Reno, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - November 6, 2025) - Western Exploration Inc. (TSXV: WEX) (OTCQX: WEXPF) (the "Company" or "Western Exploration") is pleased to announce that it has engaged Stantec Consulting Services Inc. ("Stantec") of Elko, Nevada, to commence work on the Notice of Intent ("NOI") and Mine Plan of Operations ("MPO") for its 100%-owned Aura Gold-Silver Project located in Elko County, Nevada.
This marks a key advancement in the Company's strategy to transition the Doby George Deposit, part of the Aura Project, toward permitting and development readiness. Stantec will prepare and initiate the NOI and MPO.
"Engaging Stantec represents an important milestone as we continue to advance the Aura Project toward production," said Darcy Marud, Chief Executive Officer of Western Exploration. "The merit of the Doby George asset in terms of the grade, location and robust economic metrics, will position the company to deliver meaningful near-term value for our shareholders."
Hayley Barnes, environmental project manager at Stantec added, "Environmental stewardship is vital to responsible resource development. We're excited to continue our work supporting Western Exploration on the Aura Gold-Silver Project, providing strategic guidance and regulatory insight to help shape a comprehensive and sustainable Plan of Operations - the foundation to all permitting and project development phases."
Stantec has been a long-standing consulting partner at the Aura Project. Stantec has experience preparing biological baseline reports, environmental assessments, and Environmental Impact Statement / Environmental Assessment-level studies for mining and project mineral-development. The firm's strong history of experience throughout Nevada demonstrates its technical expertise and capacity to lead these studies now underway at Aura.
Stantec's work is expected to be completed in parallel with ongoing baseline environmental studies and engineering optimization activities outlined in the Company's Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") to advance the Doby George deposit to permitting
Doby George is an at surface oxide deposit averaging approximately 1 gram/tonne. At a $3,000/oz gold price, the After-tax NPV is $211.2 million with an 62.2% IRR. The Life-of-Mine cash flow is $271.2 million with an all-in Sustaining cost of US$1,197 per ounce. For further details please reference the May 8, 2025, press release titled "Western Exploration Announces Positive Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Doby George Resource at the Aura Project."
Western Exploration continues to advance its goal of becoming one of North America's premier gold and silver development companies, building upon the robust economics and resource growth potential of the Aura Project, which hosts three known deposits: Doby George, Gravel Creek, and Wood Gulch.
About Western Exploration
Western Exploration Inc. is advancing the 100%-owned Aura Gold-Silver Project, located approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Elko, Nevada. The Company's management team and board have a proven track record of discovery, development, and production success in precious metals exploration. Western Exploration is committed to responsible resource development that creates long-term value for shareholders and local communities.
Additional information regarding Western Exploration can be found on the Company's website at www.westernexploration.com and on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under Western Exploration's issuer profile.
For further information, please contact:
Darcy Marud
Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: (775) 329-8119
Email: dmarud@westernexploration.com
Nichole Cowles
Investor Relations
Telephone: (775) 240-4172
Email: nicholecowles@westernexploration.com
Cautionary Statements Regarding Estimates of Mineral Resources
This news release uses the terms measured, indicated, and inferred mineral resources as a relative measure of the level of confidence in the resource estimate. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources are not mineral reserves and that the economic viability of resources that are not mineral reserves has not been demonstrated. The mineral resource estimate disclosed in this news release may be materially affected by geology, environmental, permitting, legal, title, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues. The mineral resource estimate is classified in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum's "CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" (CIM) incorporated by reference into NI 43-101. Under NI 43-101, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies or economic studies except for preliminary economic assessments. Readers are cautioned not to assume that further work on the stated resources will lead to mineral reserves that can be mined economically.
Inferred mineral resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. On October 31, 2018, the SEC adopted new mining disclosure rules ("S-K 1300") that are more closely aligned with current industry and global regulatory practices and standards, including NI 43-101, although there are some differences in the two standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits contain in this release may not be comparable with information made public by U.S. companies that report in accordance with S-K 1300.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements, by their nature, require the Company to make certain assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Any statement that involves predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always, using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "interpreted", "management's view", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "potential", "feasibility", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information. This news release contains the forward-looking information pertaining to, among other things: the results of the PEA being achieved; a Technical Report being filed within 45 days (if at all) supporting the results of the PEA described in this news release; the significance of the results of the PEA; the ability of exploration activities, including drilling, to accurately predict mineralization; management's expectations on the grade and extension of mineralization; the accuracy of results from prior exploration activities conducted at the Aura Project; the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the mineral resource estimate disclosed in this news release; the prospects, if any, of the Doby George, Wood Gulch and Gravel Creek mineral deposits; the potential profitability and/or viability of Doby George and the extent of the potential profitability of Doby George; the PEA production schedule; the capital and operating costs involved in the Project; the potential for expansion at Doby George; the feasibility of oxide resources at Wood Gulch; and improvements to recovery through additional test work. Such factors include, among others, risks relating to the ability of exploration activities (including drill results) to accurately predict mineralization; errors in management's geological modelling; the ability of Western Exploration to complete further exploration activities, including drilling; the uncertain nature of exploration activities; property and royalty interests in respect of the Aura Project; the ability of the Company to obtain required approvals; the results of exploration activities; risks relating to mining activities; the global economic climate; metal prices; dilution; environmental risks; and community and non-governmental actions. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, Western Exploration cannot assure shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities of the Company that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither Western Exploration nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. Western Exploration does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law.
For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information made in this news release concerning Western Exploration, please refer to the continuous disclosure record of Western Exploration on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under Western Exploration's issuer profile. The forward-looking statements set forth herein concerning Western Exploration reflect management's expectations as at the date of this news release and are subject to change after such date. Western Exploration disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
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 news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/273159
SOURCE: Western Exploration Inc.
