Great Atlantic Begins 2026 Trenching Program at its 100% Owned South Quarry Tungsten Property

Great Atlantic starts trenching at its 100%-owned South Quarry Tungsten Property in Newfoundland.

What the company is saying

Great Atlantic Resources Corp. announces the start of an excavator trenching program at its fully owned South Quarry Tungsten Property in southern Newfoundland. The company frames this as a direct follow-up to tungsten mineralization and geochemical anomalies identified in 2016, emphasizing continuity and targeted exploration. The release highlights specific historical assay results, with four 2016 grab samples returning 1,240–2,350 ppm tungsten (0.124%–0.235% W) and a boulder sample at 3,060 ppm (0.306% W), positioning these as evidence of high-grade mineralization. Management, led by President and CEO Christopher R. Anderson, presents the program as a logical next step, with technical oversight by VP Exploration David Martin, P.Geo., who is named as the Qualified Person. The company stresses regulatory compliance and third-party sample verification, referencing ALS Canada Ltd. as the independent laboratory. The tone is factual and focused on technical milestones, with broader context provided on tungsten's strategic importance and global supply concentration.

What the data suggests

The disclosed data confirms the trenching program has commenced, targeting two areas in the northern region of the South Quarry Property where prior work revealed tungsten anomalies and mineralization. Historical results from 2016 include bedrock/loose bedrock grab samples with tungsten values between 1,240 and 2,350 ppm (0.124%–0.235% W), and a boulder sample at 3,060 ppm (0.306% W), indicating localized high-grade mineralization. Additional 2016 till samples from 2–4 meters depth returned 100–109 ppm tungsten, and a quartz vein sample from another trench returned 1,020 ppm (0.102% W). Planned trenching areas are precisely located: 1.9–2.0 km north and 1.4–1.5 km northeast of two reference quarries, with new trenches positioned 20–90 meters from previous sites. The 2022 soil sampling program also identified tungsten anomalies, supporting the current focus. All technical data is independently verified and supervised by Qualified Persons. No new assay results from the current program are available yet, and no resource estimate or economic analysis is presented, which is consistent with the early exploration stage.

Analysis

The announcement is proportionate in tone, focusing on the commencement of a trenching program at an exploration-stage tungsten property. The majority of claims are factual and relate to either the start of current trenching or historical assay results, which are specific and independently verified. Forward-looking statements (such as plans to excavate five trenches and collect new samples) are routine for an exploration update and do not overstate imminent value creation. There is no exaggerated language about resource size, economic potential, or near-term production, and no claims of financial impact or large capital outlay. The technical data is credible and references qualified persons and independent labs. The gap between narrative and evidence is minimal, with the company appropriately framing the update as an early-stage exploration milestone.

Risk flags

• ●Exploration-stage risk is high, as the program is targeting areas with historical anomalies but no defined resource; there is no guarantee that new trenching will yield economically significant or continuous mineralization.
• ●Operational risk exists around the interpretation of selective grab samples, which may not represent broader mineralization; the company itself cautions that such samples are not necessarily representative of the property as a whole.
• ●Market and strategic risk is present due to tungsten's global supply being highly concentrated in China, which could affect future project economics and offtake opportunities even if exploration is successful.

Bottom line

Great Atlantic's announcement marks the start of a targeted trenching campaign at its 100%-owned South Quarry Tungsten Property, building on historical high-grade tungsten results but with no new assays yet reported. The technical disclosure is detailed and credible, with independent verification and regulatory compliance, but the project remains at an early exploration stage with no resource or economic data. Investors should view this as a routine but necessary step in de-risking the property, with the main catalyst being future assay results from the current trenching. The most important takeaway is that while historical samples are promising, the commercial potential of the property will depend entirely on the results and scale of mineralization encountered in this and subsequent programs.

Announcement summary

(TSXV:GR) Great Atlantic Resources Corp. has commenced an excavator trenching program at its 100% owned South Quarry Tungsten Property, located in southern Newfoundland. The trenching program is being conducted within the northern region of the property in two areas of tungsten soil/till geochemical anomalies and tungsten mineralization discovered during the initial 2016 trenching program. Rock and till samples will be collected at trench sites for analysis with a focus on tungsten. The company plans to excavate five trenches during this phase of trenching within the northern region of the South Quarry Property, focusing on exploration for tungsten mineralization. The trenching is planned in two target areas located north and northeast of two quarries, including the 'South Quarry'. The first three trenches of the 2026 program are planned in the area of a 2016 trench which exposed tungsten mineralization (scheelite) in quartz (+/- mica) veins in bedrock/loose bedrock. Four 2016 grab samples of bedrock/loose bedrock from this trench with such vein material returned 1,240 - 2,350 parts per million (ppm) tungsten (0.124% to 0.235% W), while a 2016 sample from a boulder in this trench returned 3,060 ppm tungsten (0.306% W). Three trenches are planned during the current program in the area of this backfilled 2016 trench. A second 2016 trench in this area did not intersect bedrock; however, three deeper till samples (approximately 2-4 meters depth) from this trench returned anomalous tungsten values of 100 - 109 ppm tungsten. This area of trenching is located approximately 1.9 - 2.0 kilometers north of the two quarries. The fourth and fifth trenches of the current program are planned southeast of the first three trenches in an area of tungsten soil/till geochemical anomalies and tungsten mineralization discovered by Great Atlantic within a 2016 trench. These planned trenches are located within approximately 20 - 90 meters north to northeast of a 2016 trench. A quartz vein with scheelite was intersected at the bottom of the 2016 trench, of which a 2016 sample returned 1,020 ppm tungsten (0.102% W), while a 2016 till sample collected at the northeast end of this trench returned an anomalous tungsten value of 70 ppm. Soil sampling by the company during 2022 identified tungsten soil geochemical anomalies in this area. This area of trenching is located approximately 1.4 - 1.5 kilometers northeast of the two quarries. All trench sites will be rehabilitated in accordance with the conditions of the Exploration Approval and Regulations under the Mineral Act. The 2016 till and rock samples and 2022 soil samples stated in this news release were analyzed by ALS Canada Ltd. by Lithium Borate Fusion and ICP-MS finish. ALS Canada Ltd. is independent of Great Atlantic. The 2016 and 2022 programs were supervised by Qualified Persons, who verified the sample data. Christopher R. Anderson is President, CEO, and Director of Great Atlantic Resources Corp. David Martin, P.Geo., is VP Exploration and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, and approved the technical information in this news release. Tungsten is recognized as a strategic and critical metal by the United States, the European Union, and other allied jurisdictions, and is included in Canada's Critical Minerals List. Global tungsten supply remains highly concentrated, with China accounting for the majority of world production.

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