NRED Identifies New Drill Target at Wilmac Copper-Gold Project

NRED Intelligent Mining Inc. has identified a new drill target at its Wilmac Copper-Gold Project in British Columbia, aiming to explore deeper below the historical drilling limits. The company’s integrated review of historical drilling, re-sampled core, magnetic susceptibility data, and 3D induced-polarization (IP) modeling has pinpointed the Eagle target, which shows significant potential for deeper mineralization.

The key finding is that historical drilling stopped well above the strongest modelled geophysical target. The 2014 drill holes ended approximately 107 to 231 meters above their modelled chargeability peaks, which occur between 300 and 450 meters depth. The better historical holes also showed increasing copper values and alteration toward the bottom of the holes. Specifically, hole WS14-004 ended at only 133 meters depth, while the modelled chargeability response strengthens significantly below the hole.

NRED plans to deepen the existing Eagle hole by approximately 250 meters, subject to confirming that the hole remains open and accessible. Brian Goss, Chief Executive Officer of NRED, stated, "Eagle gives us a clear target and a clear test. The previous drilling stopped well above the strongest modelled target, while copper, alteration, and geophysical evidence point deeper. Rather than speculate, our objective is simple: drill deeper and test the target."

Historical drilling has already shown increasing copper values at depth. Four diamond drill holes totaling 728 meters were completed in 2014 across the Bolas, Trojan, Raven, and Eagle targets. Re-logging and re-sampling of the historical core in 2024 identified broader copper-bearing intervals than recognized by the original selective sampling, including 26.83 meters averaging 381 ppm copper in WS14-002, including 3.13 meters averaging 1,084 ppm copper, and 24.16 meters averaging 262 ppm copper in WS14-001.

The company’s integrated review also suggests that multiple data sets point to a deeper target. The modelled IP chargeability peaks occur broadly between 300 and 450 meters depth. Independent magnetic interpretations provide a similar depth range, including airborne modelling indicating approximately 290 to 410 meters and 3D ground magnetic modelling placing a susceptible body near 400 meters.

Core measurements have strengthened the geological model. NRED collected 679 magnetic susceptibility measurements from the historical drill core during the 2024 program. These measurements indicate that magnetic susceptibility decreases as sulphur increases, with median susceptibility falling by roughly three times between low-sulphur rock and intervals containing more than 0.5% sulphur. This provides property-specific evidence that sulphidation can destroy magnetite within the Trojan-Condor system and strengthens the geological basis for using localized magnetic lows as one potential alteration indicator.

The proposed drilling program will include downhole IP, resistivity, and magnetic susceptibility measurements, along with complete multi-element and gold analysis. The goal is to determine if the shallow altered and pyritic system encountered in historical drilling strengthens into a more significant sulphide-bearing system at depth. No drill program is currently scheduled and would not occur prior to the 2027 field season at the earliest and would be subject to financing.

The Wilmac copper-gold project covers 16,078 hectares located southwest of Princeton and approximately 10 kilometers west of Hudbay Minerals Inc.’s producing Copper Mountain Mine. NRED holds an interest in the project pursuant to two option agreements concerning the Wilmac and Lamont claims and the Trojan-Condor Corridor claims. The Company was required to make a $125,000 cash payment by September 1, 2026, and a $100,000 cash payment and $100,000 in exploration expenditures by August 31, 2026. NRED has not made these payments, and the option agreements are currently not in good standing.