Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. has initiated field activities for its 2026 exploration program at the Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine Property in British Columbia, signaling a major advancement in the company's efforts to develop the historically significant gold-silver deposit. The program builds on previous technical successes and represents the company's most comprehensive exploration campaign to date, with implications for regional mining development and potential resource expansion.
The 2026 mineral exploration program involves a 7,500-meter surface diamond drilling program targeting priority zones identified through geological mapping, sampling, and structural interpretation studies. Initial drilling will continue within QGQ25-28, currently drilled to a depth of 354.19 meters, which is the northernmost drill string within the Halo zone. This drilling follows the success of QGQ24-20, which returned 137.17 meters of 1.55 g/t gold and 16.05 g/t silver, including 4.29 meters of 16.43 g/t gold and 9.09 g/t silver, as reported in the company's August 12, 2025 news release.
Frank Callaghan, President and CEO of Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd., stated that the team is energized as they begin the 2026 exploration season, with road access now opened and drilling set to advance north of the Halo zone. The planned drilling program, along with over 1 kilometer of trenching, mapping, prospecting, geochemical sampling, and geophysical studies, represents a significant investment in understanding the property's geology. The company is also preparing to transition from NQ to HQ-sized core drilling, which is expected to improve core recovery and provide enhanced geological information from key structural and mineralized zones.
The technical information in the announcement has been reviewed and approved by Jean Pautler, an independent consultant and Qualified Person under NI 43-101 standards. The property's geological setting shows strong similarities with the Spanish Mountain gold deposit, situated 120 kilometers southeast along the same geological trend, suggesting potential for significant mineralization. As a sediment-hosted vein deposit, the Spanish Mountain deposit belongs to the epizonal orogenic subclass of gold deposits, which includes some of the world's largest deposits such as Muruntau in Uzbekistan and Bendigo in Australia.
This exploration program matters because it represents a systematic approach to developing a historically productive gold region in British Columbia. The Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property, discovered in 1865 and developed over a footprint of about 150 meters by 150 meters at the Main zone, sits within a favorable corridor adjacent to the Spanish and Eureka thrust faults. The property is bordered by Osisko Development and located along a trend where over 101 placer gold creeks have recorded production, with successful placer mining continuing to this day.
The implications of this exploration program extend beyond the company itself to the broader mining industry and regional economy. Successful exploration could lead to resource definition, potential mine development, and job creation in central British Columbia. For investors and stakeholders, the program represents a critical step in validating the property's potential and advancing toward possible economic mineralization. The transition to HQ-sized core drilling indicates the company's commitment to obtaining high-quality geological data as they target deeper and more technically demanding zones, which could significantly impact future resource estimates and development decisions.
