Grid Battery Awards Contract for 2025 Exploration Program on its Copper-Gold Property to Hardline Exploration

Rhea-AI Summary

Grid Battery Metals has awarded its 2025 exploration program contract to Hardline Exploration for its Copper-Gold Property in North Central British Columbia. The property consists of 17 mineral claims covering 27,525 hectares and is strategically located between Centerra Gold's Kemess North project and Mount Milligan mine. The property lies in the Omineca region, known for significant deposits like Lustdust/Stardust, Kwanika, and Lorraine. The 2025 Phase 1 exploration program will focus on the Jupiter and Starlight claim blocks, involving assaying, trenching, sampling, and geophysics work during the summer season, with results expected in fall. The property is situated in the northern Quesnel Trough, which hosts numerous porphyry copper-gold deposits, and is near the significant Pinchi Fault system.

Positive

• Strategic location between productive mining assets, including Mount Milligan mine which has produced 1.8M oz gold and 742M lbs copper
• Property is in mining-friendly British Columbia with good infrastructure and potential First Nation partnerships
• Large land package of 275 km² in a region with proven copper-gold deposits
• Historical data shows anomalous to highly anomalous gold results in stream sediment sampling

Negative

• Historical claims were minimally explored with little follow-up work
• Previous recommended detailed follow-ups were not completed due to market downturn
• Only 2 out of 5 claim blocks will be explored in Phase 1
• Results from exploration program won't be available until fall 2025

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COQUITLAM, BC / ACCESS Newswire / May 20, 2025 / Grid Battery Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Grid") (TSXV:CELL)(OTCQB:EVKRF)(FRA:NMK2) is pleased to announce that an exploration program has been awarded to Hardline Exploration www.hardlineexploration.com. Founded in 2014, Hardline, an experienced mining contractor based out of Smithers, BC, is a leading geological consulting firm operating in western Canada. Hardline works directly with local contractors and First Nations to ensure their projects receives the most efficient & dedicated exploration services available. They specialize in executing programs on complex exploration projects to generate new discoveries and have a proven track record of successful projects incorporating highly skilled geologists and team members with vast experience across Canada on a variety of deposit types.

Please refer to the Technical Report for Grid BC Copper-Gold Project, dated January 24, 2025 prepared by Jeremy Hanson, P.Geo. (filed on SEDAR+ and our website).

About the Copper-Gold Property
The Company acquired a 100% interest in 17 mineral claims comprising 27,525 hectares (approximately 275 km²) located in North Central British Columbia. The region is host to numerous operating mines, good infrastructure including experienced exploration and supporting services. Prominent among early discoveries in the Omineca region include the nearby Lustdust/Stardust Copper - Gold deposit; the Kwanika Copper - Gold deposit and the Lorraine Copper deposit (all of which are owned by (NorthWest Copper Corp. (TSXV:NWST).

The Company's claims are also located between Centerra Gold Inc.'s (TSX:CG)(NYSE:CGAU) prominent Copper/Gold assets, the Kemess North project and the operating Mount Milligan mine, which has produced over 1.8 million ounces of gold and 742 million pounds of copper (Technical Report on the Mount Milligan Mine, November 7, 2022, Borntrager. B, et al.).

B.C. Minfile assessment report data indicates that most of the area covered by the Copper Property was at one time or another covered by staking during surges of exploration in B.C. dating from the 1940's to present day. Largely the claims appear to have been minimally explored with little follow-up. However, some work was recorded on several claims with results for stream sediment sampling showing anomalous to highly anomalous results for gold in a few areas. These areas were recommended for detailed follow-up, however due to a downturn no further work was recorded

The Omineca Group claim areas are within the northern Quesnel Trough underlain by Cache Creek Terrane and lies close to the Pinchi Fault. The Quesnel Trough hosts numerous porphyry copper-gold deposits. The Pinchi Fault can be traced for 600 km through north-central B.C and separates Cache Creek rocks from the Jurassic Hogem Batholith and Triassic-Jurassic Takla rocks to the west. Rocks have a north-northwest strike trend typical of the entire Intermontane Belt in which the Cache Creek Terrane lies (Gabrielse and Yorath, 1992). A wide range of Jurassic to Tertiary intrusions cuts the Cache Creek Assemblage and many of these are emplaced along the prominent NW-trending structures and stratigraphic breaks. Numerous mercury occurrences are present along the length of the Pinchi fault (Albino, 1987) and a few gold and base metal occurrences are present near the Pinchi fault including the Lustdust, Lorraine, Indata and Axelgold properties. There are at least two alkalic gold-copper Porphyry systems in the immediate Lustdust (now known as Stardust) area: J49 and Axel Properties (Schiarrizza, 2000).

2025 Exploration Program|
Mr. Tim Fernback, President & CEO comments "We're excited that we have acquired approximately 275 km² of tenures in such a favourable mining region within British Columbia, Canada. This area of the Province has already generated several promising projects, and our land package is strategically situated to exploit the high copper-gold values of the region. NorthWest Copper Corp. (TSXV:NWST) on the nearby Kwanika project intercepted 400 metres of 1.01 % Copper equivalent (News Release: January 16, 2023 Northwest Copper Corp). British Columbia is a mining-friendly jurisdiction with reasonable processes, good infrastructure and potential First Nation partners."

Mr. Fernback continues "For 2025, we propose to carry out a preliminary exploration program on two of the five claim blocks recently acquired as part of our Exploration Phase 1. Here a large assaying, trenching, sampling and geophysics program is planned for the Jupiter and Starlight claim blocks. We are planning this work during the summer exploration season and expect to have assay results by the fall with next exploration steps identified on the various claim blocks shortly thereafter."

Qualified Person
Jeremy Hanson, P.Geo., an independent qualified person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical content in this news release.

About Grid Battery Metals Inc. www.gridbatterymetals.com.
Grid Battery Metals Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company whose primary listing is on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's maintains a focus on exploration for high value battery metals required for the electric vehicle (EV) market.

About Texas Springs Property
The Company owns a 100% interest in the Texas Spring Property which consists of mineral lode claims located in Elko County, Nevada. The Property is in the Granite Range southeast of Jackpot, Nevada, about 73 km north-northeast of Wells, Nevada. The target is a lithium clay deposit in volcanic tuff and tuffaceous sediments of the Humbolt Formation. A Phase 1 exploration program at the Texas Springs Property (Fall 2023) yielded average lithium grades of 2010 ppm, applying a 1,000 ppm cut-off, and up to 5,610 ppm Lithium.

The Texas Spring property adjoins the southern border of the Nevada North Lithium Project - owned by Surge Battery Metals Inc. ("Surge") (TSXV:NILI)(OTC:NILIF) and comprised of 725 mineral claims. Surge's first round of drilling identified strongly mineralized lithium bearing clays. The average lithium content within all near surface clay zones intersected in the 2022 drilling program, applying a 1000 ppm cut-off, was 3254 ppm. (Press release March 29, 2023). More recent results have shown higher grade lithium up to 8070 ppm on this property after initial drilling (Press release September 12, 2023). Our exploration results are on-trend with these results.

 

About Clayton Valley Lithium Project
The Company owns a 100% interest in 113 lithium lode and placer claims covering over 930 hectares in Clayton Valley. Clayton Valley is a down-dropped closed basin formed by the Miocene age Great Basin extension and is still active due to movement along the Walker Lane structural zone. As a result, the basin has preserved multiple layers of lithium bearing volcanic ash, resulting from multiple eruptive events over the past 6 million years including eruptions from the 700,000-year-old Long Valley Caldera system and related events. These ash layers are thought to contribute to the lithium brines extracted by Albemarle and are also likely involved in the formation of the exposed lithium rich clay deposits on the east side of Clayton Valley.

About the Volt Canyon Lithium Property
The Company owns a 100% interest in 80 placer claims covering approximately 635 hectares of alluvial sediments and clays located 122 km northeast of Tonopah, Nevada.

About the British Columbia Copper-Gold Project
The Company acquired a 100% interest in 17 mineral claims comprising 27,525 hectares (approximately 275 km²) located in North Central British Columbia. The region is host to numerous operating mines, good infrastructure including experienced exploration and supporting services. Prominent among early discoveries in the Omineca region include the nearby Lustdust/Stardust Copper - Gold deposit; the Kwanika Copper - Gold deposit and the Lorraine Copper deposit (all of which are owned by (NorthWest Copper Corp. (TSXV:NWST).

The Company's claims are also located between Centerra Gold Inc.'s (TSX:CG)(NYSE:CGAU) prominent Copper/Gold assets, the Kemess North project and the operating Mount Milligan mine, which has produced over 1.8 million ounces of gold and 742 million pounds of copper (Technical Report on the Mount Milligan Mine, November 7, 2022, Borntrager. B, et al.).

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Tim Fernback"
Tim Fernback, President & CEO

Contact Information:
Email: info@gridbatterymetals.com
Phone: 604- 428-5690

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. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements. It should be noted that results from any adjacent property(s) are not an indication of what may be found on the Company's property(s).

SOURCE: Grid Battery Metals Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

FAQ

What is the size and location of Grid Battery's (EVKRF) new Copper-Gold Property?

The property consists of 17 mineral claims covering 27,525 hectares (275 km²) in North Central British Columbia, located between Centerra Gold's Kemess North project and Mount Milligan mine.

What is included in Grid Battery's (EVKRF) 2025 exploration program?

The Phase 1 exploration program includes assaying, trenching, sampling, and geophysics work on the Jupiter and Starlight claim blocks, scheduled for summer 2025 with results expected in fall.

Who will conduct Grid Battery's (EVKRF) 2025 exploration program?

Hardline Exploration, a Smithers, BC-based geological consulting firm founded in 2014, has been awarded the contract for the 2025 exploration program.

What historical mining activity exists in Grid Battery's (EVKRF) property area?

The area has historical exploration dating from the 1940s, with stream sediment sampling showing anomalous to highly anomalous gold results. The nearby Mount Milligan mine has produced over 1.8 million ounces of gold and 742 million pounds of copper.

What geological features make Grid Battery's (EVKRF) property promising?

The property is located in the northern Quesnel Trough, which hosts numerous porphyry copper-gold deposits, and lies near the Pinchi Fault system, with proximity to significant deposits like Lustdust/Stardust, Kwanika, and Lorraine.