Gladiator Metals Corp. provided an update on current drilling, planned drilling & ongoing regional field mapping and data compilation within the historically producing Whitehorse Copper Project. The Company has recently completed collating historic drilling, completed a LIDAR survey and undertaken reconnaissance prospecting and sampling of outcropping Cu-Au skarn mineralization proximal to the Arctic Chief mining pits. This work has identified multiple prospect areas over more than 2.4km of strike that remains open in all directions. In addition to the historic Arctic Chief prospect, four additional high priority prospects have been identified withing the 2.4km of mineralized strike. These include: Recently collated historic drilling (51 holes for 5,038 metres) none of which had been previously reported by the Company, highlight significant mineralization that remains unmined and extends over more than 250m with mineralization remaining open along strike and at depth. Downhole mineralization includes: BCH-024: 15.94m @ 3.19% Cu from 29.96m, BCH-022: 16m @ 1.6% Cu from 25.15m, BCH-029: 14.94m @ 1.75% Cu from 27.43m, BCH-023: 46.27m @ 1.0% Cu from 24.38m, BCH-010: 20.18m @ 1.5% Cu from 88.51m including 10.36m @ 2.56% Cu from 93.09m, BCH-006: 51.66m @ 0.67% Cu from 12.13m and BCH-037: 17.07m @ 1.5% Cu from 74.37m
In conjunction to the historic drill data compilation, Gladiator undertook reconnaissance, investigation and sampling of outcropping mineralization proximal to historic drilling. Sampling identified multiple zones of outcropping mineralization in the Best Chance prospect area with results including: Outcropping skarn mineralization 150m to the north of the drill area. Rock chips include: 8.12% Cu and 0.2g/t Au (H678262) and 2.39% Cu (H678263 - No Au assay). Outcropping skarn mineralization 150m to the south of the drill area. Rock chips include: 3.15% Cu and 3.5g/t Au (H678352). Undrilled high-grade copper and gold mineralization 400m to the NE of two small open cut mining pits located at Arctic Chief historic mining area defined by rock chipping with results including: 6.02% Cu and 0.3g/t Au (H678347), 3.86% Cu and 1g/t Au (H678349) and 2.55% Cu and 0.1g/t Au (H678453). Undrilled high-grade copper and gold mineralization defined by rock chipping around small, historic underground workings 200m to the West of the Best Chance prospect area with results including: 12% Cu and 4.4g/t Au (H678356) and 4.09% Cu and 3.8g/t Au (H678310). Undrilled high-grade copper and gold mineralization defined by rock chipping of multiple zones over more than 400m of strike with results including: 23.7% Cu and 0.1g/t Au (H678385), 13.4% Cu and 0.3g/t Au (H678332) and 12.95% Cu and 0.1g/t Au (H678332). The results above over the various prospects comprising the Arctic Chief trend are in addition to a previously announced data compilation completed at Artic Chief Prospect which included: Unmined Intersections: AC-015: 17.1m @ 1.52% Cu from 26.49m, AC-013: 13.35m @ 1.42% Cu from 20.85m, AC-051: 6.79m @ 3.14% Cu Fr 80.47m and AC-035: 6.71m @ 2.24% Cu Fr 29.44m. Mined Intersections: XAC-001 21.33m @ 1.48% Cu from 6.1m, XAC-002: 8.43m @ 2.31% Cu from 37.75m, XAC-004: 30.48m @ 1.83% Cu from 15.24m, AC-002: 21.03m @ 3.95% Cu from 21.34m including 9.75m @ 7.81% Cu from 29.87m, AC-009: 23.17m @ 1.10% Cu from 19.2m, AC-010: 27.09m @ 1.49% Cu from 23.2m including 9.96m @ 3.18% Cu from 40.33m, AC-022: 11.34m @ 2.06% Cu from 35.72m and AC-026: 14.2m @ 1.8% Cu from 22.04m, including 7.62m @ 3.01% Cu from 23.56m. Previous successful exploitation of the Arctic Chief Trend was limited in scope and remains shallow with very limited drilling completed outside of the past producing area, with mineralization remaining open both along strike and at depth. Mineralization has been identified by Gladiator from historical drill records, reconnaissance & rock chip sampling that has identified significant potential for mineralization external to the small open cuts along strike and at depth. Historical drilling was selectively sampled for copper only. Given the high-grade gold values reported in recent rock chipping results (up to 19.9 g/t Au - Sample H678440), Gladiator intends to assay all future drilling and sampling for additional credits including gold, silver and molybdenum which were proven contributors to the economics of historic operations.
Holes were drilled at various dips on variable, prospect specific, nominal grids. Gladiator obtained the drill records and logs from the Yukon Geological Survey archives and have captured the data within an industry standard database.
Work completed to date has identified more than 30, drill ready, high-grade regional targets associated with copper rich skarns at the contact between the Cretaceous age Whitehorse Plutonic Suite and the Triassic to Jurassic Lewes River Group's clastic and carbonate metasediments. Cumulatively, there is more than 35km of underexplored strike on the contact which is highly prospective for high-grade copper ±molybdenum +silver + gold. Gladiator's position is enhanced at Whitehorse, with the project having near year-round access for work programs, including an established road and drill access network, low capital infrastructure requirements due to the project's proximity to Whitehorse and a strong partnership with the owners of the Whitehorse Copper Project, an experienced local drilling service provider.