Sterling Metals Drills into Copper Road's Potential

Sterling Metals Corp. (TSXV: SAG, OTCQB: SAGGF) has announced the commencement of its inaugural drilling program at the Copper Road Project in Ontario, Canada. This move marks a significant milestone for the company, as it aims to unlock the vast potential of this high-priority copper porphyry mineral system. The decision to drill is backed by a comprehensive 3D induced polarization and resistivity survey, which has identified multiple drill-ready targets across a 5km by 3km area. The survey's findings suggest that the project could host a large-scale copper porphyry mineral system at depth, making it a highly attractive prospect for exploration.

The Copper Road Project is strategically located between two historical mines and in a Tier 1 jurisdiction, providing robust infrastructure and a supportive regulatory environment. The project's proximity to substantial infrastructure, including highways, roads, and hydroelectric dams, facilitates logistics and reduces operational costs. This strategic location aligns with Sterling Metals' goal of leveraging existing infrastructure to enhance operational efficiency and reduce risks.

The recent political focus on Canada's underutilized copper resources further supports the decision to commence drilling. The Ontario Junior Exploration Program awarded Sterling Metals a $200,000 grant for its exploration efforts, emphasizing the Copper Road's strategic importance. This grant not only provides financial support but also validates the project's potential and the government's interest in developing domestic copper resources.

Sterling Metals' financial position and strategic investments in exploration technologies and expertise also support the decision to commence drilling. The company has a net cash position of 1.32 million, providing the financial flexibility to fund the drilling program. Additionally, the company has invested in advanced exploration technologies, such as the 3D IP survey, and has a technical advisory board with experts in mineral exploration. This strategic investment in expertise and technology aligns with Sterling Metals' goal of enhancing its exploration capabilities and increasing the likelihood of successful mineral discoveries.

The company is currently designing its initial drill campaign aimed to test the hypothesis of extensive near-surface copper zones connected to a larger porphyry center at depth. Additional targets identified during the Survey will be systematically reviewed and refined against surface, historical drilling, IP, resistivity, and mag signatures. The primary objective of the survey was to identify sizeable chargeable anomalies within the priority area of the Project. Physical property testing on historical drill core has demonstrated that copper sulphide mineralization generates a strong and consistent chargeability response. The survey has identified numerous chargeability zones across the survey area which are hundreds of metres to over 1km in length and width. Zones isolated as the highest priority have favourable surface geology, scale, corresponding low resistivity signature, and apparent connectivity to deeper resistivity low bodies mapped by ZTEM airborne data. These deeper bodies may represent geologically important porphyry source chambers to deposit copper-molybdenum mineralization.

The Survey results also highlight the possibility of multiple intrusive bodies, which may represent different geological events, near surface with connections to larger porphyry centers at depth. The presence of these potential deep sources enhances the geological setting and priority of the identified targets. Identifying earlier phases of the porphyry system, which may host multiple overlapping mineralizing events, is important due to the potential of enriching copper and molybdenum sulphide concentrations.

The Company is actively working with the newly acquired data to design a drill program focused on testing the priority targets and closely examining secondary targets to build a robust exploration portfolio. Historical drilling, recent mapping, prospecting, systematic soil sampling, and property-wide airborne magnetics and Lidar surveys collectively support the potential for a large copper porphyry mineral system at Copper Road.

The next step for the Company is to initiate drilling on the priority targets to seek significant accumulations of copper and molybdenum mineralization related to the porphyry system. Mathew Wilson, CEO and Director, commented, "One year ago, when we reviewed and acquired this Project, we recognized the immense potential it held, situated between two historical mines and in a Tier 1 jurisdiction. This last year has been an effort to determine if we could narrow our search radius to an area that was both explorable for a company of our size as well as hosting sufficient scale when compared to other porphyry systems in the world."



The Copper Road Project is a 25,000ha high-potential brownfield copper-moly-silver-gold project associated with the Midcontinent Rift (“MCR”) in Ontario, Canada, which until 2021 had never been fully consolidated. Recent porphyry and breccia drill holes as well as past copper production from two mines suggest the potential for larger intrusion-related copper mineralization. The project benefits from its strategic proximity to substantial infrastructure, including highways, roads, and hydroelectric dams, which facilitates logistics and reduces operational costs. The project is 100% owned and located in an area with a rich mining history, 30km from Batchewana Bay and situated between Wawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, and Timmins in Ontario, Canada. The project is intersected by numerous highways and roads including the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 17), which crosses the westernmost portion and provides major road connection to the city of Sault Ste. Marie. The project is located 90km from the Port of Sault St Marie, and 40km from the Montreal River, which includes four hydroelectric dams and generating stations. The project is also ideally located in proximity to two copper smelters outside of Sudbury. Situated within the Mamainse Point Formation of the Keweenawan Group within the Proterozoic Southern Province, on the eastern edge of the MCR. The MCR is home to numerous past-producing and present deposits around Lake Superior, including the prolific native copper deposits of the Keweenawan Peninsula in the U.S., mined for more than 150 years. Porphyry mineralization at Copper Road has been sourced to the same age range as the primary mineralizing event within the MCR. The Mamainse Point area has a long history of prospecting, exploration, and mining activity dating to the mid-1800’s with the production of copper, silver, and gold from the Coppercorp Mine from 1965 to 1972 and the Tribag Mine from 1965 to 1973, now known as the Copper Road Project.

The Copper Road Project's strategic importance is further validated by the Ontario Junior Exploration Program's award of a $200,000 grant to Sterling Metals for its exploration efforts. This grant not only provides financial support but also signals the government's recognition of the project's potential to contribute to Canada's mineral resource development. The combination of political support, strategic location, and financial backing from the government enhances the project's prospects for success and positively impacts its valuation.

In conclusion, Sterling Metals' decision to commence drilling at the Copper Road Project is a strategic move that aligns with the company's long-term goals. The project's potential for large-scale copper porphyry mineralization, strategic location, and political support make it a highly attractive prospect for exploration. The company's financial position and strategic investments in exploration technologies and expertise further support the decision to commence drilling. As Sterling Metals continues to advance the Copper Road Project, it is poised to unlock significant value for its shareholders and contribute to Canada's mineral resource development.