Selkirk Copper (TSXV: SCMI) is excited to share the latest assay results from its ongoing 50,000-meter drill program at the Minto Mine in Yukon, Canada. Initial drilling at the Minto East zone has validated the previous resource model, providing a clearer delineation of high-grade mineralization.
Drilling at the Minto North West zone continues to reveal significant high-grade mineralization, which remains open to both the north and south. Furthermore, recent findings south of the Ridgetop 2025 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) open-pit resource suggest that near-surface mineralization extends beyond the previous resource limits.
M. Colin Joudrie, President & CEO, remarked, "The latest drill results, combined with those announced in December and January, bolster our confidence in the Minto property. We have sufficient good-grade continuity to support our target 12-15 year mine life and restart plan. After our holiday break, we quickly mobilized our exploration and development team back to site, and with four drill rigs operating, we expect to conclude the first phase of drilling by mid-March. Our Engineering Trade-Off Study and permit amendment planning are progressing well, informing our Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) targeted for completion by mid-2026. We look forward to sharing additional drill results over the next couple of months as we receive assay results."
Drilling resumed on January 22 and ramped up to full production by late January. The primary focus of Phase 1 drilling, which began in August 2025, is resource expansion. The current 50,000-meter Phase 1 drilling program is expected to be completed by mid-March, with ongoing efforts targeting the Minto East, Minto North, Minto Main Extension, and Ridgetop zones.
Initial drilling results from Minto East, which include three holes drilled in October, have confirmed significant intercepts, validating the previous resource model. Notably, drill hole 25SCM042 filled a 90-meter gap between historical drill holes, confirming continuity of high-grade mineralization characterized by disseminated chalcopyrite and minor bornite.
The 2026 drilling program will also target expansions to the north of three known lenses near the DEF fault, with drill holes 25SCM082 and 25SCM110 intersecting visually observed mineralization consistent with the geological model. The deepest lens targeted by 25SCM082 shows promising potential for expansion, remaining open in all directions.
At the Minto North West zone, drilling continues to delineate high-grade mineralization with significant findings from drill hole 25SCM043, which intersected high-grade copper-gold-silver mineralization. This area is characterized by a locally continuous high-grade zone.
Meanwhile, drilling at the Ridgetop zone is expanding near-surface mineralization to the south. The Phase 1 drill program has completed 42 holes, with all reported holes intersecting mineralization above the 2025 MRE open pit cutoff-grade.
Selkirk Copper is also conducting a sequential leach analysis, a mineralogical study, and metallurgical tests to better characterize mineral speciation and copper recovery from the deposit area. Core logging has identified intervals of primary and secondary sulphides, supporting ongoing and future metallurgical studies.
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