Luca Launches Three-Year, US$25 Million Exploration Program to Unlock Exceptional Gold Potential at Campo Morado and Tahuehueto

Rhea-AI Summary

Luca (OTCQX: LUCMF) launched a US$25 million, three-year exploration program across its Campo Morado and Tahuehueto mines in Mexico to test district-scale, high-grade gold potential.

The plan budgets 80,000 metres of diamond drilling (surface and underground), with US$6.5 million and 20,000 metres planned for 2026 and a further US$18.5 million for 2027–2028 (60,000 metres). Luca will apply VRIFY’s AI platform (DORA) to >650,000 metres of historical drilling and multi-decadal datasets to prioritize targets across 220 km2 of concessions.

Key tactical items include 38 priority targets, the new Reforma Deeps target, near-mine extensions at Crestón, Perdido and Santiago, and existing permits and community agreements enabling rapid mobilization.

Positive

• Program size: US$25 million over three years
• Drilling scale: 80,000 metres planned (surface & underground)
• 2026 budget: US$6.5 million for 20,000 metres
• 2027–2028 budget: US$18.5 million for 60,000 metres
• Data advantage: AI analysis of >650,000 metres historic drilling
• 38 priority targets identified, including Reforma Deeps

Negative

• None.

News Market Reaction

+3.87%

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+3.87% News Effect

On the day this news was published, LUCMF gained 3.87%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Luca Mining Corp. ("Luca" or the "Company") (TSXV: LUCA) (OTCQX: LUCMF) (Frankfurt: Z68) is pleased to announce a comprehensive three-year, US$25 million exploration program designed to unlock the district-scale, high-grade gold potential across its wholly owned Campo Morado and Tahuehueto mining operations in Mexico.

Key Highlights

• US$25 million, three-year exploration plan targeting district-scale gold discovery potential across Luca's two producing mines
  
  
• 80,000 metres of diamond drilling (surface & underground) to expand and define high-grade gold resources
  
  
• AI-based assessment of >30 years of advanced historical exploration data available, leveraging >650,000 metres of drilling and decades of geologic and geophysical data valued at over US$100 million
  
  
• 2026 program: US$6.5 million budget for 20,000 metres of drilling; a further US$18.5 million budgeted for 2027–2028 with 60,000 metres planned
  
  
• Campo Morado: 38 priority targets identified, including Reforma Deeps, a new high-grade gold zone below historical drilling
  
  
• Tahuehueto: Near-mine and brownfields drilling to extend the Crestón, Perdido, and Santiago structures along strike and depth
  
  
• Fully permitted with strong community agreements and existing site access and infrastructure

Program Overview

Over 80,000 metres of surface and underground diamond drilling are planned to underpin future production growth. This campaign follows a detailed review of Luca's extensive geological datasets and will systematically test both near-mine and district-scale targets across more than 220 square kilometres of highly prospective concessions.

As part of the program, VRIFY will apply its proprietary AI-assisted target-generation platform to Luca's vast datasets including over 650,000 metres of historical drilling, decades of soil sampling, mapping, and geophysical surveys. 

Luca has partnered with VRIFY to leverage DORA, an AI prospectivity mapping software, to process and augment the extensive datasets from both projects. This collaboration will empower Luca to make data-driven decisions in exploration planning and uncover patterns that point to areas with high mineralization potential. With an AI model that is pre-trained on several known VMS systems, DORA is a valuable tool for the Luca team to utilize in advancing this multi-year exploration campaign.

Program Focus and Targets

Drilling will concentrate on high-grade gold mineralization at both mines, building on recent exploration successes (see news releases dated August 27 and September 8, 2025), which included:

• Campo Morado – Reforma: 37.2 metres of 5.9 g/t Au, 368 g/t Ag, 0.53% Cu, 5.54% Zn and 2.57% Pb , the first drillholes at this target in over 14 years.
• Tahuehueto – Santiago: 14.0 metres of 6.7g/t Au and 6.0 metres of 9.0 g/t Au.

Campo Morado

• Focus on undrilled gravity anomalies, proven effective in discovering current resources
• 38 priority targets ranked using integrated geological, geochemical, and geophysical criteria
• Reforma and El Rey deposits, both open at depth, will be drilled to expand known high-grade zones
• Reforma Deeps is a new target located immediately below all historical drilling of the Reforma deposit that is associated with a significant untested gravity anomaly

Tahuehueto

• Surface and underground drilling to test extensions of the Crestón and Perdido structures
• The Santiago deposit strike extension, east onto newly acquired concessions, and west toward the Perdido vein, will test a highly prospective gap interpreted as a continuation of the same mineralized system

All exploration activities are covered by existing permits and community agreements, allowing rapid mobilization and minimal permitting risk.

Paul D. Gray, Luca VP Exploration, commented, "This US$25 million, three-year exploration program will leverage Luca's extensive proprietary historical datasets available to unlock the district-scale gold potential at both projects, which have seen little meaningful exploration in over a decade. Our projects are ripe for discovery and the definition of new mineral resources. We are confident that the substantive, systematic approach that Luca is undertaking will lead to significant exploration successes. The AI-driven analysis of the datasets at both projects is a key part of this work. Luca is uniquely positioned in this regard with large and valuable historical geological datasets and highly prospective, underexplored 100% owned land packages hosting producing operations which together represent an ideal framework for AI analysis and target generation. Luca looks forward to this initiative with VRIFY AI, an industry-leading mineral exploration AI firm."

Dan Barnholden, Luca's CEO, added, "We are committed to value creation through exploration at our mines. With operating mills at both Campo Morado and Tahuehueto, we believe the potential is high for the discovery of new mineralization that can feed these mills and add to our near-term production profiles at both operations. Our belief in the potential of our assets is matched by our willingness to innovate as we apply industry-leading AI technology to a world-class dataset."

About Luca Mining Corp.
Luca Mining (TSX-V: LUCA, OTCQX: LUCMF, Frankfurt: Z68) is a diversified Canadian mining company with two 100%-owned producing mines within the prolific Sierra Madre mineralized belt in Mexico which hosts numerous producing and historical mines along its trend. The Company produces gold, copper, zinc, silver and lead from these mines that each have considerable development and resource upside.

The Campo Morado polymetallic VMS mine is an underground operation located in Guerrero State.  It produces copper-zinc-lead concentrates with precious metals credits. It is currently undergoing an optimization program which is already generating significant improvements in recoveries, grades, efficiencies, and cash flows.

The Tahuehueto Mine is a large property of over 100 square kilometres in Durango State.  The project hosts epithermal gold and silver vein-style mineralization.  Tahuehueto is a newly constructed underground mining operation producing primarily gold and silver.  The Company has successfully commissioned its mill and is now in commercial production.

Qualified Person 
The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Paul D. Gray, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration at Luca Mining.  Mr. Gray is a Qualified Person for the Company as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
(signed) "Dan Barnholden"
Dan Barnholden, Chief Executive Officer

For more information, please visit: www.lucamining.com 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

It should be noted that Luca declared commercial production at Campo Morado prior to completing a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability. Accordingly, readers should be cautioned that Luca's production decision has been made without a comprehensive feasibility study of established reserves such that there is greater risk and uncertainty as to future economic results from the Campo Morado mine and a higher technical risk of failure than would be the case if a feasibility study were completed and relied upon to make a production decision. Luca has completed a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") mining study on the Campo Morado mine that provides a conceptual life of mine plan and a preliminary economic analysis based on the previously identified mineral resources (see news releases dated November 8, 2017, and April 4, 2018).

Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, disclosure regarding the Financings, the anticipated timing of closing thereof and the expected use of proceeds therefrom; and other possible events, conditions or financial performance that are based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action; the timing and costs of future activities on the Company's properties, such as production rates and increases; success of exploration, development and bulk sample processing activities, and timing for processing at its own mineral processing facility on the Tahuehueto project site. In certain cases, Forward-Looking Information can be identified using words and phrases such as "plans," "expects," "scheduled," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, that all requisite approvals in respect of the Financings will be received, and all conditions precedent to completion of the Financings will be satisfied, in a timely manner; the Company will be able to raise additional capital as necessary; the current exploration, development, environmental and other objectives concerning the Campo Morado Mine and the Tahuehueto Project can be achieved; the program to improve mining operations at Campo Morado will proceed as planned; the continuity of the price of gold and other metals, economic and political conditions, and operations. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Neither 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.

 

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SOURCE Luca Mining Corp.

FAQ

What is Luca's exploration budget and timeline for Campo Morado and Tahuehueto (LUCMF)?

Luca plans a US$25 million exploration program over three years (2026–2028).

How many metres of drilling will LUCMF carry out in 2026 and overall?

LUCMF budgets 20,000 metres in 2026 (US$6.5M) and 80,000 metres total across three years.

What role does AI play in Luca's LUCMF exploration program?

Luca will use VRIFY’s DORA AI to analyze >650,000 metres of historical drilling and datasets to generate targets.

Which priority targets will LUCMF test at Campo Morado and Tahuehueto?

LUCMF identified 38 priority targets including Reforma Deeps at Campo Morado and extensions of Crestón, Perdido and Santiago at Tahuehueto.

Are Luca’s exploration activities at LUCMF permitted and ready to start?

Yes — the announcement states all activities are covered by existing permits and community agreements for rapid mobilization.