Sterling Metals Announces Initial Assay Results from the Adeline Project, Labrador

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / December 8, 2023 / Sterling Metals Corp. (TSXV:SAG)(OTCQB:SAGGF) ("Sterling Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to report assay results from its inaugural drilling on the Adeline project ("Adeline" or the "Project") in Labrador Canada. A total of 1,930 meters of drilling was completed in 11 drill holes focused on testing the Ellis Main prospect ("Ellis") and the Whiskey target. In addition to the drilling campaign, the Company completed a surface sampling program from outcrops in the Whiskey area.

Highlights

• Inaugural drilling across the 44km x 7km basin tested two initial targets on opposite ends of the basin, with 10 of 11 holes intersecting copper mineralization, underscoring the robustness of the system (Figure 1)
• At Ellis, 8 holes tested the historic mineralized grey bed at depth and along strike with the following results as shown in Figure 2:
  • ELS-23-007 intersected an extensive copper zone over a 150m by 100m area, with 25m @ 0.24% Cu and 4.05 g/t Ag, including 2.6m @ 0.87% Cu and 11.54 g/t Ag
  • While the grey bed unexpectedly thinned, drilling intersection a mafic sill, a rock type differing from initial expectations, though typical in systems of this nature
  • Notably, visuals confirmed 6 copper minerals across this 25m wide zone with extensive copper oxides suggesting potential at depth of sulphide accumulations
• At Whiskey located 25km east of Ellis, 3 holes showed pinching of the grey bed with narrower mineralization including:
  • WHS-23-010 intersected 3.1m @ 0.96% Cu and 11.78 g/t Ag, including 0.7m @ 3.54% Cu and 46 g/t Ag
  • WHS-23-011 which intersected 2.1m @ 1.20% Cu and 16.43 g/t Ag and 0.6m @ 3.22% Cu and 46 g/t Ag
• Additionally, encouraging sampling of outcrops south of drilling in the Whiskey area showed additional emerging copper trends on the eastern portion of the basin with 17 samples grading higher than 0.5% Cu and up to 2.44% Cu
• Camp was winterized prior to demobilization and a drill remains on site for a potential winter program

Mathew Wilson, CEO, stated, "The discovery of a big metal district requires a big metal system, which is exactly what we have at Adeline. The macro environment for copper remains very promising and even more so here at home in Canada. Our aim is to establish a copper project capable of putting Canada back on the copper map and this is just the first step. We are currently evaluating the data to identify a clear path to targeting both at Ellis and across the entirety of the 44km x 7km system. With over $4 million in the treasury, we are confident our systematic approach to targeting will result in an efficient and successful program when we return to drill at Adeline."

Jeremy Niemi, SVP Exploration and Evaluation, commented, "The extent of the mineralization encountered in this inaugural program serves as a clear indication that there is much more to Ellis than we have seen so far - let alone across the entirety of this project. We went into this program to test a single previously developed target looking to establish the continuity of mineralized grey beds and a potential large hydrothermal breccia zone which we hoped would correlate with the IP survey conducted in the 90's. While the grey beds did not continue at Ellis and the IP did not correlate to a large breccia zone, hole 7 did establish itself as having potential to represent the top of a flow breccia. The native copper in quartz veins and rock type are similar to the zones in the Keewenawan peninsula which provided a large source of copper for the U.S. in the 1900s. The grades and style of mineralization suggest we are potentially in proximity stronger copper zone. We are focused on refining our targeting approach to zero in on large accumulations of copper sulphide mineralization both at depth and to the south at Ellis, and across the property, to increase the probability of future drilling success and targeting."

2023 Adeline Drilling Program

The Company's 2023 Adeline drill program (Figures 1 and 2) (See Tables 1 and 2 for full results and drill hole locations) was designed to test both the extents of the mineralized grey beds at Ellis at depth and along strike as well as a potential blowout of the copper mineralization interpreted from the model of historical IP carried out on the project. In the first 3 holes it became clear that the grey bed mineralization observed on surface and in historical drill core, had disappeared and appeared to be replaced by a mafic sill. The top surface of the mafic sill was mineralized with copper oxide and native copper.

Copper mineralization was intersected in the tops of mafic flows in veined and brecciated rocks. This prompted the Company to adjust the angle of the last two holes at the target and approach the mineralization from a new perspective. Hole ELS-23-007 intersected a relatively wide zone of copper oxide mineralization which extended beyond fractures as observed in the initial holes. This was thought to potentially be the top of a flow breccia. Hole ELS-23-008 was an attempt to follow this mineralization to the south along the structure and towards historic conductors but deviated to the north and hit the edge of the oxide/sulfide zone, intercepting native copper in quartz veins.

Additionally, the copper zone identified in drilling was not consistent with the IP anomaly identified by Noranda from the 90's. The Company is currently carrying out physical properties on the core, especially the rocks above the copper zone, to identify potential alternative sources of the chargeability response shown in the IP survey. There is extensive hematite mineralization and this may be responsible for the large target area shown in the chargeability response.

Figure 1. Plan map showing of the Adeline Project

Figure 2. Plan map showing 2023 Adeline Project drilling at Ellis target

Figure 3. Copper mineralization in hole ELS-23-007 showing extensive chrysocolla with malachite

The final three holes of the program were drilled at the Whiskey target, approximately 25km east of the Ellis target. The drilling was designed to undercut copper mineralization within grey beds at a historical trench. Drilling showed that the grey bed appeared to pinch resulting in narrower intersections than observed in the trench. Holes WHS-23-010 and WHS-23-011 intersected 3.54% and 3.22% copper of approximately 0.6m which were haloed by lower grade mineralization of 1-2m wide.

Table 1. Reported assay intervals from 2023 Adeline drilling

1. See Figure 2 and Table 2 for drill hole locations.
2. All reported depths and intervals are drill hole depths and intervals unless otherwise noted, and do not represent true thicknesses, which have yet to be determined.

Table 2. Reported 2023 Adeline hole locations and directions

Whiskey Area Sampling Program

In addition to the drilling program, the Company collected a total of 34 outcrop surface samples at the Whiskey target area (See Table 3 for full results). 17 of the samples graded higher than 0.5% copper and the range of values was between 0.002% Cu and 2.44% (See Figure 6). The samples were taken mostly to the south of the Whiskey drilling along additional emerging copper trends. In many cases the sample locations were taken along the historical IP grid and coincident with chargeability anomalies that came to surface.

Figure 4. Surface sample locations and results at Whiskey target

Table 3. Reported 2023 Adeline Sample Results