ArcWest Provides Rip Project Update: Porphyry Copper-Molybdenum System Intersected in First Phase Drill Program, Funded by Copper Quest Exploration

Rhea-AI Summary

ArcWest Exploration (TSXV: AWX) has reported results from its first phase drill program at the Rip copper-molybdenum project in central British Columbia. The program, funded by Copper Quest Exploration, confirmed a Cu-Mo mineralized porphyry system at the North target.

Key findings include drill hole RP24-001 intersecting 24.6m of 0.13% Cu and 109ppm Mo. The drilling program consisted of two holes totaling 1,033 metres, revealing multiple phases of porphyritic intrusions with potassic to phyllic alteration and multistage veining.

The North target has been partially defined as a 600m wide subvertical cylindrical mineralized zone. While most assays showed only anomalous Cu-Mo levels, the presence of intense quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration and strongly developed vein sets indicates a significant porphyry system. The majority of geophysical targets, including the entire South target, remain untested.

As of March 13, 2025, ArcWest maintains a strong financial position with $2.73 million in treasury and approximately $185,000 in marketable securities.

Positive

• Confirmation of Cu-Mo mineralized porphyry system through drilling
• Strong financial position with $2.73M in treasury
• Project fully funded by partner Copper Quest Exploration
• Multiple untested targets remain for potential discovery

Negative

• Most assays showed only anomalous (low-grade) Cu-Mo mineralization
• Best intersection of 0.13% Cu over 24.6m indicates relatively low grades

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2025) - ArcWest Exploration Inc. (TSXV: AWX) ("ArcWest") is pleased to report results from the Company's first phase drill program at its Rip copper-molybdenum (Cu-Mo) project, located in central British Columbia approximately 30 km northeast of Imperial Metals' past-producing Huckleberry mine and Surge Copper's advanced stage Ootsa and Berg projects.

• First phase drill testing at Rip, funded by Copper Quest Exploration (formerly Interra Copper), has confirmed that a largely covered geophysical anomaly at the North target defines a Cu-Mo mineralized porphyry system

• Zones of anomalous Cu-Mo mineralization are hosted in multiple phases of porphyritic intrusions and associated vein stockwork, with drill hole RP24-001 intersecting 24.6m of 0.13% Cu and 109ppm Mo

• While most assays are only anomalous in Cu-Mo, the presence of intense quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration and strongly developed vein sets resembling D veins indicates the presence of a significant porphyry system that has only been partially tested.

• The majority of geophysical targets at Rip remain untested. ArcWest looks forward to working with Copper Quest to explore these targets in 2025.

Tyler Ruks, President and CEO of ArcWest commented, "Porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization has been intersected in both holes of the initial Rip drill program. Limited drill testing this year in a largely covered area revealed that a portion of the northern target chargeability high is host to impressive porphyry style D vein-like stockwork that has potential to improve in grade down plunge and laterally. The majority of the system, including the entirety of the south target, remains untested and is highly deserving of additional exploration. We look forward to this further work as Copper Quest continues to earn-in to the project.

ArcWest remains in a strong financial position with approximately $2.73 million hard dollars in the treasury as of March. 13th, 2025, in addition to marketable securities in partner companies valued at approximately $185,000. The company has zero warrants, significant insider ownership and an exceptionally low burn rate. The company anticipates additional income in 2025 from option payments and operatorship fees. As of April 15, 2025 the company has a market capitalization of only $7.1 million.

The company is currently in discussions with potential funding partners for its additional porphyry Cu-Au projects, and is actively evaluating porphyry Cu-Au projects for potential acquisition. The company looks forward to the 2025 field season, which will include a first phase drill program on its Todd Creek copper-gold project, funded by Freeport-McMoRan."

ArcWest Exploration Inc. (TSXV: AWX) has received all assays from its two-hole, 1033 metre drill program at the Rip copper-molybdenum porphyry project in central BC, funded by Interra Copper Corp. (named changed to Copper Quest Exploration Inc., 26 Feb 2025). ArcWest's 100% owned Rip project is situated approximately 30 km northeast of Imperial Metals' past-producing Huckleberry mine and Surge Copper's advanced stage Ootsa and Berg projects.

The Rip project is interpreted as a highly underexplored porphyry Cu-Mo system that is predominantly covered by overburden. A small outcrop area contains variably altered porphyritic intrusions which cut strongly hornfelsed Hazelton Group volcano-sedimentary rocks. Porphyritic intrusions and hornfelsed country rock are both host to porphyry style stockwork, including magnetite-chalcopyrite and quartz-chalcopyrite-molybdenite veins. Historical exploration drilling on the project included shallow, predominantly percussion holes targeting a large IP anomaly; within the IP anomaly, the holes intersected predominantly QSP altered lithologies (including altered porphyritic intrusions) with anomalous Cu-Mo mineralization. Multiple holes failed to reach bedrock.

An airborne magnetic survey flown earlier in 2024 revealed for the first time two separate circular magnetic highs within the historical chargeability high, suggesting that Rip contains two porphyry centers. The southern mag high is significantly larger than the northern one but does not crop out. Following the airborne mag survey, a 3D-DCIP induced polarization and resistivity survey was completed over the Rip target in 2024. The new IP survey resolved the original 1980 chargeability anomaly into two chargeability "donuts" around the two separate magnetic highs, the classic "pyrite halo" signature of porphyry systems. This suggests potential for Rip to contain two adjacent porphyry systems.

Table 1. Summary of assay results

DDH		From (m)	To (m)	Interval (m)	Au g/t	Ag ppm	Cu ppm	Mo ppm	CuEq %
RP24-001		21.4	148	126.6	0.026	0.5	514	43.2	0.095
RP24-001	incl	21.4	94	72.6	0.035	0.7	659	63.4	0.127
RP24-001	incl	21.4	46	24.6	0.074	1.6	1285	109.0	0.247
RP24-001	and	464	532	68	0.018	0.5	665	38.1	0.102
RP24-001	incl	500	516	16	0.022	0.6	886	36.8	0.114
RP24-002		33.6	147.9	114.3	0.023	0.5	615	49.8	0.106
RP24-002	incl	33.6	106	72.4	0.029	0.6	724	63.9	0.129
Notes on Table 1: Average of assays from selected intervals with values continuously >500ppm copper equivalence (CuEq), with allowance for inclusion of single sample gaps <500ppm CuEq. These intervals are mostly not considered to be ore grade, but rather are included to illustrate the extent of the mineralizing system. Cu equivalents are calculated based on the following US$ price assumptions: copper, US$4 per pound; gold, US$2,500 per troy ounce; silver, US$30 per troy ounce; and molybdenum, US$20/kg. Recovery factors used: Cu 91.2%; Mo 85.8%; Au 73.1%; Ag 70.1%; these are averages from metallurgical tests on five porphyry deposits which represent regional analogues (Huckleberry, Poplar, Seel, Ox and Berg).

 

Two drill holes were completed on the North geophysical target from a single setup, both intersecting anomalous to low-grade Cu-Mo porphyry mineralization from surface, and also at depths >400m in RP24-001 (Figures 1 and 2). Mineralization in both holes is hosted in three distinct phases of porphyritic intrusions with potassic to phyllic alteration and multistage veining (e.g. magnetite-chalcopyrite; quartz-chalcopyrite-molybdenite, pyrite-chalcopyrite with sericite haloes).

RP24-001 (Figures 1 and 2) drilled eastwards towards the core of the geophysical anomaly, targeting the magnetic high within the high chargeability ring. Between upper and lower mineralized zones lies a central barren zone of strongly magnetic crowded porphyry (148-284m), major quartz pods and segregations (284-334m) and UST (369-374m). These coincide with the magnetic high and are interpreted to comprise a central magmatic cupola near the magmatic-hydrothermal transition.

RP24-002 (Figures 1 and 2) drilled westwards away from the core of the geophysical anomaly, targeting the strongest portion of the high chargeability ring. Below an upper zone of weak Cu-Mo mineralization, the lower portions of the hole intersected strong to intense sericite-pyrite alteration with D-style veins but negligible Cu-Mo. This abundant pyrite alteration explains the chargeability ring and is interpreted to be a portion of the pyrite halo of the North target.

In summary, the 2024 mag, IP and drill program successfully demonstrated that geophysical anomalies comprising the North target are the product of a multi-phase porphyry Cu-Mo system with long intervals of low-grade Cu-Mo mineralization. The North target has been partly defined as a 600m wide subvertical cylindrical mineralized zone between a magnetic barren core and a chargeable pyrite halo. The North target has only been tested by three diamond drill holes (two by ArcWest in 2024, one historical in 1975). The South geophysical target is equivalent in size and has no diamond drill testing.

Drill hole locations

Table 2: 2024 drill hole locations (NAD83 Zone 10)

DDH	Easting	Northing	Elevation (m)	Total Depth (m)	Azimuth	Dip
RP24-001	647857	5967278	1065	533.40	75	-60
RP24-002	647857	5967278	1065	499.87	270	-60

 

ArcWest and Interra Copper (now Copper Quest Exploration), signed an Earn-in Agreement on ArcWest's Rip Copper-Molybdenum Porphyry Project, B.C. Details of the agreement can be found in ArcWest's news release from December 8, 2023.

More details of the Rip project can be found in the technical presentation on the ArcWest website.

Assay Methods and QA/QC

The core was logged and sampled at the nearby Huckleberry Mine by ArcWest personnel. A diamond saw was used to split HQ diameter core in half, with one-half of the core put back in the core box and the other half sampled. Samples were cut at a nominal 2m interval. One standard, one blank and one duplicate sample were added to each batch of 30 samples. Samples were shipped by Bandstra directly to the ALS Geochemistry prep lab in Terrace, BC. Final geochemical analysis was completed at the ALS Geochemistry lab in North Vancouver, BC using the methods PREP-31, ME-MS61, and Au-ICP21. Crush to 70% less than 2mm, riffle split off 250g, pulverise split to better than 85% passing 75 microns. Four acid digestion, ICP-MS finish, gold by fire assay. The standards, duplicate and blanks returned results within the expected tolerances of the method.

About ArcWest Exploration Inc.

ArcWest Exploration is a project generator focused on porphyry copper-gold exploration opportunities throughout western North America. The company is in possession of seven 100% owned copper-gold projects throughout BC's premier porphyry copper-gold districts. These include ArcWest's Todd Creek and Oweegee Dome projects, which are two of the largest and most prospective land positions for copper-gold exploration in BC's prolific Golden Triangle. Oweegee Dome neighbours Seabridge Gold's supergiant KSM-Iron Cap-Snowfield porphyry copper-gold deposit and Todd Creek adjoins Newmont's Brucejack mine property. Several ArcWest projects are currently being advanced through earn-in and joint venture agreements; this includes an agreement with mining giant Freeport-McMoRan to advance ArcWest's 100% owned Todd Creek copper-gold project. By conducting partner funded exploration on multiple exploration projects simultaneously, ArcWest's chances of discovery are enhanced while exposing shareholders to minimal dilution. The company is managed by an experienced technical team with a track record of discovery and a reputation for attracting well-funded senior partners, including Freeport-McMoRan, Robert Friedland group companies, ITOCHU, Antofagasta and Teck.

Qualified Person

ArcWest's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Scott McBride, PGeo, Senior Geologist, who serves as a Qualified Person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.

For further information please contact: Tyler Ruks, President and CEO at +1 (604) 638 3695.

Investors are cautioned that ArcWest Exploration Inc. has not verified the data from the Huckleberry, Ootsa, or Berg deposits. Further, the presence and style of mineralization on these properties is not necessarily indicative of similar mineralization on the ArcWest Exploration Inc. property. Historical assays from drill programs on its properties have not been verified by ArcWest but have been cited from sources believed to be reliable. Assay results reported by ArcWest in this news release range from trace amounts to the values stated.

This news release contains statements about ArcWest's expectations and are forward-looking in nature. As a result, they are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Although ArcWest believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof, and ArcWest undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/248665

FAQ

What were the key drilling results from ArcWest's Rip project in 2025?

The best intersection was 24.6m of 0.13% Cu and 109ppm Mo in drill hole RP24-001, with two holes totaling 1,033 metres completed in the North target area.

How much of the Rip copper-molybdenum project remains unexplored?

The majority of geophysical targets remain untested, including the entire South target area. The North target has only been tested by three diamond drill holes.

What is ArcWest's current financial position as of March 2025?

ArcWest has $2.73 million in treasury and approximately $185,000 in marketable securities, with zero warrants and a low burn rate.

Where is the Rip project located and what properties are nearby?

The Rip project is located in central British Columbia, approximately 30 km northeast of Imperial Metals' past-producing Huckleberry mine and Surge Copper's Ootsa and Berg projects.