Upside Gold Corp. has completed a comprehensive compilation of historic exploration data at its Kena Gold-Copper Property in southeastern British Columbia, revealing a mineralized system that extends significantly beyond previously defined boundaries. The work, which integrated geological, geophysical and geochemical data from exploration conducted since 1974, indicates expansion potential that could substantially increase the project's resource base and economic viability.
The compilation highlights a mineralized trend extending at least seven kilometres along strike, with the system remaining open in multiple directions and at depth. This represents a notable expansion beyond the historic mineral resource estimate of 2.77 million inferred ounces and 0.561 million indicated ounces of gold. Dr. Trevor Boyd, Vice President of Exploration at Upside Gold, stated that integrating decades of exploration data into a modern 3D model has improved understanding of the Kena mineralized system and helped identify areas where mineralization may extend beyond the historic resource.
A significant finding from the database compilation was the identification of substantial copper and silver values that were previously overlooked. While historic drilling largely recorded only gold results, the review revealed copper values reaching up to 71,800 ppm, with more than 2,900 samples exceeding 500 ppm Cu, and silver values reaching up to 145 ppm. These results occur within a drillhole database containing 6,300 samples grading greater than 0.25 g/t Au. The addition of copper and silver data to the database is expected to demonstrate potential for significant additional value within the project.
The geological interpretation indicates mineralization at Kena is predominantly structurally controlled by the Kena Deformation Zone, a major steeply dipping, southeast-trending hydrothermally altered fault zone that can be traced for at least 11 kilometres along strike. Induced polarization surveys identify zones of high chargeability and low resistivity that support the definition of disseminated pyrite-hosted mineralization, suggesting a total strike length of at least seven kilometres. Sporadic historic drilling of anomalies outside the historic mineral resource has returned wide intervals of both lode and porphyry-style gold and copper mineralization, including results such as 117 metres of 0.22% Cu and 0.14 g/t Au.
The integration of soil survey data with geological models shows copper and gold geochemical anomalies spatially associated with favorable geophysical signatures. High soil gold anomalies cover broad areas southwest of the Kena lode gold body, consistent with geological interpretation that mineralization extends southwestward at depth beyond the boundaries of the historic resource. The resultant integrated 3D exploration model supports that open-ended historic drilling intersects remain open laterally, along strike, and at depth.
For more information on Upside Gold Corp., please visit the Company's website at https://www.upsidegoldcorp.com. The technical information in the original release was reviewed and approved by Trevor Boyd, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration of the Company and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 standards. The original release can be viewed on https://www.newmediawire.com.
The majority of first priority gold-copper diamond drill targets for 2026 will focus on testing along strike to the southeast within the Kena Copper Zone, with the goal of demonstrating sufficient continuity and grade to define a second major mineralized zone on the Property. The work also supports the belief that the precious metal and copper mineralized system extends across much of the southern half of the Property, which has never undergone diamond drilling or detailed exploration. The Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia has been largely overlooked for gold and copper exploration in the past, offering opportunities for both new discoveries and the development of known historic prospects into viable mineralized bodies.
