Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 10, 2025) - Gladiator Metals Corp. (TSXV: GLAD) (OTCQB: GDTRF) (FSE: ZX7) ("Gladiator" or the "Company") announces that its Phase 1 drilling program of 10,000m has commenced at its flagship Cowley Park project.
Phase 1 drilling will focus on:
Targeting the strike and down dip extensions to the high-grade copper mineralization identified in the 2024 drill program at Cowley Park;
Resource definition; and
Expanding the Cowley Park footprint.
Drilling at Cowley Park forms part of an approved Class 1 Permit that allows Gladiator to drill up to 50,000m over the coming 12 months at its Whitehorse Copper Project, with further drilling planned to test known mineralization within the Whitehorse Copper Belt project this summer.
Gladiator CEO Jason Bontempo commented:"Our Phase 1 programme of 10,000m has now commenced with two drill rigs to immediately focus on testing the strike and down dip extension of the recently identified high grade mineralization where late last year hole CPG 47 intersected 14m @ 7.67% Cu. The second rig will focus on three new, highly prospective geophysical targets that could significantly expand the known extents of the Cowley Park mineralized system.
"Both Phase 1 & 2 drill campaigns (combined 19,000m) at Cowley Park are fully funded with treasury exceeding $18M. We believe Cowley Park will deliver a material cornerstone high-grade copper resource within our 35km long Whitehorse Copper Belt project where we are targeting over 100mt of high-grade copper resources."
Resumption of Drilling
Drilling has commenced at Cowley Park initially targeting the strike and down dip extensions to the high grade exoskarn intersected in recent drilling (Figures 1 and 2) that returned significant high-grade mineralization over broad widths in CPG-045, CPG-047 and CPG-049. These holes support mineralization continuing for at least 220 metres from near surface down dip whilst remaining open at depth, to the west and towards the east. Significant results from Gladiator's 2024 drill program include:
CPG-047 - 98m @ 1.49% Cu, 0.04 g/t Au, 3.68 g/t Ag & 187 ppm Mo from 103m including 20m @ 5.53% Cu, 0.07 g/t Au, 11.47 g/t Ag & 229 ppm Mo from 145m, including 14m @ 7.67% Cu, 0.07 g/t Au, 15.16 g/t Ag & 217 ppm Mo from 145m.
CPG-049 - 79m @ 1.37% Cu, 0.06 g/t Au, 4.38 g/t Ag & 261 ppm Mo from 71m including 26m @ 3.31% Cu, 0.06 g/t Au, 8.97 g/t Ag & 44 ppm Mo from 88m.
CPG-045 - 38m @ 1.01% Cu, 0.06 g/t Au, 4.83 g/t Ag & 604 ppm Mo from 96m including 12m @ 1.73% Cu, 0.10 g/t Au, 7.75 g/t Ag & 1,052 ppm Mo from 96m & 4m @ 2.50% Cu, 0.10 g/t Au, 11.15 g/t Ag & 1,051 ppm Mo from 122m.
Hole CPG-018 (drilled by Gladiator in 2023) intersected minor skarn mineralization over the last 1.6m of the hole (200.1 to 202.69m EOH). With the results of CPG-047, mineralization is now believed to remain open at depth. Gladiator plans to further test the down dip potential of this zone by extending CPG-018 along with drilling further holes along strike upon the restart of drilling in February 2025.
Initial drilling at Cowley Park is part of a larger planned drilling program for 2025 encompassing the broader Whitehorse Copper project, with Gladiator recently receiving a Class 1 Permit that allows it to drill up to 50,000 metres over the coming 12 months.
This will allow Gladiator to systematically test known mineralisation throughout the belt as well as advance Cowley Park to resource definition.
Figure 1: Plan map of all drilling at Cowley Park over LIDAR DTM. All drill collars completed by Gladiator to date colored by sum Cu% x Length (m), historical collars marked as light-colored dots.
Figure 2 Section (Line 3) through the Cowley Park prospect looking 280o (20m Window approximately West) showing only Gladiator drilling and recently returned assay results along the interpreted granodiorite-skarn boundary.
Recent drilling and geophysical programs, including induced polarization (ongoing) and drone borne aero magnetics has led to the re-interpretation of the geological model used to explore Cowley Park. The new model supports the existence of an offsetting NNE dextral fault displacing mineralization significantly enlarging the exploration potential of Cowley Park.
Identification of the fault has opened the possibility to extensive exploration potential along strike of known mineralization and has identified a further three untested magnetic responses proximal to known mineralization and the emplaced granodiorite (intrusive) hosting the Cowley Park prospect. (see Figure 3).
The Company believes the previous geological interpretation prematurely constrained the strike extents of the known high grade exoskarn mineralization. The 2024 drill program has confirmed the Company's belief that mineralization associated with the higher-grade exoskarn is now open at depth and along strike and is not constrained as implied by the previous model.
Mineralization within the exoskarn is now interpreted to be occurring as a wide zone of high-grade mineralization contained within a broader mineralized skarn that is steep to moderately dipping (approximately -70 degrees to the south), rather than flattening at depth and returning to the near surface in the south (previously described as "The Bowl" Interpretation). The new geological model supports that:
The two main existing lodes (Northern & Southern) are now thought to be separated by a large regional lateral (dextral) off-setting fault that is of a similar orientation to that found at the Little Chief Mine. This implies that previous drilling was unable to detect the projected lodes across the fault, specifically the southern lode on the western side of the fault where the emplacement of the granodiorite is dominant.
Mineralization appears to be associated with the gradient (from low to high) of the magnetic response proximal to the intrusive system (granodiorite), implying that significant untested exploration potential exists to the north and south of the emplaced granodiorite.
Figure 3: Plan map of Cowley Park over drone magnetics, LIDAR and DTM. Gladiator drill collars colored by sum Cu% x Length (m); historical collars marked as non-Gladiator drilling.
The new interpretation of the intrusive contact suggests the system remains open along strike, as drilling completed to date has not yet fully tested the strike extents of the magnetic gradients. The Company believes known higher grade exoskarn style mineralization that occurs proximal to the contact, including to the northwest and east of the "Northern Lode" and to the east of the "Southern Lode" could be extended further east.
Magnetics has also identified similar untested anomalies (Figure 3) proximal or along strike to identified mineralization surrounding the emplaced granodiorite at Cowley Park. Drill planning to test these anomalies in 2025 is underway.
Mineralization within the endoskarn is now interpreted as being defined by brittle deformation proximal to the endoskarn-exoskarn contact and is moderately to steeply dipping (to the south) localised to the contact.
QA / QC
For the relevant discussion on QA/QC and tabled details for the quoted intersections included in this release, refer to Gladiator's News Release dated January 14, 2025 "Gladiator Drills 36m of 1.23% Cu and 20m of 1.22% Cu at Cowley Park and Returns 40.2m of 1.74% Cu from Unassayed Historic Core"
Qualified Person
All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared or reviewed and approved by Kell Nielsen, the Company's Vice President Exploration, a "qualified person" as defined by NI 43-101.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
"Jason Bontempo"
Jason Bontempo Director and CEO
For further information contact: Olav Langelaar, VP Corporate Development +1-604-961-6511 olangelaar@gladiatormetals.com
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Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, the need for additional capital by the Company through financings, and the risk that such funds may not be raised; the speculative nature of exploration and the stages of the Company's properties; the effect of changes in commodity prices; regulatory risks that development of the Company's material properties will not be acceptable for social, environmental or other reasons; availability of equipment (including drills) and personnel to carry out work programs; and that each stage of work will be completed within expected time frames. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements or information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.
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