Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 23, 2025) - Hercules Metals Corp. (TSXV: BIG) (OTCQB: BADEF) (FSE: C0X) ("Hercules" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on drilling from its 2025 field season at its Hercules Property in western Idaho (the "Property"). The Company reports that initial drill holes from the 2025 drilling campaign are validating the breakthrough 3D geological model announced in April 2025, and as a result, the Company has elected to ramp up production from three (3) to five (5) drill rigs.
Highlights
- Two drill holes, (25-02 and 25-03), have been completed, and five are currently in progress (25-04, 25-05, 25-06, 25-07, and 25-08). 25-03 tested a gap in the block model, at a favourable orientation to cross-cut the mineralization, while 25-02 completed a 220-metre step-out to the northeast of 24-12. So far, over 3,000 metres have been drilled in 2025.
- Importantly, northwest-oriented drilling is validating the 3D geological model developed by the technical team over the winter - now defining a shell of copper-molybdenum ("Cu-Mo") mineralization around a central porphyry intrusion (the "Leviathan Target").
- Five drill rigs (four core and one Reverse Circulation ("RC") are now testing the system across 2.2 kilometres of strike. This increase, from three drill rigs at the outset of the 2025 campaign, accelerates production and reduces the all-in cost per metre.
- RC pre-collars are now being used to efficiently advance through the cover sequence. Shortly after securing the RC contract early in the season, the Company elected to halt core drilling of hole 25-01 and reinitiate drilling with the RC rig on an adjacent pad (25-07), improving overall efficiency.
- Approximately 1.3 kilometres of known strike are now being better defined, with a renewed focus on the dominant structural control identified in the Cu-Mo block model, highlighting strong grade potential around the contacts of the porphyry intrusion.
- A series of step-out drill holes are also targeting along strike extensions, where chargeability and magnetic data highlight compelling growth potential under cover (Figures 2 and 3).
- Ongoing targeting continues to support potential for additional, untested porphyry centres beneath both the Eastern Block and Western Deeps zones. The Eastern Block is defined by several kilometres of anomalous soil and rock chip geochemistry, while the Western Deeps hosts a parallel chargeability high that exceeds Leviathan's anomaly in both size and amplitude (Figures 2 and 4).
Chris Paul, CEO and Director of Hercules Metals, commented, "Our 2025 campaign is off to an encouraging start. Initial drilling intercepts have demonstrated enough consistency with the geological model to confidently ramp up to five drill rigs and accelerate the program.
"We commenced the program with a series of high-priority holes, aimed northwest, testing a newly developed southeast-dipping structural model. As predicted by the model, holes have now intersected a shell of copper and molybdenum mineralization surrounding a central porphyry intrusion, bracketed on either side by a classic porphyry-style pyrite halo. Early indications also show a general trend of increasing grade around the porphyry's contacts - a structural control which remains largely untested by previous drilling.
"We are now fully focused on rapidly delineating the full extent of the system and concurrently testing for higher-grade controls. Our objective is to better define true thickness along approximately 1.3 kilometres of known strike at Leviathan, while extending the system along trend where anomalous chargeability and magnetic data continue."
Mr. Paul concluded, "I want to commend our technical team for an outstanding geological model developed over the winter, and their cost-effective management of the ongoing drill program. In a short period of time, they've significantly improved both targeting accuracy and overall drilling productivity. We have a substantial amount of drilling still ahead of us, and I look forward to providing further updates as the season progresses."
Figure 1: 2025 drilling at the Leviathan Target, showing holes completed, in progress, and planned, relative to the footwall and hanging wall targets on either side of the central Leviathan Porphyry.
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Figure 2: Chargeability - 2025 drilling at the Leviathan Target, relative to chargeability 450m below surface. The geophysical pattern is consistent with a classical porphyry copper system, with a low chargeability core flanked by a high chargeability halo. In this case, chargeability extends into the untested Grade Creek and Southern Flats zones, while a secondary target, the Western Deeps, lies buried beneath a down dropped fault block to the west.
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Figure 3: Drone Magnetics - 2025 drilling at the Leviathan Target, relative to total magnetic intensity. Similar to chargeability, magnetic data suggests continuity northeast into the untested Grade Creek Zone and beyond. In the south, magnetic intensity increases before encountering post mineral basalt which conceal the magnetic signature beneath Southern Flats. Chargeability data however suggests potential for continuity in both directions.
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Figure 4: Surface Geochemistry - 2025 drilling at the Leviathan Target relative to an exposed part of the system with strong soil and rock chip geochemistry in the Eastern Block Zone. Shown in white are a series of conceptual drill holes, subject to modification, that will test for a parallel centre beneath Eastern Block.
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Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved for disclosure by Dillon Hume, P.Geo. and Vice President, Exploration for the Company. Mr. Hume is a "Qualified Person" for Hercules Metals within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Hercules Metals Corp.
Hercules Metals Corp. (TSXV: BIG) (OTCQB: BADEF) (FSE: C0X) is an exploration Company focused on developing America's newest porphyry copper district, in Idaho.
The 100% owned Hercules Project located northwest of Cambridge, hosts the newly discovered Leviathan porphyry copper system, one of the most important new porphyry discoveries in recent times. The Company is well positioned for growth through continued drilling, supported by a strategic investment from Barrick Mining Corp.
With the potential for significant scale, the Company's management and board of directors aims to build on its proven track record which includes the discovery and development of numerous base and precious metals projects worldwide.
For further information please contact:
Chris Paul
CEO & Director
Telephone +1 (604) 670-5527
Email: chris@herculesmetals.com
Dillon Hume
VP, Exploration
Telephone: +1 (604) 283-2043
Email: dhume@herculesmetals.com
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. Any securities referred to herein have not and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws of an exemption from such registration is available.
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains certain information that may be deemed "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may include, without limitation, the expected execution of future exploration programs on the Property; assay results of future drill holes; results of operations, and the expected financial performance of the Company.
Although the Company believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by its nature, forward-looking information involves assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.
Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions; the Covid-19 pandemic; adverse industry events; the receipt of required regulatory approvals and the timing of such approvals; that the Company maintains good relationships with the communities in which it operates or proposes to operate, future legislative and regulatory developments in the mining sector; the Company's ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; mining industry and markets in Canada and generally; the ability of the Company to implement its business strategies; competition; the risk that any of the assumptions prove not to be valid or reliable, which could result in delays, or cessation in planned work, risks associated with the interpretation of data, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as other assumptions risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company, including as set forth in the Company's public disclosure documents filed on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.
THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF HERCULES METALS AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE HERCULES METALS MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.
Neither the 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 press release.
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SOURCE: Hercules Metals Corp.
