Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 7, 2025) - Great Pacific Gold Corp. (TSXV: GPAC) (OTCQX: FSXLF) (FSE: V3H) ("Great Pacific Gold," "GPAC," or the "Company") is providing an update on its exploration activities at the Wild Dog Project ("Wild Dog" or the "Project"), located on the island of New Britain, in the province of East New Britain, Papua New Guinea ("PNG"), Figure 1.
Key Highlights:
Dual purpose RC/Diamond drill arrived in late April and drilling has commenced.
Phase I drilling program focused on a 3km length of the Wild Dog epithermal vein structure (Figure 2) now consists of up to 16 diamond drill holes, totaling approximately 2,500 meters of diamond drilling.
A MobileMT survey geophysics helicopter-borne survey was flown by GPAC over 187km2 area (1,646 line-km) across the Wild Dog Project with 200-meter line spacing, infilled to 100-meter spacing in critical areas. The survey highlighted the Wild Dog epithermal vein structure over approximately 15km of strike length and a number of porphyry targets (Figure 3).
Preliminary geophysics over planned Phase I drill program areas of Sinivit and Kavasuki shows known mineralized systems near surface extend to depths of >1,000m (Figure 4).
"We are extremely pleased to begin drilling at our flag-ship Wild Dog Project after months of preparation including road refurbishment, environmental base line studies, camp and infrastructure establishment, geophysical surveys and community consultations," commented Greg McCunn, CEO. "The geophysics has confirmed the tremendous potential of the epithermal vein system over a 15km strike length with depth potential to over 1,000 meters. This marks the first modern, systematic drill campaign at Wild Dog in over a decade and provides a rare opportunity to unlock the deeper potential of a proven high-grade system in a Tier 1 geological belt."
A MobileMT geophysics helicopter-borne survey was flown by GPAC over 187km2 area (1,646 line-km) across the Wild Dog Project with 200-meter line spacing, infilled to 100-meter spacing in critical areas. The completion of the air-borne geophysical MobileMT survey is a critical step in advancing the Company's understanding of the structural and lithological architecture controlling high-grade gold and copper mineralisation throughout the Wild Dog structural corridor. Originally the corridor was thought to be approximately 11km in length as mapped on surface, but the apparent conductivity trend over the epithermal vein structure extends for ~15km (Figure 2).
Wild Dog is a hybrid high and low sulphidation epithermal gold-telluride system, with brecciated and vuggy silica veins hosted in Miocene andesitic volcaniclastics. The Project hosts several advanced high-sulphidation and low-sulphidation epithermal gold-copper targets, including the previously mined Sinivit deposit and the Kavasuki vein system.
In addition, porphyry Cu-Au targets at Magiabe and Mt Regess have now been confirmed as high priority targets through the MobileMT survey.
Phase I Drill Program
Zenex Drilling has been contracted to provide equipment and drilling services to Wild Dog. A dual purpose (RC-Diamond) rig was mobilized to site in late April and has begun drilling in the Sinivit target area with hole WDG-01. The drill pads for the first eight holes have been fully constructed and drill ready. The first few holes will be targeting the sulphide mineralization below the historic oxide mining pits, near surface with open-pit potential. Historic drilling indicates a mineralized structure 6-10 meters in width, 15-20 meters below surface.
The Phase I program, running from May through August, 2025, consists of 16 diamond drill holes for a total target of 2,500 meters. Samples from drilling will be transported to the Intertek Lab in Lae for processing. The Company expects to release ongoing drill results as they are received.
"Following years of under-exploration at Wild Dog, GPAC's 2025 campaign is planned to be the first modern program to systematically test the full vertical and lateral extent of this system," said Callum Spink, VP Exploration. "Wild Dog is a rare opportunity: a historic high-grade gold producer in a proven belt, now being tested with modern techniques and deep geophysics for the first time."
On behalf of Great Pacific Gold Greg McCunn, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Great Pacific Gold has a portfolio of exploration-stage projects in Papua New Guinea ("PNG"). The Company is focused on developing gold-copper resources from its highly prospective land packages. Its core projects include:
Kesar Project: located in the Eastern Highlands province of PNG and contiguous with the mine tenements of K92 Mining Inc. ("K92"), the Kesar Project is a greenfield exploration project with several high-priority targets in close proximity to the property boundary with K92. Multiple epithermal veins at Kesar are on strike and have the same orientation as key K92 deposits, such as Kora. Exploration work to date by the Company at the Kesar Project has shown that these veins have high grades of gold present in outcrop and very elevated gold in soil grades, coincident with aeromagnetic highs. The Company is carrying out an ongoing diamond drill program on key target areas at the Kesar Project.
Wild Dog Project: located in the East New Britain province of PNG, the Wild Dog Project is a brownfield exploration project with a history of small-scale gold mining. The Wild Dog Project contains numerous epithermal and porphyry hydrothermal-magmatic targets evidenced by previous exploration and operations. The Company completed a road refurbishment in August 2024 and baseline environmental work in Q4 2024. In Q1 2025, the Company began preparing for a drilling program with camp and infrastructure being established, airborne geophysics (MobileMT) survey completed and a geological team in place. Drilling is expected to begin on the property in May 2025.
Arau Project: located in the Eastern Highlands province of PNG, the Arau Project contains the highly prospective Mt. Victor exploration target with potential for a high sulphidation epithermal gold-base metal deposit. A Phase 1 Reverse Circulation drilling program was completed at Mt. Victor in August 2024, with encouraging results. The Arau Project includes the Elandora licence, which also contains various epithermal and copper-gold porphyry targets.
The Company also holds the Tinga Valley Project in PNG.
Qualified Person
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Callum Spink, the Company's Vice President, Exploration, who is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, MAIG, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Spink is responsible for the technical content of this news release.
Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Great Pacific Gold cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by many material factors, many of which are beyond their respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Great Pacific Gold's limited operating history, its exploration and development activities on its mineral properties and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Great Pacific Gold does not undertake to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.
Mineralization at the properties held by K92 Mining is not necessarily indicative of mineralization at the Kesar Project.
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.
