Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. has provided a summary of its 2025 exploration program at the Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine Property, located approximately 4 kilometers northeast of Hixon and 50 kilometers southeast of Prince George, British Columbia. The company drilled a total of 1,729.79 meters in eight NQ-sized surface diamond drill holes during a two-phase spring and fall program, focusing on expanding gold mineralization at the Halo zone while testing geochemical and structural targets.
The program's importance lies in its technical advancements and discovery potential within a historically significant gold district. A key development was the implementation of PhotonAssay™ technology as part of the company's regular assay protocol, which represents a modernization of analytical methods that could improve accuracy and efficiency in resource evaluation. This technology's impact was demonstrated when reanalysis of drill hole QGQ24-20 using PhotonAssay™ verified and increased gold grades by 5.9% compared to traditional fire assay methods, returning 0.56 g/t gold over 475.4 meters.
Perhaps the most significant finding was the discovery of the Km Uno Zone, located approximately 2 kilometers southeast of the Halo zone. Initial samples from this new area yielded promising results including 1.1 g/t gold with 8.0 g/t silver and 0.57 g/t gold with 3.3 g/t silver. These findings align with airborne resistivity, ground conductivity anomalies, and a strong gold-silver-arsenic soil anomaly, suggesting potential for additional mineralized zones beyond the primary target area. The discovery expands the exploration footprint and could significantly increase the property's resource potential.
Drilling at the Halo zone continued to return encouraging results, with hole QGQ25-23 intersecting 0.56 g/t gold over 99.84 meters and terminating in mineralization. The company has engaged MSALABS in Prince George to prepare and conduct PhotonAssay™ for gold and silver, with the lab's proximity to the property potentially expediting assay turnaround times. Samples from several drill holes are currently being processed, including QGQ25-25 which is being analyzed by MSALABS, while drilling of QGQ25-28 will continue in early 2026.
The technical implications of these developments are substantial for the mining industry and regional economy. The property's geological setting shows strong similarities with the Spanish Mountain gold deposit located 120 kilometers southeast along the same geological trend. As a sediment-hosted vein deposit similar to world-class deposits like Muruntau in Uzbekistan and Bendigo in Australia, successful exploration could position the Quesnelle property as part of a significant gold district. The company's engagement of MSALABS for PhotonAssay™ analysis, detailed in their news releases available at https://www.newmediawire.com, represents a strategic partnership that could streamline future exploration efforts.
Golden Cariboo is preparing an ambitious exploration strategy for 2026 that intends to significantly scale up drilling and trenching activities across its 94,899-hectare mineral land package. This expanded program aims to broaden the regional understanding of district-scale geology while continuing to test both the northern extension of the Halo zone and down-dip mineralization of MMI gold-in-soil anomalies. The company's technical approach, reviewed and approved by qualified professional geoscientist Jean Pautler, follows NI 43-101 standards, ensuring methodological rigor in resource evaluation.
The exploration results have broader implications for British Columbia's mining sector and global gold supply. Located in the historic Cariboo Gold District where placer mining continues to this day, the Quesnelle property represents a modern exploration approach to a historically productive region. Successful development could contribute to regional economic activity while adding to global gold resources at a time of increasing demand for the precious metal. The company's technical advancements, particularly with PhotonAssay™ technology, may set a precedent for more efficient and accurate mineral analysis in the industry.
