Intersections Reveal Upcoming Drill Targets At Hercules

TORONTO - Hercules Metals Corp. reported on drill hole HER-24-21 intersected 354m of 0.47% CuEq, including 171m of 0.64% CuEq, and a higher grade 44m interval of 0.89% CuEq at its Hercules Property in western Idaho. The hole was designed to test below 2023 drill hole 23-14, interpreted to be drilled along the periphery of the system.

The reverse circulation (RC) hole encountered strongly mineralized volcanic wall rock over 171 meters below the Jurassic cover, before deviating 60 degrees southwest, into a late-mineral porphyry. Despite the deviation, the hole ended with a strong overall intercept of 0.47% CuEq over 354m.

Modelling shows the late porphyry to plunge southeast, giving way to thick sequences of prospective host rock in the Eastern Block and Southern Flats zones. 2024 mapping and sampling reveal a transition to iron-rich volcanics and strongly reactive limestones, both of which are capable of generating significantly higher grades than the low-iron felsic volcanics drilled thus far in the northwestern portion of the Property.

Chris Paul, CEO and Director, said, "The importance of host rock cannot be understated. Leviathan has already undergone hypogene enrichment, a rare event resulting from a younger epithermal event overprinting and upgrading the top of the porphyry system. Drilling will now move southeast into thicker, more strongly reactive host rocks, where modeling shows potential for longer and higher-grade intercepts.

Recent drilling in HER-24-20 has also discovered hypogene enrichment within 70 meters of surface, immediately adjacent to the Eastern Block Zone, where the system is daylighting at surface.

The 2025 drill campaign will also focus on potentially higher-grade potassic alteration at depth around drill hole HER-24-12, including a large untested anomaly at the Grade Creek zone. This spring, a new and enhanced type of geophysical survey will expand coverage across the Company's expanded land package."

A large mapping and geochemical sampling campaign was carried out across the Company's newly expanded land package, which includes claim staking that followed the 2023 discovery. The mapping focused on porphyry alteration and mineralization exposed in the Eastern Block. Lithogeochemical subcrop and float sampling also enhanced mapping of areas with poor outcrop exposure.

The geology is interpreted as a series of mineralized Triassic porphyry intrusions, emplaced vertically into volcanic and sedimentary rock layers (host rock), which were subsequently tilted to the northwest. Present-day geometry is characterized by northwest dipping volcanic and sedimentary host rocks, intruded and mineralized by southeast plunging porphyry stocks and dykes/sills.

Both HER-24-21 and HER-24-22 were drilled entirely with RC. Therefore, core photos are not available on the Company website. Both holes deviated significantly downwards and toward the right. HER-24-21 intersected strongly mineralized volcanic host rock over 171 meters, immediately below the Jurassic cover, before deviating into a late porphyry intrusion, which was also encountered at the bottom of HER-24-19. A strong overall intercept of 0.47% CuEq over 354m was returned. HER-24-22 deviated directly down a shallow late mineral dyke structure, returning 88m of 0.28% CuEq.

The Company has secured a very attractive all-in core drilling contract with a premiere drilling contractor and RC will only be utilized for pre-collaring deep targets moving forward. The 2025 drill contract also includes a hole completion guarantee, to prevent lost holes costing the Company money. Planning is underway for the fully funded 2025 program, including finalization of 3D geological modeling, and preparation of a drill plan to test the numerous targets.