Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. (CSE:GCC) (OTC:GCCFF) (WKN:A402CQ) (FSE:3TZ) has announced that planning is underway for the next stage of drilling at its Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine Property near Hixon, in central British Columbia. The program follows the recent reporting of the company's inaugural NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) and will focus on both expanding known mineralization and increasing data density within key portions of the deposit.
The upcoming program is expected to include 100-metre step-out drilling at both the Halo and North Hixon zones to test extensions of mineralization. Concurrently, the company plans to undertake infill drilling designed to reduce drill spacing to approximately 50-metre centres in priority areas. The additional assays and geological data obtained will be incorporated into future resource model updates and could support the upgrade of portions of the Inferred resource to the Indicated category.
Company President and CEO J. Frank Callaghan highlighted the significance of the inaugural MRE, stating, "What gets me excited, when looking at Table 2 of the inaugural MRE (News Release dated Sept.30, 2026), is that in 25 months of work we've outlined an Indicated Mineral Resource of 6.2 million tonnes grading 0.763 g/t AuEq, comprised of 0.753 g/t gold and 1.7 g/t silver, containing 152,000 ounces of gold equivalent, including 150,000 ounces of gold and 341,000 ounces of silver, together with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 42.3 million tonnes grading 0.600 g/t AuEq, comprised of 0.592 g/t gold and 1.3 g/t silver, containing 815,000 ounces of gold equivalent, including 805,000 ounces of gold and 1.7 million ounces of silver, all at a 0.3 g/t AuEq cut-off."
Callaghan added that this has been achieved with less than 8,500 metres of drilling in only 24 drill holes along a 1,150-metre strike length in the centre of a single 3.2-kilometre geological corridor, and that this is only one of five corridors within the company's permitted 789-hectare (1,950-acre) area. He noted that three drills are onsite and the company is eager to continue drilling.
The supporting NI 43-101 Technical Report is being prepared for filing on SEDAR+ within the prescribed regulatory timeframe. The technical information in the news release has been reviewed and approved by Sue Bird, an independent consultant commissioned by the company. Sue Bird is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of the Province of BC and licensed by Engineers and Geoscientists BC, and is a "Qualified Person" with respect to NI 43-101.
The news matters because the planned step-out and infill drilling could materially increase the size and confidence level of the resource at Quesnelle, potentially upgrading Inferred ounces to the Indicated category. A larger, higher-confidence resource could enhance the project's economic potential and attract further investment. For the industry, the program demonstrates continued exploration activity in British Columbia's historic Cariboo gold district, where Golden Cariboo's property borders and is partially interwoven with Osisko Gold Group Inc.'s Cariboo Gold Project along the highly prospective Spanish and Eureka thrust fault corridor. The property encompasses 96,183 hectares (237,673 acres) along a prolific 90-kilometre gold trend that has yielded gold from more than 101 placer creeks. The permitted 789-hectare portion hosts the historic Quesnelle Quartz gold-silver deposit, originally discovered in 1865 during the Cariboo Gold Rush. While early mining focused on a relatively small 150m x 150m footprint at the Main zone, Golden Cariboo's ongoing drilling and trenching programs are demonstrating the potential for a much larger mineralized system extending well beyond the limits of the historic workings. Investors and industry observers will be watching the results of the next phase for signs of further resource growth. For more information, visit www.goldencariboo.com.
