
November 28, 2022
Trailbreaker Resources Ltd. (TBK.V) (“Trailbreaker” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce the results of the 2022 exploration program at its 100%-owned Atsutla Gold project, located in northwestern British Columbia (BC).
First-pass prospecting on newly staked claims has led to the discovery of high-grade gold mineralization 3.5 km northeast of the Highlands zone, in an area now termed the ‘Snook zone.’ Assays of rock grab samples returned values up to 53.3 g/t gold (Au) from quartz vein talus boulders with galena-bornite-chalcopyrite mineralization.
Twenty-four kilometres east of the Highlands and Snook zones, follow-up prospecting and soil sampling at the Swan zone revealed a new gold-in-soil anomaly. This is located about one kilometre northeast of the 900 m x 700 m multi-element anomaly representing the surface expression of a porphyry centre defined in 2021. This new anomaly is about 559 metres long, with values up to 268 ppb Au. Assays of rock grab samples from the Swan zone yielded values up to 11.7 g/t Au and 212 g/t silver (Ag) (separate samples).
Between the Swan and Snook zones lies a large area of un-explored ground. First-pass prospecting in the Shownektaw Creek area led to the discovery of multiple new gossanous alteration zones within the Christmas Creek Batholith. A grab sample of gossanous talus float returned an assay of 22.1 g/t Au.
The 2022 exploration program also included detailed structural and geological mapping at the four high-grade gold zones discovered and defined in 2021, with a focus on drill target generation. Thirty-one samples were sent for petrographic analysis to aid in determining the nature of the widespread gold mineralization. This independent structural report remains outstanding, and the Company will issue another press release providing the results once received.
Daithi Mac Gearailt, CEO of Trailbreaker, commented, “The Atsutla Gold Project continues to deliver new and exciting discoveries. We have now identified high-grade gold showings across 28 kilometers, spanning multiple lithologies. With these new results and the pending detailed geological report, I am confident that we will have a de-risked drill plan in hand by the end of the year.”
Newly discovered Snook zone
The Snook zone is located 3.5 km northeast of the Highlands zone – a 2021 discovery consisting of multiple high-grade and visible gold showings (>100 g/t Au) across a 750 m x 600 m area (see Map 1 – Atsutla West). A previously identified prominent east-west trending fault (the Snook Fault) defines the southern boundary of the zone and cuts through Snook Lake. At least two generations of quartz veining were identified at the Snook zone. The earlier set comprises steeply dipping sheeted veins which are crosscut by later shallow-dipping veins. Sulphide mineralization consists of variable amounts of pyrite, bornite, chalcopyrite, galena, and arsenopyrite. Galena and arsenopyrite appear to be constrained to the later set of quartz veining. The veining occurs within granodiorite of the early Jurassic Christmas Creek Batholith. Highlights include:
- 53.3 g/t Au from a quartz vein boulder with galena-chalcopyrite mineralization (Photo 1);
- 7.55 g/t Au from an outcrop of sheeted quartz veins typically 5-10 cm wide with chalcopyrite-pyrite mineralization (Photo 2);
- 9.78 g/t Au from a quartz vein boulder with arsenopyrite-pyrite mineralization south of the Snook Fault.
Photos 1 and 2: Snook zone quartz-galena-chalcopyrite boulder assaying 53.3 g/t Au (left) and sheeted quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite veins assaying 7.55 g/t Au.
An Option Agreement has been signed with Mr. Torrey Fredlund (the “Vendor”) for Trailbreaker to obtain a 100% interest in his ‘Golden Echelon’ claim block located between the Snook and Highland zones. The block consists of one claim covering 132 hectares. Prior to the 2022 exploration program, an agreement was made allowing for Trailbreaker to explore and evaluate the claim block before finalizing an option agreement.
Pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement and subject to receipt of all regulatory approvals, Trailbreaker can earn a 100% interest in the Property by making staged share issuances totaling 80,000 common shares over three years and a making a one-time cash payment of $25,000 as follows:
- 10,000 common shares on receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval;
- 10,000 common shares on or before November 16, 2023;
- 10,000 common shares on or before November 16, 2024; and
- 50,000 common shares and $25,000 cash payment on or before November 16, 2025.
The Vendor will retain a 1% Net Smelter Royalty and Trailbreaker has the right to buy back the 1% NSR within a two-year period from the exercise of the option for a cash payment of $50,000 and issuance of 100,000 common shares.
Swan zone follow-up and reconnaissance sampling
The 2022 work program included follow-up and reconnaissance exploration at the Swan zone (see Map 2 – Swan). The Swan zone area was initially staked by Trailbreaker to cover a historical molybdenum-copper porphyry prospect that was discovered in the late 1960s and explored periodically since then. Despite the collection of more than 500 soil and surface rock samples, and the completion of almost 1,000 metres of shallow diamond drilling, no geochemical analysis for gold was done before Trailbreaker staked the area.
In 2021, Trailbreaker identified a 900 m x 700 m gold (Au) – arsenic (As) – silver (Ag) – antimony (Sb) – copper (Cu) – molybdenum (Mo) – lead (Pb) soil anomaly, with multiple gold and silver showings in bedrock. The core of the soil anomaly is located ~1.2 km east of the historical drilling.
Exploration in 2022 led to the discovery of additional gold mineralization within the soil anomaly, whereby assaying of rock grab samples returned values up to 11.7 g/t Au, 212 g/t Ag, and 0.12% Cu. Gold is associated primarily with disseminated and massive arsenopyrite mineralization within a porphyritic leucogranite unit of the Upper Cretaceous Glundebery Batholith.
A reconnaissance soil sample line identified a new 550-metre-long gold anomaly located 1 km east of the main Swan zone anomaly. Assaying of soil samples yielded values up to 268 ppb Au within this new anomaly.
First-pass prospecting was conducted on a ridge 2 km west of the Swan zone, across the valley from where the historic diamond drilling was conducted. Multiple new quartz-arsenopyrite showings were identified, and assays returned values up to 0.79 g/t Au.
About the Atsutla Gold Project
Trailbreaker’s 100%-owned Atsutla Gold project is located 70 km south of the Yukon-British Columbia border and 130 km northwest of the community of Dease Lake, BC. The project covers 40,057 hectares of ground with very limited historic exploration. The project represents a district-scale discovery in an under-explored area of British Columbia.
To date, Trailbreaker has identified five gold zones at Atsutla: The Highlands, Christmas Creek, Snook, Willie Jack, and Swan zones, which span a distance of 28 kilometres. The highest grades occur at the Highlands zone, where grab samples have returned values up to 630 g/t (18.38 oz/ton) gold and 1,894 g/t (55.25 oz/ton) silver. High-grade, vein- and wallrock-hosted copper mineralization has also been discovered in the Highlands, Christmas Creek, and Willie Jack zones, with grab sample assays up to 1.7% copper. For more information and detailed maps, see the Atsutla Gold Project section on Trailbreaker’s website.
Message from the President
“The Atsutla Gold project is district-scale discovery with not only the gold-bearing copper porphyry model at Swan but also a large robust high-grade gold system at the Highlands, Christmas Creek, and Snook zones. We own it 100%, it’s brand-new and begging to be drilled!”
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Daithi Mac Gearailt
President and Chief Executive Officer
Carl Schulze, P. Geo., Consulting Geologist with Aurora Geosciences Ltd, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for Trailbreaker's BC and Yukon exploration projects, and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release.
For new information about the Company’s projects, please visit Trailbreaker’s website at TrailbreakerResources.com and sign up to receive news. For further information, follow Trailbreaker’s tweets at Twitter.com/TrailbreakerLtd, use the ‘Contact’ section of our website, or contact us at (604) 681-1820 or at info@trailbreakerresources.com.
TRAILBREAKER RESOURCES LTD.
650 W. Georgia Street, #2110
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada, V6B 4N9
Telephone: 604 681 1820
Facsimile: 604 681 1864
https://www.TrailbreakerResources.com
https://twitter.com/TrailbreakerLtd
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 release.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or financial performance that is based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action; expectations regarding future exploration and drilling programs and receipt of related permitting. In certain cases, Forward-Looking Information can be identified by the use of words and phrases such as "anticipates", "expects", "understanding", "has agreed to" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "would", "occur" or "be achieved". Although Trailbreaker has attempted to identify important factors that could affect Trailbreaker and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, if any, Trailbreaker has applied several material assumptions, including the assumption that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, Trailbreaker does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
The Conversation (0)
03 July
Bert Dohmen: Gold, Silver Key as Stock Market Bull Trap Looms
Bert Dohmen, founder and CEO of Dohmen Capital Research, sees physical gold and silver as key safe havens as a potential bull trap in the broad stock market plays out.
"We said we're probably going to go to a new high in a major, widely watched index like the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX). It's going to be by a small amount a new high, and that's going to close the bull trap," he said.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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03 July
Top 5 ASX Gold Stocks of 2025
Gold continued to perform well through the second quarter of 2025, reaching a new all-time high of AU$5,425 per ounce on April 22.
The price surge has occurred amid volatile equity and financial markets since the start of the year, driven by concerns over a global trade war and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
The rising gold price has also been supported by uncertainty over a looming debt crisis in the United States. Some investors have turned away from dollar-denominated haven assets, such as US Treasuries, in favour of precious metals like gold.
What implications do these circumstances hold for ASX-listed gold stocks? Read on to discover which companies have seen the biggest gains in 2025. Data for this article was retrieved on June 25, 2025, using TradingView's stock screener, and only companies with market capitalizations greater than AU$10 million at that time were considered.
1. Forrestania Resources (ASX:FRS)
Year-to-date gain: 469.23 percent
Market cap: AU$23.91 million
Share price: AU$0.074
Forrestania Resources is a gold, copper and lithium exploration company with projects in Western Australia. Since the start of the year, the company has been focused on gold exploration at its Bonnie Vale and Forrestania projects.
Bonnie Vale lies within the Eastern Goldfields. The property covers an area of 75 square kilometres and hosts multiple zones of mineralization, including the Ada Ann prospect. Historic drilling at the site has seen assays returned up to 12.8 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 4 metres.
Shares started to gain after the company announced on February 13 that it had begun follow-up drilling at the prospect and would build on its maiden program at the site. The most recent results from the program were released on May 9, with the company reporting a highlighted assay of 4.3 g/t gold over 7 metres, including 25.6 g/t over 1 metre.
The company said the results showed some thickening of the mineralized zones at depth, adding that the known mineralization had been extended to the north and south, with the prospect open in all directions.
The company has also been working on its Lady Lila gold prospect at its Forrestania gold-lithium project. The prospect, located in the Southern Cross Greenstone Belt, has a strike length of 2 kilometres and a width of 700 metres. According to the company website, the deposit has an inferred resource of 24,000 ounces of gold from 514,000 tonnes of ore with an average grade of 1.4 g/t gold.
On May 12, Forrestania announced both an upcoming drill program at the Lady Lila prospect and the company's acquisition of a tenement immediately adjacent to it.
Additionally, Forrestania reported on May 16 that metallurgical engineer David Geraghty joined the company board as a non-executive director. The company noted that he is a highly experienced mining executive and brings a background in project development and operational expertise.
The company's share price climbed in the following weeks to reached a year-to-date high of AU$0.085 on May 28.
2. Native Mineral Resources (ASX:NMR)
Year-to-date gain: 361.54 percent
Market cap: AU$169.89 million
Share price: AU$0.18
Native Mineral Resources is a gold exploration and development company advancing its Charters Tower gold project in Northeast Queensland, Australia, to production in Q3 of this year. It also owns the Palmerville gold-copper project in the same state.
Native acquired Charters Tower in November 2024 for AU$18.9 million and a 2 percent royalty on gold production .
The project consists of 17 granted mining leases, one mineral development licence, six exploration permits and one exploration permit application. The site hosts the Far Fanning and Blackjack deposits, both of which have a historic exploration background. Additionally, Blackjack is home to a 340,000 tonne per annum gold processing plant.
The company announced on June 17 that it was on schedule for first gold pour at Blackjack by the end of July. At that time, the open pit was established, dry commissioning of the plant was underway and water and air services installations were nearing completion. Infrastructure and surface preparation is also on track to support the commencement of mining in Q3 2025.
As for Palmerville, Native Mineral Resources announced June 16 that it was granted a new exploration permit that expanded the project. The company is planning fieldwork at the project later this year.
Shares in Native Mineral Resource reached a year-to-date high of AU$0.22 on June 17.
3. Trek Metals (ASX:TKM)
Year-to-date gain: 290.91 percent
Market cap: AU$42.78 million
Share price: AU$0.086
Trek Metals is an exploration company with several assets throughout Australia, including the highly prospective Christmas Creek project. The property covers an area of 1,183 square kilometres in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia, and, according to Trek, has significant district-scale potential for gold and rare earth elements.
The company wholly acquired Christmas Creek as part of its acquisition of ArcherX in October 2023. Newmont (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM) had previously earned a 75 percent interest in the project from ArcherX, but returned it as part of a portfolio rebalancing.
Shares in Trek gained significantly starting on March 17 after the company reported visible gold in drill chips from its 2024 exploration campaign at the Martin target. The chips came from two previously reported high-grade intervals, one of which graded an average of 12.66 g/t gold over 10 metres.
Trek said it decided to fast-track drilling based on this discovery, along with down-hole televiewer data that confirmed a series of stacked veins.
Following surveying and earthworks in preparation of the next phase, Trek commenced a major drill at the site on June 4, targeting extensions of the Martin target while also focusing on mineralization from other targets.
The company followed up with an announcement on June 25 that it had secured an additional rig to enlarge the drill program for deeper exploration and to obtain more detailed structural information.
Shares in Trek reached a year-to-date high of AU$0.092 on June 23.
4. African Gold (ASX:A1G)
Year-to-date gain: 224.56 percent
Market cap: AU$86.85 million
Share price: AU$0.185
African Gold is a gold exploration company with projects in Côte d’Ivoire. The company’s primary focus in 2025 has been on the Blaffo Guetto prospect at its Didievi gold project in Central Côte d’Ivoire.
During the first half of 2025, African Gold conducted a 10,000 metre diamond drill program at the site, with the intention of upgrading its July 2024 maiden inferred resource of 452,000 ounces of gold from 4.93 million tonnes at an average grade of 2.9 g/t gold.
On June 23, the company announced that its efforts had yielded a significant boost to its resources, reporting an updated inferred resource of 989,000 ounces from 12.4 million tonnes, with an average grade of 2.5 g/t, using a cut-off grade of 0.8 g/t. The announcement added that the gold system has been primarily tested at near-surface depths of approximately 300 metres and has demonstrated mineralization open in all directions.
African Gold has also been drilling at other targets at Didievi this year that are outside the resource area. The company reported the discovery of a large gold system at the Poku Trend in April, and confirmed continuous gold mineralisation over 600 metres at the Pranoi prospect in May.
In addition to exploration work, on March 25 African Gold announced a strategic partnership with Montage Gold (TSX:MAU), a fellow gold company in Côte d’Ivoire advancing its Koné gold project towards production in 2027, as well as a private placement for up to AU$1.84 million with separate investors that was later upsized to AU$2.7 million.
Montage and insiders would acquire a large stake in African Gold through a share swap of 2.03 million shares of Montage for 92.38 million shares in African Gold, both valued at AU$6.47 million, as well as through a placement of 12.37 million shares to Montage insiders worth AU$866,000. Following the completion of the deal on June 13, Montage holds a 17.5 percent stake in African Gold.
Shares in African Gold reached a year-to-date high of AU$0.195 on June 26.
5. Torque Metals (ASX:TOR)
Year-to-date gain: 203.92 percent
Market cap: AU$76.35 million
Share price: AU$0.145
Torque Metals is a gold exploration company working to advance its flagship Paris gold project in Western Australia. The property covers an area of 700 square kilometres near Kalgoorlie.
In June, Torque completed its merger with Aston Minerals that was announced on January 28. The combined business controls 1.75 million ounces of gold resources between Torque’s Paris project and Aston’s Edleston gold project in Ontario, Canada.
The company has spent the first half of 2025 focused on exploration work at its Paris project, announcing the discovery of parallel lodes on March 6. The trends were identified through shallow drilling, with one located 80 metres southeast of the main Paris deposit and the other,= 100 metres northwest.
Initial assays from the drilling returned highlighted drill samples from the southeastern lode of 4.04 g/t gold over 4 metres, which included an intersection of 7.39 g/t over 2 metres. Meanwhile, the northwestern lode returned a highlighted sample of 1.02 g/t over 7 metres.
The company furthered the exploration work in April through the use of down-hole electromagnetic surveys. It reported on May 5 that the surveys detected large off-hole conductors "extending well beyond the current mineral resource estimate," indicating potential for resource growth. Due to the success of the surveys thus far, Torque said it plans to continue using the method over further targets at its project.
The most recent announcement from the project came on May 8, when the company reported that it had been awarded a co-funded diamond drilling grant through Western Australia’s Exploration Incentive Scheme. The company will receive AU$144,500 toward drilling for gold extensions west of the known zones.
Shares in Torque reached a year-to-date high of AU$0.155 on June 26.
FAQs for ASX gold stocks
How to invest in gold on the ASX?
As Australia is a top gold-mining jurisdiction and the country's government is supportive of mining, there are plenty of options for investing in gold on the ASX. Between gold miners operating major projects and gold explorers hunting for the next significant gold discovery, investors can choose what kind of company matches their risk appetite and portfolio.
When looking for a gold company to invest in, be sure to do your due diligence and learn about the company's key characteristics, including its leadership team, its finances and the geology of its projects.
How to buy gold stocks on the ASX?
Once you’ve selected a company or multiple companies to invest in, you can buy gold stocks using trading apps with access to ASX stocks, or you can get the help of a stock broker.
How to buy gold ETFs on the ASX?
For investors who prefer broader exposure to a sector, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a good option, and the ASX is home to multiple gold-focused ETFs. Because they are traded on exchanges like stocks, you can buy ETFs using the same methods described above. ASX-listed gold ETFs to consider include:
- ETFS Physical Gold (ASX:GOLD), which promises "low-cost access to physical gold via the stock exchange" and can be redeemed for physical gold.
- Perth Mint Gold (ASX:PMGOLD), which tracks the international price of physical gold.
- BetaShares Gold Bullion (ASX:QAU), which also tracks the physical bullion price.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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03 July
Sun Summit Minerals: Advancing District-scale Gold and Copper Projects in British Columbia
Sun Summit Minerals (TSXV:SMN,OTCQB:SMREF) is a Canadian mineral exploration company advancing district-scale gold and copper projects in British Columbia. Its flagship JD Project, located in the prolific Toodoggone district, is the focus of an aggressive 5,000-meter drill program in 2025 targeting a potential multi-million-ounce epithermal gold-silver system.
With funding in place, a five-year exploration permit secured, and an on-site camp established, Sun Summit is executing a disciplined strategy to build scale, unlock resource value, and deliver returns to shareholders. Reinvigorated by a revamped leadership team and a refined vision, the company is leveraging high-grade, strategically located assets to drive long-term growth.
The JD and Theory projects cover over 25,000 hectares in the heart of British Columbia’s Toodoggone mining district, one of Canada’s most prospective regions for epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold systems. The district hosts several significant deposits, including Thesis Gold’s Ranch and Lawyers projects (4.7 Moz gold equivalent, ~C$250 million market cap), Centerra Gold’s Kemess underground development, and TDG Gold’s Shasta-Baker project. The area is well supported by infrastructure, including hydroelectric grid access, all-season roads, and the nearby Sturdee airstrip.
Company Highlights
- Aggressive Discovery Strategy: Sun Summit Minerals is actively advancing the JD and Buck projects in BC, targeting epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold systems. A fully funded 5,000-meter drill program at JD underway in 2025, aiming to define a multi-million-ounce resource.
- Strategic Location: Both assets are situated in prolific and mining-friendly regions of British Columbia. The flagship JD project lies in the Toodoggone district—home to Thesis Gold and Centerra’s Kemess Mine, while Buck is near the Blackwater, Huckleberry, and Equity Silver mines in central BC.
- Re-rate Potential Opportunity: Trading at just ~$7/oz gold equivalent (EV/oz) based on Buck alone, with no value currently ascribed to JD, the company represents a deep value opportunity compared to the next-door neighbour Thesis Gold trading at ~$50/oz. Success at the drill bit from the ongoing drill program at JD could drive the potential re-rating.
- Fully Funded for 2025: A recent C$10M raise (May 2025) enables a robust exploration program, including drilling, geophysics, and soil sampling. The company is well-positioned to achieve its 2025 and 2026 exploration milestones without further dilution.
- Experienced, Capital Markets-Savvy Leadership: CEO Niel Marotta brings capital markets acumen from Fidelity and Orezone. The broader team includes senior geologists and advisors with decades of success in gold discoveries and mine development in BC.
- Positioned for Consolidation: With majors like Freeport, Centerra, and Skeena investing heavily in adjacent properties, Sun Summit is strategically located and advancing at the right time in the Lassonde Curve to benefit from industry-wide M&A and consolidation trends.
This Sun Summit Minerals profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
Click here to connect with Sun Summit Minerals (TSXV:SMN) to receive an Investor Presentation
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02 July
High grade gold in early stage drilling at Sandstone
02 July
Meeka Metals Reports First Gold Pour at Murchison Project
Meeka Metals (ASX:MEK) has poured the first gold at its flagship Murchison project in Western Australia.
The pour happened on Tuesday (July 1), and in a Wednesday (July 2) press release, the company said the project’s production is in line with schedule, happening within 12 months of breaking ground.
Murchison sits near several multimillion-ounce gold mines and hosts a large, high-grade resource of 1.2 million ounces at 3 grams per tonne (g/t) gold on granted mining leases.
Meeka released a definitive feasibility study in December 2024, outlining a 10 year production plan for the project. Up to 76,000 ounces per annum are targeted, with an average of 65,000 ounces approximated for the first seven years.
The study also focused on restarting the Andy Well mill, with site activity commencing during Q1 2025. Process plant commissioning followed in the next quarter, with the first gold pour following its projected schedule of mid 2025.
“It is an impressive achievement by the team to deliver first gold on time and within 12 months of breaking ground at the Murchison,” said Managing Director Tim Davidson. “We are now focused on ramping up gold production toward our targeted 80 kilo ounces per annum with the arrival of the third dig fleet and expanded open pit mining plan underway.”
Drilling at Turnberry Central, part of Murchison, was announced on June 10. Results include 30 metres at 1.09 g/t gold from 29 meters, including 9 meters at 2.45 g/t gold.
The company announced in mid-June that process plant commissioning was underway at Murchison.
Underground mining at Murchison’s Andy Well mill is set to begin in the third quarter of 2025. As per a company presentation shared by Meeka on June 19, Andy Well hosts a mineral resource of 505,000 ounces at 8.6 g/t gold.
First ore from Andy Well is expected in the third quarter of this year.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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02 July
Sun Summit Minerals
Investor Insight
Sun Summit Minerals is targeting the delineation of a multi-million-ounce gold-silver resource at its flagship JD project. With strategic positioning in an emerging consolidation hotspot, compelling valuation metrics, and a track record of discovery, Sun Summit is primed to deliver substantial value creation in the coming quarters.
Overview
Sun Summit Minerals (TSXV:SMN,OTCQB:SMREF) is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on developing its district-scale gold and copper projects in British Columbia. The company’s flagship JD Project, located in the Toodoggone district, is undergoing an aggressive 5,000-meter drill campaign in 2025 aimed at delineating a multi-million-ounce epithermal gold-silver system.
Complementing JD is the company’s Buck project, a large, bulk-tonnage gold-silver system near Houston, BC, with an initial NI 43-101 resource estimate and significant exploration upside.
With capital in hand, a five-year exploration permit secured, and a camp established at JD, Sun Summit is executing a focused strategy to build scale, unlock resource potential and drive shareholder value. The company has taken lessons from its past and re-emerged with a sharpened vision, an overhauled team and assets that are not only high-grade but strategically located to create shareholder value.
Company Highlights
- Aggressive Discovery Strategy: Sun Summit Minerals is actively advancing the JD and Buck projects in BC, targeting epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold systems. A fully funded 5,000-meter drill program at JD underway in 2025, aiming to define a multi-million-ounce resource.
- Strategic Location: Both assets are situated in prolific and mining-friendly regions of British Columbia. The flagship JD project lies in the Toodoggone district—home to Thesis Gold and Centerra’s Kemess Mine, while Buck is near the Blackwater, Huckleberry, and Equity Silver mines in central BC.
- Re-rate Potential Opportunity: Trading at just ~$7/oz gold equivalent (EV/oz) based on Buck alone, with no value currently ascribed to JD, the company represents a deep value opportunity compared to the next-door neighbour Thesis Gold trading at ~$50/oz. Success at the drill bit from the ongoing drill program at JD could drive the potential re-rating.
- Fully Funded for 2025: A recent C$10M raise (May 2025) enables a robust exploration program, including drilling, geophysics, and soil sampling. The company is well-positioned to achieve its 2025 and 2026 exploration milestones without further dilution.
- Experienced, Capital Markets-Savvy Leadership: CEO Niel Marotta brings capital markets acumen from Fidelity and Orezone. The broader team includes senior geologists and advisors with decades of success in gold discoveries and mine development in BC.
- Positioned for Consolidation: With majors like Freeport, Centerra, and Skeena investing heavily in adjacent properties, Sun Summit is strategically located and advancing at the right time in the Lassonde Curve to benefit from industry-wide M&A and consolidation trends.
Key Projects
JD & Theory Projects
The JD & Theory projects span more than 25,000 hectares in the heart of the Toodoggone mining district in north-central BC, one of Canada’s most prospective belts for epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold systems. The district is home to Thesis Gold’s Ranch and Lawyers deposits (4.7 Moz gold equivalent, C$250 million market cap), Centerra’s Kemess underground development, and TDG Gold’s Shasta-Baker project. Infrastructure around the project includes hydroelectric grid access, the nearby Sturdee airstrip and all-season roads.
The JD project hosts a 4.5 km mineralized corridor, known as Creek-Finn, with multiple underexplored targets showing evidence of both high-grade veins and broad disseminated gold systems. Historic and recent drill highlights include:
- 2.1 grams per ton (g/t) gold over 122.5 m including 121 g/t gold over 1.5 m (CZ-24-004)
- 11.7 g/t gold over 22 m including 61.2 g/t gold over 4 m (CZ97-008)
- 7.3 g/t gold over 35.7 m including 215.4 g/t gold over 1 m (JD95-0472)
The Creek Zone features high-grade epithermal veins within broader disseminated zones, supported by strong IP anomalies and gold-in-soil results up to 12.2 g/t gold. The Finn Zone hosts near-surface mineralization with extensive historical drilling (~270 holes) and is open in all directions. Other targets include McClair (porphyry copper), East McClair (copper-gold skarn) and Moosehorn.
The 2025 program includes 5,000 meters of core drilling across 25 holes, 20 km of IP geophysics, 2,000+ soil samples, and full-scale camp operations. A five-year permit secured in April 2025 provides exploration continuity through 2030.
Camp setup at JD project
Sun Summit can earn 100 percent of the JD project by making staged cash/share payments and completing work commitments through 2029. With ~C$6 million earmarked for the project this year alone, Sun Summit is expected to fulfill its 2025 and 2026 earn-in obligations without additional equity raises.
Buck Project
The 100 percent owned Buck project spans 52,000 hectares and is located near key deposits, including Artemis Gold’s Blackwater (8 Moz gold), Imperial’s Huckleberry copper mine, and Newmont’s historic Equity Silver mine. Buck features near-surface bulk-tonnage gold-silver mineralization with porphyry copper-molybdenum potential at depth.
In February 2025, Sun Summit published its inaugural NI 43-101 mineral resource:
- Indicated: 1.15 Mt @ 0.519 g/t gold equivalent (19,100 oz)
- Inferred: 52.2 Mt @ 0.489 g/t gold equivalent (820,400 oz)
Mineralization remains open in all directions. Buck is considered a strategic asset providing leverage to rising gold prices and future transaction potential, but currently receives minimal capital allocation as JD is prioritized.
Management Team
Niel Marotta – Chief Executive Officer and Director
Niel Marotta has more than two decades of capital markets experience, including a successful tenure at Fidelity (FMRCo.), where he managed the top-performing Select Gold Fund and oversaw >$1 billion in AUM. He was previously VP at Orezone Resources, where he helped lead its C$350 million acquisition by IAMGOLD. Marotta has raised over $1 billion in financing and is driving Sun Summit’s transition from a legacy explorer to a discovery-focused value generator.
Brian Lock – Executive Chairman
A veteran of the mining industry with 40+ years of executive experience, Brian Lock has led multiple public companies, including Castle Peak Mining and Scorpio Gold. His expertise spans project development, M&A and corporate governance.
Waseem Javed – Chief Financial Officer
A seasoned mining CFO, Waseem Javed ensures disciplined capital deployment and financial controls. His experience spans junior explorers and mid-tier producers across Canada and the US.
Ken MacDonald – VP Exploration
Ken MacDonald is a registered professional geologist with over 30 years in mineral exploration and permitting in BC. Formerly with the BC Mines Branch and multiple juniors, he leads Sun Summit’s technical programs and NI 43-101 compliance.
Christopher Leslie – Technical Advisor
An expert in porphyry and epithermal systems, Christopher Leslie led the discovery of the 8 Moz Blackwater deposit while at Richfield Ventures, and later served as VP exploration for Tower Resources. He was instrumental in advancing the JD-Theory project during its prior ownership.
Robert D. Willis – Senior Advisor
Founder of several successful exploration companies, including Pioneer Metals and Manhattan Minerals, Robert Willis has 35+ years of technical and executive experience across North and South America.
Terry Salman – Strategic Advisor
Founder of Salman Partners and one of Canada’s most influential mining financiers, Terry Salman has backed dozens of successful juniors over a 40-year career in mining investment banking.
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