Drilling Underway at Pacific Ridge's Kliyul Copper-Gold Project

Rhea-AI Summary

Pacific Ridge Exploration (OTCQB: PEXZF) has commenced drilling at its 100% owned Kliyul copper-gold project in British Columbia's Quesnel terrane. The company plans a 2,500-meter drill program focused on the Kliyul Main Zone (KMZ), which hosts significant mineral resources in the Inferred category including:

- 334.1 million tonnes grading 0.33% copper equivalent
- 1.11 billion pounds of copper
- 2.74 million ounces of gold
- 10.22 million ounces of silver

Since 2020, Pacific Ridge has invested over $14 million and drilled more than 19,000 meters at Kliyul. The project spans over 90 km² and is strategically located near existing infrastructure. The KMZ mineralization remains open for expansion, with the 2023 drilling program revealing the deepest mineralized interval ever encountered at the project.

Positive

• Significant mineral resource with 334.1Mt containing 2.42 billion pounds CuEq
• Strategic location near infrastructure including power line and resource road
• Mineralization remains open for expansion in multiple directions
• Company has already invested $14M and drilled 19,000m showing commitment to project
• Recent drilling revealed deepest mineralization ever encountered, suggesting further potential

Negative

• All resources are in Inferred category, requiring additional drilling for higher confidence
• No metallurgical testing has been conducted on the mineralization
• Project success depends on assumed metal recoveries based on other projects

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 27, 2025) - Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSXV: PEX) (OTCQB: PEXZF) (FSE: PQW) ("Pacific Ridge" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drilling is underway at the Company's 100% owned Kliyul copper-gold project ("Kliyul" or the "Project"), located in B.C.'s prolific Quesnel terrane in north-central British Columbia (see Figure 1).

Highlights:

• The planned 2,500 m drill program will be focused on infill and resource expansion drilling at the Kliyul Main Zone ("KMZ"), just one target area at Kliyul (see Figure 2).

• KMZ hosts 334.1 million tonnes ("Mt") grading 0.33% copper equivalent ("CuEq"), 0.15% copper, 0.26 g/t gold, and 0.95 g/t silver, in the Inferred Mineral Resource category (see Table 1 and news release dated August 6, 2025).

• KMZ contains 2.42 billion pounds CuEq which includes 1.11 billion pounds of copper, 2.74 million ounces of gold and 10.22 million ounces of silver in the Inferred Mineral Resource category (see Table 1 and news release dated August 6, 2025).

• Mineralization at KMZ remains open for expansion within and beyond the resource reporting shell used to restrict the resource model (see Figure 3).

"We're very excited to return to Kliyul," said Blaine Monaghan, President & CEO of Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. "Having just published an initial mineral resource estimate for KMZ, we are keen to restart drilling as it remains open for expansion within and beyond the pit shell."

Figure 1: Location of Kliyul and Pacific Ridge's Other Projects

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5460/264053_c49a8e86645198ea_001full.jpg

Figure 2:  Kliyul Target Areas

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https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5460/264053_c49a8e86645198ea_002full.jpg

Figure 3: KMZ Pit Shell and Unconstrained Block Model at > 0.20% CuEq

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https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5460/264053_c49a8e86645198ea_003full.jpg

Table 1

KMZ Mineral Resource Estimate (CuEq)

Cutoff (CuEq%)	Tonnes	CuEq%	Cu%	Au g/t	Ag g/t	CuEq Mlbs	Cu Mlbs	Au Oz	Ag Oz
0.15	383,300,000	0.31	0.14	0.24	0.91	2,615	1,212	2,920,000	11,270,000
0.20	334,100,000	0.33	0.15	0.26	0.95	2,422	1,110	2,740,000	10,220,000
0.25	239,200,000	0.37	0.16	0.30	1.04	1,950	861	2,280,000	7,980,000

 

Notes for Table 1

1. The effective date of the Mineral Resource estimate is July 31, 2025.
2. The Mineral Resource was estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum(CIM), Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Reserves, as prepared by the CIM Standing Committee and adopted by CIM Council.
3. There has been no metallurgical testing on Kliyul mineralization. The Company estimates copper recoveries (CuR) of 80%, gold recoveries (AuR) of 65%, and silver recoveries (AgR) of 65% based on the reported recoveries from Mount Milligan.
4. The mineral resource is constrained within a pit shell using metal recoveries of Cu 80%, Au 65% and Ag 65%, an exchange rate of 1.30 CAD:USD, mining cost of C$3.5/t, process cost of C$7.0/t, G&A costs of C$3.0/t, pit slopes of 45 degrees and metal prices of $Cu = US$4.60/lb, $Au = US$2,600/oz., Ag = US$30.00/oz. A fixed bulk density of 2.77 t/m3 was used for the estimation of tonnes.
5. CuEq = Cu% + (0.6697*Au g/t) + (0.0077*Ag g/t).
6. 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.
7. The CIM definitions were followed for the classification of Inferred Mineral Resources. inferred blocks were assigned for blocks with one drill hole within 150 m.
8. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the mineral resources will be converted into mineral reserves in the future. The MRE may be materially affected by considerations including, but not limited to, permitting, legal, sociopolitical, environmental issues, market conditions or other factors.
9. All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate. Totals may not sum due to rounding as required by reporting guidelines.

Kliyul Highlights

• 100% owned by Pacific Ridge, the Company has invested more than ~$14.0 million and drilled more than 19,000 m at Kliyul since 2020.

• Kliyul is over 90 km² in size and is 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 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% CuEq* or 1.17 g/t gold equivalent ("AuEq")** (0.30% copper, 0.70 g/t gold and 2.17 g/t silver) within 566.7 m of 0.51% CuEq* or 0.75 g/t AuEq** (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% CuEq* or 0.95 g/t AuEq** (0.25% copper and 0.57 g/t gold) within 526 m of 0.49% CuEq* or 0.74 g/t AuEq** (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% CuEq* or 0.87 g/t AuEq** (0.23% copper, 0.51 g/t gold and 1.22 g/t Ag) within 540.3 m of 0.44% CuEq* or 0.65 g/t AuEq** (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 9, 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.

• Results of a 2024 ZTEM survey suggest that most of the KMZ porphyry system remains hidden and untested to the north.

About Pacific Ridge

A Fiore Group company, Pacific Ridge's goal is to become British Columbia's leading copper exploration company. The Kliyul copper-gold project, located in the prolific Quesnel terrane close to existing infrastructure, is the Company's flagship project. 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 B.C. The Company would like to acknowledge that its B.C. projects are 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.

Investor Relations:
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*CuEq = ((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).
**AuEq = ((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 Kliyul mineralization.
The Company estimates copper recoveries (CuR) of 84%, gold recoveries (AuR) of 70%, and silver recoveries (AgR) of 65% based on 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.

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.

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.

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, which address exploration drilling and other activities and events or developments that Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. ("Pacific Ridge") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include the planned 2,500 m drill program at Kliyul. 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 one of the options will be exercised, the ability of Pacific Ridge and other parties to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements 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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/264053

FAQ

What are the current mineral resources at Pacific Ridge's Kliyul copper-gold project (PEXZF)?

The Kliyul Main Zone contains 334.1 million tonnes grading 0.33% copper equivalent, including 1.11 billion pounds of copper, 2.74 million ounces of gold, and 10.22 million ounces of silver in the Inferred category.

What is the scope of Pacific Ridge's 2025 drilling program at Kliyul?

Pacific Ridge plans a 2,500-meter drill program focused on infill and resource expansion drilling at the Kliyul Main Zone (KMZ).

Where is the Kliyul project located and what infrastructure is available?

The Kliyul project is located in British Columbia's Quesnel terrane, approximately 8km from the Omineca Resource Road and a 230 kV high-voltage power line.

What were the best drilling results from Pacific Ridge's 2023 program at Kliyul?

The best 2023 result was 305.5m of 0.59% CuEq from hole KLI-23-054, while hole KLI-23-069 revealed the deepest mineralization ever encountered at 584m depth.

How much has Pacific Ridge invested in the Kliyul project?

Pacific Ridge has invested more than $14 million and drilled over 19,000 meters at Kliyul since 2020.