Company Description
Puma Exploration Inc. (PUMXF) is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on precious metals projects in the province of New Brunswick. The company is described in multiple news releases as concentrating its efforts near Canada's renowned Bathurst Mining Camp and along key regional structures that are important controls for gold deposition. Puma Exploration's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PUMA and on the OTCQB under the symbol PUMXF.
According to the company's disclosures, Puma Exploration aims to identify and develop a pipeline of precious metals projects in Northern New Brunswick. Over many years of work in the region, Puma has accumulated what it characterizes as an impressive portfolio of prospective gold landholdings strategically located close to roads and infrastructure. These landholdings include the Williams Brook Project and the McKenzie Gold Project, both situated near the Rocky Brook Millstream Fault ("RBMF"), a major regional structure formed during the Appalachian Orogeny and described as a significant control for gold deposition in the region.
Exploration Focus in Northern New Brunswick
Puma Exploration reports a long history of work in Northern New Brunswick, stating that it has been active on regional projects for over 15 years and, in one release, for over 23 years. The company's activities have centered on building and advancing a portfolio of gold-focused properties near the Bathurst Mining Camp. Puma notes that its work to date has primarily focused on the Williams Brook property, while prospecting and surface exploration on other properties, including McKenzie Gold, have confirmed what the company views as potential for significant gold mineralization.
The Williams Brook Project, as described in several news releases, covers a large land package and includes the Williams Brook, Jonpol, and Portage properties. The project has been optioned to Kinross Gold Corporation under an option agreement that allows Kinross, subject to conditions, to earn a 65% interest in the project by funding specified exploration expenditures over several years. Within Williams Brook, Puma highlights the Lynx Gold Zone (LGZ) as a key target area where channel sampling and drilling have identified gold-bearing quartz veins at surface and at depth.
The McKenzie Gold Project is another core asset in Puma's portfolio. The company reports that surface sampling, trenching, and stripping at McKenzie have outlined the RIM Gold Zone, characterized by a quartz vein system with a main shear vein and an array of extension veins. Puma's exploration work indicates that the RIM zone remains open in all directions, and the company has initiated an inaugural drilling program to test this high-grade target.
Williams Brook Project and Kinross Option Agreement
Puma Exploration describes the Williams Brook Project as a 40,225-hectare land package optioned to Kinross Gold Corporation. Under the option agreement referenced in the news releases, Kinross can earn a 65% interest in the project by financing a minimum of $16.75 million in exploration expenditures over five years, including a firm commitment involving drilling in the first 18 months. Kinross is identified as the operator for at least part of the exploration program, and Puma reports that Kinross has committed to the second year of the option agreement, which includes a minimum work commitment subject to Kinross board approval.
Within Williams Brook, Puma emphasizes the Lynx Gold Zone as a central exploration area. Channel sampling at the LGZ has produced multiple high-grade gold intervals over short lengths, and drilling has intersected visible gold in several holes. Puma notes that the gold mineralization at Lynx extends along strike, across a defined width, and to a considerable vertical depth, and that the zone remains open in all directions based on observed mineralization and structural interpretation.
The Jonpol Property, also part of the Williams Brook Project, has been the subject of surface sampling programs that returned high-grade gold and copper values. Puma's work at Jonpol has focused on the Ramsay Brook Fault ("RBF"), which the company interprets as highly prospective for significant gold mineralization and as a potential host to a gold-bearing trend extending over at least two kilometres. Structural mapping and historical data compilation at Jonpol indicate that major faults, intrusive contacts, and mafic dikes control the distribution of mineralization.
McKenzie Gold Project and RIM Gold Zone
The McKenzie Gold Project in Northern New Brunswick is described by Puma as a new but highly prospective gold property. The company reports that grab sampling at the RIM Gold Zone in 2024 and 2025 returned high gold grades from quartz veins, and that trenching and stripping have extended the zone along strike and increased its interpreted width. Puma notes that the RIM vein system remains open in all directions and that visible gold has been observed in several locations across newly exposed sections.
Puma has launched an inaugural drilling program of approximately 2,500 metres at McKenzie to test the RIM Gold Zone. The company explains that drilling is initially focused on short holes to better understand the geometry and gold grades of the veins at shallow depths, with the intention of refining targets for deeper drilling. Structural studies by external experts have provided insights into the orientation and plunge of shear zones and faults that control mineralization, which Puma uses to guide its exploration strategy.
Exploration Methodology and Use of Technology
Across its projects, Puma Exploration highlights a consistent exploration methodology. The company states that it combines traditional prospecting methods with detailed trenching and the use of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. By integrating geophysical surveys, geochemical data, and consultants' expertise, Puma reports that it has developed what it considers a cost-effective exploration tool to discover gold at shallow depths and to maximize drilling results.
This methodology is applied at both Williams Brook and McKenzie. At Williams Brook, Puma and its option partner Kinross design drilling campaigns to follow up on high-grade quartz veins identified through trenching, channel sampling, and earlier drilling. At McKenzie, Puma has used trenching, stripping, and systematic sampling to outline the RIM Gold Zone before initiating drilling. In both cases, the company emphasizes rigorous quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) protocols for sample collection, insertion of standards and blanks, and laboratory analysis.
Corporate Strategy and Asset Portfolio
Puma Exploration describes a corporate strategy referred to as "DEAR"—Discovery, Exploration, Acquisition, and Royalties. Since 2019, the company states that it has pursued this strategy to innovate in capital raising and to minimize share dilution. As part of this approach, Puma reports that it is the largest claim owner in Northern New Brunswick and is continuously seeking new opportunities in the region.
Following a gold discovery at Williams Brook in 2021, Puma chose to spin off certain base metal assets, including Murray Brook West, Chester, and Turgeon, to facilitate their development and create potential long-term value. Transactions involving Canadian Copper Inc. and Raptor Resources Ltd. have resulted in Puma receiving shares in those entities, cash payments, and performance rights tied to project milestones. Puma also notes that it maintains several net smelter return (NSR) royalties on properties such as Murray Brook West, Chester West, Nicholas-Denys, Beresford Copper, and Little Stull Lake.
The company further indicates that it is actively planning the formation and potential public listing of a new exploration company derived from its subsidiary Murray Brook Minerals Inc., which would focus on critical minerals. Puma clarifies that this transaction is conceptual and that there is no certainty it will proceed or be completed.
Partnerships and Strategic Investors
In addition to the Williams Brook option agreement with Kinross Gold Corporation, Puma Exploration has disclosed equity investments by Kinross. Under an investor rights agreement, Kinross has the right to participate in future equity financings to maintain or increase its ownership percentage in Puma, up to a specified limit. News releases describe private placements in which Kinross subscribed for units consisting of common shares and warrants, increasing its ownership stake in Puma.
Puma notes that the funds raised through these placements are intended to support exploration activities on Puma's projects that are not optioned to Kinross, as well as general corporate and working capital requirements. The presence of a larger gold producer as an option partner and shareholder is presented by Puma as an element of its overall exploration and financing strategy.
Geological Setting and Project Location
Puma Exploration emphasizes the geological setting of its projects in Northern New Brunswick. Both the Williams Brook and McKenzie Gold projects are located near the Rocky Brook Millstream Fault, which the company describes as a major regional structure formed during the Appalachian Orogeny and a significant control for gold deposition. At Jonpol, part of the Williams Brook Project, structural mapping has identified several northeast-southwest faults and intrusive contacts that are closely associated with gold showings.
The company also points out that its gold landholdings are strategically located close to roads and infrastructure, which can be an important factor in exploration logistics. Within the broader Williams Brook Project, Puma references additional properties such as Portage, and notes that historical drilling and surface work have identified gold mineralization in multiple areas.
Status and Trading
Based on the available news releases, Puma Exploration Inc. continues to operate as a mineral exploration company and to advance its projects through surface work, drilling, and partnerships. The company is identified as a Canadian issuer with its main projects in New Brunswick and with shares listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol PUMXF. No information in the provided materials indicates delisting, bankruptcy, or a completed merger that would fundamentally change Puma's status as an independent exploration company.
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No SEC filings available for Puma Exploration.