Northstar Gold Corp. (CSE:NSG) announced that it has extended the known high-grade polymetallic copper-gold-silver-molybdenum system at its Cam Copper Mine near Kirkland Lake, Ontario, with new drill results showing significant down-plunge continuity and strong metal grades.
The seven-hole, 1,204-metre definition drilling program was completed in December 2025 to support preparation of a National Instrument 43-101 technical report and mineral resource estimate by Micon International Limited. The study will evaluate the reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction at the Cam Copper Surgical Mining Project.
According to the company, the Zone 2 drilling confirmed the presence of a polymetallic volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) system with down-plunge continuity and metal zonation characteristic of a Besshi-type deposit.
Among the reported intercepts, drill hole CC-25-14 returned 3.05% copper, 5.9 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, 22.9 g/t silver and 0.45% molybdenum over 3.07 metres from 163.05 metres to 166.12 metres. The interval lies about 50 metres down plunge from a previously reported intercept of 14.8% copper over 2.45 metres in hole CC-23-03.
Another hole, CC-25-16, intersected bornite mineralization grading 13.95% copper, 0.62 g/t gold and 32 g/t silver over 0.56 metres from 202.72 metres to 203.28 metres, which the company said indicates a transition to higher-temperature vent-proximal mineralization at depth.
Northstar also reported a new intercept in the Zone 1 area, where hole CC-25-17A returned 4.38% copper over 0.6 metres from 97.7 metres to 98.3 metres in an area southeast of historic mine workings that had not previously been tested by drilling.
The company said the results support the presence of a copper-gold-silver-molybdenum VMS system that increases in grade and thickness at depth. Geological analysis suggests the mineralization is associated with gabbro sill horizons, which are interpreted to act as thermal and permeability traps controlling sulphide deposition.
Brian Fowler, Northstar CEO, described the drill results as “exceptional.”
"The presence of high-grade copper and gold polymetallic mineralization down plunge of previous drilling demonstrates the extension and endowment potential of the Cam Copper VMS feeder system and reinforces our belief that the project may host additional parallel high-grade copper zones laterally and at depth,” Fowler said.
“Importantly, the discovery of this new Cu-Au-Ag-Mo mineralization enhances our geological model as we continue advancing plans with Novamera to potentially exploit near-surface high-grade copper at Cam Copper using Surgical Mining technology."
Northstar plans to update its three-dimensional geological model of the Zone 2 area to refine exploration targets along the feeder corridor and conduct additional step-out drilling along the down-plunge extension.
The work is being conducted in support of the Cam Copper Surgical Mining Project, which the company is developing with partner Novamera. Under the proposed pilot program, Novamera may deploy its Surgical Mining technology to extract up to about 116,000 tonnes of high-grade copper material from Zone 2 through an estimated 93 extraction holes over roughly 31 months.
The project is being advanced under a turnkey Surgical Mining Services Agreement with Novamera signed in October 2025 and a consortium arrangement with Novamera, Micon International Limited and DIGITAL – Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies. Northstar said DIGITAL has approved access to up to $4 million in co-investment funding toward the consortium’s two-year initiative, which has an estimated budget of about $11 million.
Northstar said it is working toward issuing a notice to proceed under the agreement by securing required permits and project financing. The planned NI 43-101 technical report and mineral resource estimate will evaluate Zone 2 before any production or development decision is made.
Shares of Northstar added over 16% on Thursday morning in Canada to reach C$0.07.