2,226.0 740.1 94.5 76
WGC461
587,179.0
4,616,093.0
2,191.8 668.1 96.0 71
Figure 3. Jarbidge Rhyolite Cross Section 10580N, showing hole WG459 assay results in
context with the Gravel Creek Resource and key legacy drill intercepts.
5
Significance for Future Gravel Creek Exploration
Result are pending for holes WGC458, WGC460 and WGC461, with hole WGC462 currently
in progress. Initial results from hole WGC459 help support the extension of oriented core
drilling into the 550-meter by 350-meter area to the northeast of the Gravel Creek resource
within the Jarbidge rhyolite with the aim of linking multiple high grade AuEq intercepts in
widely spaced legacy holes located in that area. Of note are the number of intercepts of over
10.0 g/t AuEq intersected in the farthest east/north-east drill holes, which suggests that the
Gravel Creek system has not been closed off (see Figure 4 below). The 2024 drill results
will be evaluated in context with legacy drilling, with the goal of defining a preliminary inferred
resource to expand the Gravel Creek deposit resource base.
Figure 4. Cross section A-A’, northeast at the limit of drilling in the Gravel Creek area. Note
the widespread distribution of 10.0 g/t AuEq intercepts at the NE limit of current drilling, as
well in a 550 meter by 350 meter area of the Jarbidge rhyolite to the northeast of Gravel
Creek, as highlighted by the insert map on the 1700-m elevation.
About the Aura Project
6
The 6,000-hectare Aura Project has an established mineral resource estimates in three
different deposits (Doby George, Gravel Creek and Wood Gulch) (see Table 3 below), as
reported in the technical report entitled "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"). The mineral resource estimate included
in the Technical Report were prepared in accordance with the requirements of 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 (see Figure 5 below). Western Exploration has exploration, development, and
mining rights on 930 hectares of privately owned land through a mineral lease agreement
with a local landowner and may purchase those fee lands at any time for the development
of Doby George.
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.
7
Figure 5. Aura Project – Land holdings and Infrastructure.
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 P roject
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 and the Aura Project can be found on
the Company's website and on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under the Company's issuer
profile. For more information please contact:
Darcy Marud
Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: (775) 329-8119
Email: [email protected]
Nichole Cowles
Investor Relations
8
Telephone: 775-240-4172
Email: [email protected]
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 C ity
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