
Pirate Gold Corp. (TSX-V: YARR) (OTCQB: YARRF) is pleased to announce exploration drill results from Crippleback at its Treasure Island Project. The Treasure Island project in Central Newfoundland covers over 90 km of strike along the Valentine Lake Fault Zone in Canada’s newest gold district.
Moby Dick:
The Neo-Proterozoic Crippleback Intrusive Suite covers 40km of strike length along the Valentine Lake Fault in the southern portion of the Treasure Island Project.
A large advanced argillic alteration zone first identified in 2024 and named Moby Dick has been confirmed by drilling to measure 3100m long, 850m in width and to depth of 500m. The full extents of the alteration zone is not known and only limited by drilling to date.
Results from the first three drill holes to test Moby Dick have shown broad intervals of copper and gold mineralization consistent with a Copper Porphyry-High Sulphidation Epithermal style mineralizing system.
Drilling Highlights Include:
“Today marks a new dawn of discovery on Treasure Island. At a time when large, multi-billion-tonne copper discoveries are increasingly rare, we have completed the first few drill holes into what could prove to be an industry unicorn: a large-scale gold-copper system with district potential.
“Moby Dick represents the first of several regional targets exhibiting geological characteristics consistent with a widespread high-sulphidation epithermal gold-copper environment. These preliminary drill results returned significant mineralization within both distal argillic and advanced argillic alteration, providing early confirmation of a robust hydrothermal system.
“Regional prospecting and mapping further demonstrate that this alteration and associated mineralization extend across an area measuring approximately 32 kilometres by 8 kilometres along a network of major fault structures. The opportunity to vector toward feeder zones, bonanza-grade mineralization, and the high-grade core of the system remains one of the most exciting aspects of the emerging geological model.
“Today’s results provide only a small glimpse into what may ultimately prove to be a much larger and more significant copper-gold district,” said Denis Laviolette, Executive Chairman and CEO.
PGC-26-058 targeted the Moby Dick alteration system; this hole intersected silicified volcanic rock from 15 to 137m downhole containing disseminated pyrite and muscovite alteration; from 137 to 247m in highly altered quartz monzonite marked by chlorite and montmorillonite alteration with pyrite mineralization, this included a veined zone from 224.5 to 232.0m with locally massive to semi massive pyrite; 247 to 293m intersected a phengite dominated volcanic sequence with disseminated pyrite and locally trace chalcopyrite; 293 to 395m intersected a kaolinite dominated alteration in both volcanic and felsic intrusive rocks with pyrite mineralization including a veined zone from 343.0 to 349.5m containing semi-massive pyrite mineralization; 395 to 562m intersected a volcanic sequence with muscovite-phengite alteration and disseminated pyrite mineralization; 562 to 602m intersected highly silicified monzonite and volcanic sequence containing pyrite as stringers.
Mineralization is comprised of pyrite, chalcopyrite and one instance of visible gold. Highlight assay results include:
PGC-26-064 targeted the Moby Dick alteration system from the north side and 650m along strike of PGC-26-058 and intersected quartz monzonite from 0 to 107m depth dominated by chlorite alteration and disseminated pyrite mineralization; from 107 to 197m depth intersected silicified and vuggy volcanic and intrusive sequences with pyrite as stringers and disseminations dominated by muscovite and kaolinite alteration; 197 to 215m intersected heavily clay altered volcanic rocks dominated by pyrophyllite with local vuggy segments and pyrite mineralization; 215 to 295m contained heavily clay altered volcanic rock with vuggy textures dominated by muscovite and kaolinite alteration carrying pyrite as disseminations and stringers; 295 to 349m intersected volcanic sequence heavily altered with pyrophyllite, 1-2% pyrite as disseminations; 349 to 422m intersected monzonite with phengite and montmorillonite alteration with pyrite as semi-massive stringers and disseminations. Advanced argillic clay alteration was noted through much of the hole from 107 to 690m with highly anomalous copper-gold values from 321 to 497m.
PGC-26-068 was completed from the same location as PGC-26-058 at a shallower -45 dip reaching further into the alteration envelope. The drill hole encountered the same broad gold-copper mineralized envelope as PGC-26-058 approximately 100-150m up dip. This hole intersected felsic volcanics with muscovite dominated alteration sequences from 12.8 to 175m; felsic volcanic with montmorillonite dominated alteration from 175 to 255m depth; from 255 to 275m a strongly magnetic intrusive unit with semi massive pyrite and disseminated chalcopyrite; 275 to 326 intersected altered felsic volcanic with chlorite and montmorillonite alterations; 326 to 428m intersected largely muscovite dominated felsic volcanics with local silicified zones and disseminated pyrite; 428 to 596m intersected felsic volcanics with muscovite alteration, localized gypsum with disseminated pyrite.
Mineralization is comprised of disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrite, locally semi-massive pyrite and chalcopyrite is present. Highlight assay results include:
PGC-26-088:
Drilled 1700m east of PGC-26-058 and PGC-26-068 targeting the Moby Dick alteration zone, this drill hole entered an intense clay alteration zone at 30m depth comprised of montmorillonite to a depth of 275m where the clay composition shifts to muscovite dominant before entering into pyrophyllite at 325m to the end of the hole at 398m. The hole was abandoned before reaching target depth due to the swelling nature of the clay alteration. Fine grained disseminated pyrite was noted throughout the hole. Assay results are pending.
“The significance of this discovery should not be understated. The first drill holes confirm that following the science has led us to broad mineralization within an expanding advanced argillic alteration system. Since acquiring mineral rights across much of the Crippleback Intrusive Suite, our team has identified more than 100 additional copper and gold occurrences, including an advanced argillic alteration zone eleven kilometres east at Clipper Brook that has not been explored since 1951. In just one month of prospecting around Moby Dick, at least 79 new copper occurrences were located across 25 square kilometres. Taken together, this supports our view that Crippleback has the potential to represent a district of copper-gold porphyry and epithermal systems,” said Greg Matheson, VP Exploration.

Fig. 1 – Map showing the location of Crippleback

Fig. 2 – Map showing recent drilling at Moby Dick

Fig. 3 – Map Showing Regional Potential Across 32km of the Crippleback Intrusive Suite

Fig. 4 – Cross Section Showing PGC-26-058 and PGC-26-068
| Drill Hole | From (m) |
To (m) |
Length (m) |
Cu % |
Au (g/t) |
Ag (g/t) |
Cu Eq (%) |
Au Eq (g/t) |
Target Zone |
| PGC-26-058 | 250.45 | 362.85 | 112.4 | 0.12 | 0.22 | 1.76 | 0.38 | 0.34 | Moby Dick |
| including | 281.00 | 326.00 | 45.00 | 0.17 | 0.46 | 2.57 | 0.72 | 0.65 | |
| PGC-26-068 | 194.25 | 523.80 | 329.55 | 0.09 | 0.22 | 1.35 | 0.34 | 0.31 | Moby Dick |
| including | 194.25 | 375.00 | 180.75 | 0.13 | 0.36 | 1.73 | 0.54 | 0.49 | |
| including | 240.35 | 289.70 | 49.35 | 0.28 | 1.07 | 3.42 | 1.48 | 1.36 |
Table 1 – Significant Assay Results
1True widths are unknown
2See QAQC section for explanatory notes on metal equivalents
3Table includes all significant mineralized intervals discussed for PGC-26-058, PGC-26-064, PGC-26-068
| Drill Hole | Easting | Northing | Azimuth | Dip | Length (m) |
| PGC-26-058 | 562451 | 5398587 | 345 | -65 | 602 |
| PGC-26-064 | 562724 | 5399556 | 145 | -45 | 797 |
| PGC-26-068 | 562451 | 5398587 | 345 | -44 | 596 |
| PGC-26-088 | 563987 | 5399342 | 340 | -45 | 398 |
Table 2 – Drill Hole Information
“I’ve spent my career hunting for systems like this. We knew the alteration was telling us something, and now the first drill holes have confirmed the first signs of a copper-gold system. What gets our team excited is the combination of scale, geology, and how little of this system has been tested. The alteration zone is large, open, and only lightly drilled, and the field crews continue to turn up new copper occurrences across the surrounding area. Our focus now is to continue drilling, advance the field programs, and determine how big this whale is,” said Tim Froude, President.
Pirate Gold Treasure Hunters Season 1 Episode 13 – Moby Dick
Episode 13 of Pirate Gold Treasure Hunters dives into Moby Dick, Pirate Gold’s new grassroots copper-gold porphyry/epithermal discovery at Crippleback. The episode follows the story from early copper showings in a roadside ditch to the first drill holes confirming broad copper-gold mineralization inside a large advanced argillic alteration system.
The episode features:
Cannot view this video? Visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhT0jtz2ogI
Subscribe to Pirate Gold’s YouTube channel for weekly episodes of Treasure Hunters and follow the drill in real time: https://www.youtube.com/@PirateGoldCorp
Property Acquisitions:
To further consolidate its position across the Crippleback Intrusive Suite and broader Treasure Island Project, Pirate Gold has acquired twelve additional mineral licences adjoining or near the project.
Pirate Gold has entered into an agreement with Jeff Zajac, and 6201440 Canada Inc. to acquire a 100% interest in and to three mineral licences. In consideration the Company will, subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval, make a one-time cash payment of $15,000 to Zajac and issue 250,000 common shares to Zajac and grant a 1.0% NSR royalty to Zajac, one half of which Pirate Gold can purchase for $1,000,000.
Pirate Gold has entered into an agreement with New Rock Mining Inc. 6201440 Canada Inc. and Darren Pritchet to acquire a 100% interest in and to nine mineral licences. In consideration the Company will, subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval, make a one-time cash payment of $9,000 to Zajac, $7,020 to 80277 Newfoundland & Labrador Inc, $6,990 to 1443409 Ontario Ltd. $6,990 to Corwin Northcott and issue 99,000 common shares to Zajac, 77,200 common shares to 80277, 76,890 common shares to 1443409 and 76,890 common shares to Northcott and grant two separate 1.0% NSR royalties allocated 30% to Zajac, 23.4% to 80277, 23.3% to 1443409 and 23.3% to Northcott one half of each NSR Pirate Gold can purchase for $1,000,000.
Qualified Person
Greg Matheson, P.Geo., VP Exploration for Pirate Gold, a “Qualified Person” under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release.
About Pirate Gold Corp.
Pirate Gold Corp. is led by an experienced management team and is the dominant explorer along the Valentine Lake Fault Zone in Newfoundland, Canada’s newest gold district. The Company’s primary focus is its 100% owned district-scale Treasure Island Gold Project, along with a portfolio of gold projects, including the district-scale Fleur de Lys Project.
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