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, according to a NEWMEDIAWIRE release. 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 infill drilling designed to reduce drill spacing to approximately 50-metre centres in priority areas. The additional assays and geological data 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 that in 25 months of work the company outlined an Indicated Mineral Resource of 6.2 million tonnes grading 0.763 g/t AuEq, comprising 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. The Inferred Mineral Resource stands at 42.3 million tonnes grading 0.600 g/t AuEq, comprising 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 noted 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, which is only one of five corridors within the permitted 789-hectare area. He added that the company has three drills onsite and 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 release has been reviewed and approved by Sue Bird, an independent consultant commissioned by the company. Bird is a Professional Engineer registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of the Province of BC and is a Qualified Person with respect to NI 43-101.
The news matters for the mining industry because the planned step-out and infill drilling could significantly enhance the project's resource base, potentially moving a large portion of the 42.3 million tonnes of Inferred material into the higher-confidence Indicated category. Such an upgrade would improve the economic viability of the Quesnelle property and may attract further investment. For readers tracking gold and silver exploration in British Columbia, the program underscores the district-scale potential of the Quesnelle property, which borders and partially interweaves with Osisko Gold Group Inc.'s Cariboo Gold Project and lies along the highly prospective Spanish and Eureka thrust fault corridor. The historic Quesnelle Quartz gold-silver deposit was originally discovered in 1865 during the Cariboo Gold Rush, and 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. As detailed in the News Release dated Sept.30, 2026, the inaugural MRE provides a solid foundation for the next phase of exploration. Investors and industry observers will be watching the assay results closely, as successful infill drilling could de-risk the project and pave the way for future development studies.
