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Stuhini Exploration Ltd. (TSXV: STU) (OTCQB: STXPF) (WKN: A2PLBV) ("Stuhini" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the identification of a potential new copper-gold porphyry target at its 100%-owned Ruby Creek Project, located near Atlin, British Columbia.
"These are the kinds of early-stage results that can generate real excitement," said Meredith Eades, President and CEO of Stuhini. "With high-grade silver at Silver Surprise (where a mini bulk sample has been completed and metallurgical results are pending), a molybdenum deposit now undergoing initial economic evaluation, and a newly discovered potential copper-gold porphyry target emerging in the region of the historic and past-producing Atlin Ruffner Silver Mine, the scale and diversity of these newly discovered prospects across the Stuhini-owned Ruby Creek mineral claims are becoming increasingly exciting. Our goal is to advance both development and discovery in parallel, positioning Stuhini as a compelling multi-metal story with near-term catalysts and long-term growth potential."
Highlights:
- Eleven grab outcrop and talus samples returned >0.5% Cu, with assays up to 8.1% Cu
- Gold values include 13.0 g/t Au from outcrop and 36.8 g/t Au from talus float
- Geological similarities to the host rock of the adjacent Ruby Creek molybdenum deposit
- Magnetic data suggests the mineralized porphyry may span ~1 km x 600 m
- Additional assays and petrographic analysis are pending
Figure 1 (Left): Hand sample of mineralized float from the Ruffner porphyry, showing copper staining and alteration. (Right): Outcrop at the Ruffner showing.
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Fieldwork during the 2025 exploration season uncovered a 400-metre-wide discontinuous exposure of feldspar-phyric porphyry in the Ruffner area, which returned numerous high-grade copper and gold assays. The porphyry exhibits classic alteration signatures consistent with a copper porphyry system, including phyllic (quartz-sericite-pyrite) and propylitic (chlorite-epidote-carbonate) alteration.
The new target is located approximately 3.6kms from the Company's flagship Ruby Creek molybdenum deposit and adds to a growing pipeline of multi-metal targets across the 29,734-hectare project.
Figure 2: Total magnetic intensity map from the Ruffner area showing sample locations and assay results. The data suggest the mineralized porphyry may extend ~1 km in strike length.
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Two Paths to Value - Development and Discovery:
The Ruby Creek Project is underpinned by the Surprise Lake Batholith-an expansive Cretaceous intrusive system in northwestern B.C. that hosts multiple styles of mineralization including porphyry-moly, skarn, epithermal and intrusion-related gold systems.1 Spanning approximately 1,100 km², this batholith hosts an exceptional array of porphyry, skarn, mesothermal, and intrusion-related gold systems. Unlike the Golden Triangle-known for its size and output-Surprise Lake is distinguished by its metal diversity, generated from interpreted multiple magmatic events. This makes it a rare and highly prospective setting for multi-metal discovery.
Recognizing this opportunity, Stuhini is advancing a two-pronged strategy to unlock value at Ruby Creek:
1. Development Track
The Company has engaged Tetra Tech to complete a conceptual-level economic study of its 433-million-pound molybdenum deposit. This initiative builds on approximately 74,000 metres of historical drilling and a 2006 feasibility study, and is intended to assess the potential for an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), providing an informed basis for next steps in advancing the project.
2. Exploration Track
In parallel, Stuhini is actively advancing a pipeline of high-impact exploration targets across its 29,734-hectare land package, including:
- Silver Surprise Zone: High-grade silver samples up to 16,030 g/t Ag have been confirmed at surface. A recent mini bulk sample has been completed, with metallurgical results pending.*
- Ruffner Copper-Gold Porphyry: During the 2025 field season, field work collected several grab samples that assayed up to 8.1% Cu and 36.8 g/t Au, coupled with mapping and magnetics surveys suggesting a buried ~1 km x 600 m copper-gold porphyry target, to be followed up in 2026.*
- Additional Zones: Several other targets across the project are being refined through ongoing historical data compilation, geophysics, and fieldwork. Assay results from the 2025 field season are pending and expected to further inform the target ranking of future drill targets.
*The potential quantity and grade of the aforementioned targets is conceptual in nature, there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.
By advancing both tracks concurrently, Stuhini aims to deliver meaningful near-term catalysts while building long-term value in one of British Columbia's most prospective multi-metal systems.
Qualified Person
Mr. Nicholas Clive Aspinall, M.Sc., P.Eng., is a consulting geologist to Stuhini Exploration and is a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Aspinall has verified the data disclosed in this press release, including the sampling, analytical and test data underlying the technical information, and has approved the technical information contained herein.
QA/QC Protocol:
Rock material was collected in poly bags and then transported to the Bureau Veritas sample preparation facility located in Whitehorse, Yukon. Samples were crushed, and then pulps were sent to the Bureau Veritas lab in Vancouver for assay. A 30g sample was digested by modified aqua regia digestion (1:1:1 HNO3:HCl:H2O) with Ultratrace ICP-MS analysis for 65 elements. Samples suspected of containing native gold were additionally analyzed using fire assay utilizing metallic screen to 106 µm, a ~25g sample of the plus fraction is analyzed as well as a duplicate of minus fraction. Over-limit copper, lead, zinc, tungsten and silver samples were analyzed by multi-acid digestion and ICP-ES (MA370). Over-limit silver samples >1500 g/t were also analyzed by fire assay (FA530) and lead samples >10% with titration (GC817). Over-limit tungsten >1% was analyzed with lithium borate fusion XRF (XF750). Conversion to WO3 % = W % x 1.2616. All results have passed the QA/QC screening by the lab.
About the Ruby Creek Project:
The 29,734-hectare Ruby Creek Project is road accessible and located 14 kilometres (km) east of Atlin, British Columbia ("BC"). There are 48 different documented mineral occurrences on the Property, of which 16 are gold-related, with 7 significant gold placer creeks. The Property also hosts the Ruby Creek Molybdenum deposit, which hosts a measured and indicated pit constrained resource of 433 million lbs molybdenum using US$15.00 per lb molybdenum prices and a 0.02% cut-off grade. (See news release dated March 15, 2022). Stuhini owns 100% of the Ruby Creek Project.
About Stuhini Exploration Ltd.
Stuhini is a mineral exploration company focused on exploration and development of precious and base metals properties in western Canada. The Company's portfolio of exploration properties includes the flagship Ruby Creek Property, 16 km east of Atlin, BC; the Big Ledge Property, 57 km south of Revelstoke, BC
For further information on Stuhini, visit our website at www.stuhini.com or contact:
Meredith Eades
President & CEO
meades@stuhini.com
604.360.4668
Twitter: @STUexploration
LinkedIn: Stuhini Exploration
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: statements regarding the interpretation of sampling and geological data from the Ruffner copper-gold porphyry target; the potential extent, scale, or significance of mineralization at the Ruby Creek Project; the completion, timing, and results of pending assays, petrographic analyses, and metallurgical studies; the potential to complete an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA"); and the Company's broader exploration and development strategy.
Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company at the time of preparation, are inherently subject to significant uncertainties. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: that geological interpretations and sampling data are accurate and representative; that assay and metallurgical results will confirm visual observations and support future exploration; that exploration and evaluation programs will proceed as planned and on budget; that the Tetra Tech study will be completed as anticipated and provide meaningful economic insights; that financing and technical resources will remain available; and that regulatory approvals will be obtained in a timely manner.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: the inherent risks of mineral exploration and development; that actual results of exploration, sampling, and testing may differ from those anticipated; delays or inability to obtain necessary permits or approvals; fluctuations in commodity prices and financial markets; limited access to capital; changes in project parameters as plans evolve; and general business, economic, market, or geopolitical conditions.
Although Stuhini believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance they will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law.
1 [British Columbia MINFILE 104N 052 - Adanac (Ruby Creek). Government of British Columbia. See also: Stuhini Exploration News Release, January 12, 2022]
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