High-Grade Gold Exploration Expands in British Columbia

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Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. (GCC:CSE; GCCFF:OTC; A0RLEP:WKN; 3TZ:FSE) has initiated its 2025 exploration activities at the Quesnelle Gold Quartz project near Hixon, British Columbia. Field crews mobilized on January 3, 2025, marking the resumption of an extensive exploration campaign. The project builds on the successes of 2024, including the Halo Zone discovery, which demonstrated promising results such as 1.77 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 136.51 meters (447.87 feet) in drill hole QGQ24-13.

The 2024 program encompassed 17 drill holes totaling 5,796.7 meters (19,018 feet), which laid the groundwork for the current year’s efforts. For 2025, the company plans to drill 7,500 meters across approximately 25 holes, focusing on expanding the Halo Zone and testing parallel trends at the North Hixon and Main Zone. Sampling and logging of drill holes from the 2024 season are ongoing, with assays for key drill holes pending. Drilling is set to resume on January 27, 2025, starting with drill hole QGQ24-21 at a depth of 218.24 meters (716 feet).

On January 21, Golden Cariboo announced that assay results from a reconnaissance MMI soil sampling program conducted in autumn 2024 have been received from SGS Canada. This fifteen-line-kilometer program included 606 soil samples spaced across twenty-eight lines, with the grid spanning the area between the North Hixon zone and the west of the Halo Zone, as well as from the north slope above the Main Zone to Buckley Creek.

David Mark, P.Geo., stated in a memo to the company that the MMI soil survey revealed a zone of anomalous gold values trending in a north to north-northwest direction across the grid, with a strike length of at least 1,650 meters that remains open to the north and south. He also highlighted significant gold targets and noted a direct correlation with known mineralization at the Halo Zone and North Hixon Zone. The soil samples were analyzed at SGS’s lab in Burnaby, British Columbia, using proprietary MMI Technology and ICP-MS methods, with detailed analysis of the results currently underway.

The Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property, located in a historically rich mining district, is encircled on three sides by Osisko Development Corp., a significant player in the Cariboo Gold District. The project’s historical significance is underscored by placer gold production from Hixon Creek dating back to the mid-1800s, and the property’s potential is further highlighted by its favorable geology, including crustal-scale faults and quartz-carbonate-pyrite mineralization.

Gold Market Dynamics: Insights and Trends

The gold sector has recently experienced significant shifts, influenced by economic, political, and market factors. According to Mining.com on January 4, investment demand has continued to drive gold prices upward, with the CPM Group projecting a 13% increase in gold’s average price to around US$2,730 per ounce in 2025. This trend reflects a long-term shift in investor behavior, where geopolitical uncertainties and economic challenges have encouraged sustained interest in gold as a store of value.

In the same article, the CPM Group highlighted that global mine production was expected to rise by 1.5% in 2025, reaching approximately 88.6 million ounces, while recycled gold supply could increase by 10% due to high prices and worsening consumer economics. These supply dynamics are key to understanding the broader trends in the sector, as higher prices continue to incentivize production and recycling efforts.

Adam Hamilton, writing for Ahead of the Herd on January 4, noted that gold miners entered 2025 undervalued despite achieving record earnings in 2024. Hamilton stated, “With the metal that overwhelmingly drives their profits normalizing in much-higher-price territory, gold-stock prices will inevitably follow.” This misalignment between gold prices and mining stocks suggests opportunities for reevaluation, as the fundamentals of the sector remain robust.

Reuters reported on January 7 that gold prices dipped slightly as U.S. Treasury yields reached an eight-month high. Despite this short-term fluctuation, Nitesh Shah, a commodity strategist at WisdomTree, emphasized that ongoing geopolitical tensions could bolster gold prices further, with a price target of US$3,050 per ounce by year-end. This underscores gold’s resilience as a hedge against economic instability and inflation, even in the face of rising bond yields.

Finally, Peter Schiff in Quote the Raven on January 10 observed an unusual correlation between gold and the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY), which he attributed to market stress and fears of stagflation. Schiff argued that “gold appears ready to take new highs” amid economic uncertainty, inflationary pressures, and geopolitical tensions. This alignment of gold and the dollar underlines the complex dynamics at play in the current market environment.

2025 Catalysts for Golden Cariboo Resources

As outlined in their investor presentation, Golden Cariboo Resources’ 2025 exploration program is designed to leverage the Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property’s district-scale potential. The Halo Zone discovery, identified in 2024, represents a key focus for expansion, with visible gold and assay results indicating a large, continuous mineralized zone. The company plans to extend exploration along strike to the northwest, targeting areas with limited modern drilling.

The 2025 program includes advanced diamond drilling, trenching, and geophysical surveys. Newly acquired mineral claims at the North Hixon zone provide opportunities to test high-priority targets. Additionally, the company’s strategic location near infrastructure allows for year-round exploration, positioning Golden Cariboo to capitalize on efficiencies in project execution.

Golden Cariboo Resources has allocated $3 million for exploration and development in 2025, with $2.5 million directed toward the Quesnelle Gold Quartz project and $500,000 earmarked for regional greenfield opportunities. This comprehensive approach, combined with management’s experience and the project's historical significance, underscores the company’s efforts to advance its assets and uncover substantial gold resources.

Ownership and Share Structure

According to Golden Cariboo, management and insiders own 30% of Golden Cariboo Resources.

President and CEO Frank Callaghan owns 16.45% or 6.93 million shares; Elaine Callaghan has 0.97% or 0.41 million shares; Director Andrew Rees has 0.79% or 0.33 million shares; and Director Laurence Smoliak has 0.3% or 0.13 million shares.

Retail investors hold the remaining. There are no institutional investors.

The company said it has 50.3 million shares outstanding, 24.83 million warrants, and 3.8 million options.

Its market cap is CA$8.74 million. Over the past 52 weeks, Golden Cariboo has traded between CA$0.08 and CA$0.36 per share.