Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 25, 2025) - Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSXV: PEX) (OTCQB: PEXZF) (FSE: PQWN) ("Pacific Ridge" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has been invited to display drill core from the Chuchi copper-gold project ("Chuchi") at the 2025 PDAC Core Shack. Management will also be available to discuss the Company's plans to drill the RDP copper-gold project ("RDP") and to meet with potential joint venture partners for the Kliyul copper-gold project ("Kliyul"). Chuchi, RDP, and Kliyul are located in north-central B.C. (see Figure 1).
PDAC Core Shack
Pacific Ridge will be displaying Chuchi drill core on Sunday, March 2, and Monday, March 3, at booth # 3114A. To schedule a meeting to learn more about Chuchi, RDP, Kliyul or our plans for 2025, please email info@pacificridgeexploration.com.
Figure 1: Location of Pacific Ridge's Copper-Gold Porphyry Projects
Pacific Ridge completed 2,716 m in five diamond drill holes (CH-24-070 to CH-24-074) over a 750 m strike length across the BP Zone ("BPZ") in its inaugural 2024 drill program at Chuchi.
Every drill hole intersected alkalic porphyry copper-gold mineralization consisting of chalcopyrite and pyrite hosted in breccias, veins and as disseminated mineral replacements.
Of the 89 historical drill holes completed at Chuchi, only one historical drill hole, drill hole CH-91-42, returned higher copper-gold equivalent values over the length of a mineralized intersection. The next four best were completed by Pacific Ridge. Further, drill hole CH-24-070 encountered the deepest mineralization to date at 420 m vertical depth
Drill hole CH-24-073 returned 65.0 m of 0.42% copper equivalent1 ("CuEq") or 0.63 g/t gold equivalent2 ("AuEq") (0.31% copper, 0.16 g/t gold, and 0.69 g/t silver) within 382.0 m of 0.27% CuEq1 or 0.41 g/t AuEq2 (0.19% copper, 0.12 g/t gold, and 0.47 g/t silver)(see news release dated November 25, 2024).
The last hole of the program, drill hole CH-24-074, was drilled near the interpreted centre of the system. The last 51.0 m returned 0.33% CuEq1 or 0.48 g/t AuEq2 (0.22% copper, 0.15 g/t gold, and 0.49 g/t silver). A subtle increase in copper-gold grade with depth, metal ratio signature, and highest MPIx ("MDRU Porphyry Index") value of the program, suggests a vector towards a porphyry core.
BPZ is just one of several porphyry targets that occur within a six-kilometre-long porphyry trend, and it remains open laterally and to depth.
The program revealed there are at least two mineralized porphyritic intrusions at Chuchi, one in BPZ and another in the Digger Zone. Both are open laterally and at depth, and the Company believes these represent the upper part of a large porphyry copper-gold system.
Chuchi is a two-hour drive from Fort St. James and the 2024 drill program was completely ground-supported.
RDP Highlights
100% owned by Pacific Ridge, RDP was under option to Antofagasta Minerals S.A. from 2022 to 2024.
Located in B.C.'s Golden Horseshoe at the southern end of the Toodoggone District in north-central B.C., a prolific area for porphyry copper-gold exploration: Past-producing Kemess (2.975 Moz of gold and 749 Mlbs of copper produced from 1998 to 20113), Kemess Underground (Measured and Indicated mineral resource containing 2.265 Moz gold and 779 Mlbs copper4), and Amarc Resources Ltd. recent high-grade porphyry copper-gold-silver discovery at AuRORA (drill hole JP-24-074 returned 108 m of 2.59% CuEq within 162 m of 1.90% CuEq5).
Five diamond drill holes, totaling 1,392 m, were completed at the Day target ("Day") in 2022 with drill hole RDP-22-005 returning 107.2 m of 1.39% CuEq1 or 2.06 g/t AuEq2 (0.63% copper, 1.10 g/t gold, and 2.91 g/t silver) within 497.2 m of 0.66% CuEq2 or 0.97 g/t AuEq2 (0.37% copper, 0.40 g/t gold, and 1.60 g/t silver)(see news release dated October 25, 2022).
This was one of the best porphyry copper-gold intervals reported in B.C. in 2022.
Only two drill holes, totaling 987 m, were completed at Day in 2023. Drill hole RDP-23-007 was collared 330 metres northwest of RDP-22-005 and intersected 19.0 m of 0.45% CuEq1 or 0.67 g/t AuEq2 (0.32% copper, 0.19 g/t gold, and 1.08 g/t silver) at the bottom of the hole (see news release dated November 23, 2023), which supports Pacific Ridge's interpretation of a tabular porphyry system with a steeply north-dipping pipe vectoring towards a larger porphyry source at depth.
Pacific Ridge doesn't believe that the 2023 drill program adequately tested this interpretation.
Targeting the porphyry source at Day will be the focus of the 2025 RDP drill program.
Kliyul Highlights
100% owned by Pacific Ridge, the Company has spent ~$14.0 million on exploration at Kliyul since 2020.
Kliyul is over 90 km2 in size and is located in the prolific Quesnel terrane close to existing infrastructure, ~8 km to the Omineca Resource Road and a 230 kV high-voltage power line.
A six-kilometre long porphyry copper-gold trend, comprised of favourable geology, geochemistry, alteration, and geophysics, exists at Kliyul but the Kliyul Main Zone ("KMZ") has been the focus since 2021.
Drilling by Pacific Ridge has increased the mineralized extents of KMZ tenfold. Pre-2021, the mineralized extents measured ~350 m E-W x ~150 m N-S x ~400 m vertical depth. After the last round of drilling, the known mineralized extents measure ~760 m E-W x ~600 m N-S x ~650 m vertical depth. KMZ remains open to the North, West, East, Southeast, and at depth.
The best drilling result in 2021 was 316.7 m of 0.79% CuEq1 and 1.17 g/t AuEq2 (0.30% copper, 0.70 g/t gold and 2.17 g/t silver) within 566.7 m of 0.51% CuEq1 and 0.75 g/t AuEq2 (0.20% copper, 0.44 g/t gold and 1.39 g/t silver) from KLI-21-037 (see news release dated January 31, 2022).
The best drilling result in 2022 was 328.0 m of 0.64% CuEq1 and 0.95 g/t AuEq2 (0.25% copper and 0.57 g/t gold) within 526 m of 0.49% CuEq1 and 0.74 g/t AuEq2 (0.25% copper, 0.57 g/t gold and 1.25 g/t silver) from KLI-22-050 (see news release January 18, 2023).
The best drilling result in 2023 was 305.5 m of 0.59% CuEq1 and 0.87 g/t AuEq2 (0.23% copper, 0.51 g/t gold and 1.22 g/t Ag) within 540.3 m of 0.44% CuEq1 and 0.65 g/t AuEq2 (0.19% copper, 0.36 g/t gold and 0.65 g/t silver) from KLI-23-054 (see news release August 23, 2023).
Drill hole KLI-23-069, the last hole of the 2023 drilling program, returned 45.0 m of 0.58% CuEq or 0.86 g/t AuEq (0.38% copper, 0.28 g/t gold, and 2.20 g/t silver) within 570.0 m of 0.27% CuEq or 0.40 g/t AuEq (0.14% copper, 0.18 g/t gold, and 0.99 g/t silver)(see news release dated January 29, 2024). The 45 m interval, at 584 m downhole depth, is the deepest mineralized interval ever encountered at Kliyul and provides a northward and down-plunge vector for a higher-grade porphyry centre at KMZ.
Kliyul is available for joint venture.
About Pacific Ridge
Pacific Ridge is one of B.C.'s leading copper-gold exploration companies. The Company's flagship asset is its 100% owned Kliyul copper-gold project, located in the Quesnel terrane close to existing infrastructure. In addition to Kliyul, Pacific Ridge's project portfolio includes the RDP copper-gold project, the Chuchi copper-gold project, the Onjo copper-gold project, and the Redton copper-gold project, all located in British Columbia. Pacific Ridge would like to acknowledge that its B.C. projects are located in the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Gitxsan Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Nak'azdli Whut'en, Takla Nation, and Tsay Keh Dene Nation.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
"Blaine Monaghan"
Blaine Monaghan President & CEO Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd.
1CuEq = ((Cu%) x $Cu x 22.0462) + (Au(g/t) x AuR/CuR x $Au x 0.032151) + (Ag(g/t) x AgR/CuR x $Ag x 0.032151)) / ($Cu x 22.0462). 2AuEq = ((Au(g/t) x $Au x 0.032151) + ((Cu%) x CuR/AuR x $Cu x 22.0462) + (Ag(g/t) x AgR/CuR x $Ag x 0.032151)) / ($Au x 0.032151). Commodity prices: $Cu = US$3.25/lb, $Au = US$1,800/oz., and Ag = US$20.00/oz. There has been no metallurgical testing on Chuchi, Kliyul or RDP mineralization. The Company estimates copper recoveries (CuR) of 84%, gold recoveries (AuR) of 70%, and silver recoveries (AgR) of 65% based on the average recoveries from Kemess Underground, Mount Milligan, and Red Chris.) Factors: 22.0462 = Cu% to lbs per tonne, 0.032151 = Au g/t to troy oz per tonne, and 0.032151 = Ag g/t to troy oz per tonne. 3Witte, A., Bostwick, C., Skrecky, G., Bent, H., Jakubec, J., Volk, J., Major, K., and Corpuz, P., 2013. NI 43-101 technical report for the Kemess Underground project, British Columbia, Canada: Prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. for AuRico Gold Inc., 249 p. 4https://wp-centerra-2023.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/2024/02/14172557/Mineral-Reserves-and-Mineral-Resources-Table-FY2023.pdf 5https://amarcresources.com/site/assets/files/5949/january_17_2025_f.pdf
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 release.
The technical information contained within this News Release has been prepared under the supervision of, and reviewed and approved by. Danette Schwab, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this news release include plans to drill RDP. Although Pacific Ridge believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions; that at least one of the options will be exercised; that Pacific Ridge and other parties will be able to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements in a timely manner; that TSXV approval will be granted in a timely manner subject only to standard conditions; that all conditions precedent to the Agreements will be satisfied in a timely manner; the availability of financing for Pacific Ridge's proposed programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of third party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Pacific Ridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
