Pacific Ridge Signs Exploration Agreements with Tsay Keh Dene Nation for the Kliyul and RDP Copper-Gold Projects

Pacific Ridge secures First Nation agreements and details large inferred copper-gold resources.

What the company is saying

Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSXV:PEX, OTCQB:PEXZF, FSE:PQW) announces it has signed Exploration Agreements with Tsay Keh Dene Nation for its 100%-owned Kliyul and RDP copper-gold projects in British Columbia. The company frames these agreements as foundational for responsible project advancement, emphasizing environmental stewardship, transparent communication, and collaborative engagement. President and CEO Blaine Monaghan is quoted highlighting the agreements as providing certainty and confidence for both the First Nation and shareholders. The announcement foregrounds the size and grade of the Kliyul Main Zone, presenting detailed inferred mineral resource figures at multiple cutoff grades, and notes that both projects are close to infrastructure. Technical details are provided for recent drilling at both Kliyul (M39 target) and RDP (Day target), with all 2026 assay results still pending. The release also details the cost and metal price assumptions used in the resource estimate, and identifies the technical team responsible for the NI 43-101 report. The overall tone is confident and positions Pacific Ridge as aiming to become British Columbia's leading copper explorer.

What the data suggests

The Kliyul Main Zone hosts an inferred mineral resource of 334,100,000 tonnes grading 0.33% CuEq (0.15% copper, 0.26 g/t gold, 0.95 g/t silver) or 386,000,000 tonnes grading 0.459 g/t AuEq (0.236 g/t gold, 0.142% copper, 0.911 g/t silver), with the effective date of July 31, 2025. At a 0.20% CuEq cutoff, the resource contains 334,100,000 tonnes at 0.33% CuEq, 2,422 million lbs CuEq, 1,110 million lbs Cu, 2,740,000 oz Au, and 10,220,000 oz Ag. The resource estimate uses metal recoveries of 80% for copper, 65% for gold and silver, mining cost of C$3.5/t, process cost of C$7.0/t, G&A cost of C$3.0/t, and metal prices of US$4.60/lb Cu, US$2,600/oz Au, and US$30.00/oz Ag. Four diamond drill holes totaling 1,524 m were completed at the M39 target at Kliyul in 2026, but assay results are outstanding. At RDP, five holes totaling 3,010 m were drilled at the Day target in 2026, with three holes (1,958 m) testing the western magnetic lobe; these also await assays. Previous drilling at RDP (RDP-25-014) returned 130.8 m of 0.47% CuEq or 0.70 g/t AuEq from 450 m depth. The technical disclosure is comprehensive for an exploration-stage company, but no new economic or financial performance data is presented, and all 2026 drill results remain pending.

Analysis

The announcement is generally positive in tone, highlighting the signing of Exploration Agreements with the Tsay Keh Dene Nation and providing detailed mineral resource estimates for the Kliyul project. The narrative emphasizes collaboration, environmental stewardship, and future project advancement, but the only realised milestones are the agreements themselves, the completion of drilling (with results pending), and the publication of an Inferred Mineral Resource. Most forward-looking statements concern the potential for project advancement and future assay results, but there are no claims of imminent production, reserves, or economic studies. The technical disclosure is robust and specific, with clear resource figures and drill meterage, but the benefits to shareholders are long-term and contingent on future exploration success and permitting. There is no evidence of a large capital outlay at this stage, and no immediate earnings or cash flow impact is claimed. The language around 'greater certainty and confidence' and 'responsibly advancing' the projects is somewhat promotional given the early stage and pending results.

Risk flags

• ●All resource figures are in the Inferred category, which carries high geological uncertainty and cannot be used for mine planning or economic studies until upgraded through further drilling.
• ●Assay results from 2026 drilling at both Kliyul (M39) and RDP (Day) are still pending, so the potential for resource expansion or grade improvement is untested and could disappoint.
• ●The projects' advancement depends on successful permitting, ongoing community relations, and market conditions, any of which could delay or halt progress as explicitly acknowledged in the technical notes.
• ●No economic studies (PEA, PFS) or development timelines are disclosed, leaving the financial viability and capital requirements undefined at this stage.
• ●The agreements with Tsay Keh Dene Nation are a positive step for social license, but do not guarantee future support or eliminate permitting, legal, or environmental risks.

Bottom line

Pacific Ridge has formalized relationships with Tsay Keh Dene Nation for its Kliyul and RDP copper-gold projects, removing a key social risk and establishing a platform for future exploration. The Kliyul Main Zone hosts a large inferred resource—334 million tonnes at 0.33% CuEq or 386 million tonnes at 0.459 g/t AuEq—using industry-standard cost and price assumptions, but all figures remain in the lowest-confidence category. Recent drilling at both projects is complete but results are pending, so no new value can be assigned until assays are disclosed. No economic assessment or development schedule is provided, and the projects remain years from potential production. The most immediate catalyst is the release of 2026 drill results, which will determine whether the resource can grow or improve in quality. For now, the announcement signals progress on community engagement and confirms the scale of the Kliyul resource, but the investment case hinges on future technical and economic milestones.

Announcement summary

(TSXV:PEX, OTCQB:PEXZF, FSE:PQW) Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. announced it has entered into Exploration Agreements with Tsay Keh Dene Nation for the Kliyul and RDP copper-gold projects in Northcentral British Columbia, Canada. The Agreements are designed to ensure communication and collaboration between Tsay Keh Dene Nation and Pacific Ridge throughout the advancement of both projects. Blaine Monaghan, President and CEO of Pacific Ridge, stated that these agreements reflect the company's commitment to environmental stewardship, transparent communication, and collaborative engagement, and provide greater certainty and confidence for both Tsay Keh Dene Nation and shareholders. Kliyul is 100% owned by Pacific Ridge, covers over 90 km2, and is located approximately eight km from the Omineca resource road and a 230-kilovolt high-voltage power line. The Kliyul Main Zone (KMZ) hosts an Inferred Mineral Resource of 334,100,000 tonnes grading 0.33% CuEq (0.15% copper, 0.26 g/t gold, and 0.95 g/t silver), or 386,000,000 tonnes grading 0.459 g/t AuEq (0.236 g/t gold, 0.142% copper, and 0.911 g/t silver), and remains open for expansion. At a 0.15% CuEq cutoff, KMZ contains 383,300,000 tonnes at 0.31% CuEq, 0.14% Cu, 0.24 g/t Au, and 0.91 g/t Ag, with 2,615 million lbs CuEq, 1,212 million lbs Cu, 2,920,000 oz Au, and 11,270,000 oz Ag. At a 0.20% CuEq cutoff, KMZ contains 334,100,000 tonnes at 0.33% CuEq, 0.15% Cu, 0.26 g/t Au, and 0.95 g/t Ag, with 2,422 million lbs CuEq, 1,110 million lbs Cu, 2,740,000 oz Au, and 10,220,000 oz Ag. At a 0.25% CuEq cutoff, KMZ contains 239,200,000 tonnes at 0.37% CuEq, 0.16% Cu, 0.30 g/t Au, and 1.04 g/t Ag, with 1,950 million lbs CuEq, 861 million lbs Cu, 2,280,000 oz Au, and 7,980,000 oz Ag. At a 0.15 g/t AuEq cutoff, KMZ contains 389,900,000 tonnes at 0.456 g/t AuEq, 0.234 g/t Au, 0.142% Cu, and 0.908 g/t Ag, with 5.7 million oz AuEq, 3.0 million oz Au, 1,218 million lbs Cu, and 11.4 million oz Ag. At a 0.20 g/t AuEq cutoff, KMZ contains 386,000,000 tonnes at 0.459 g/t AuEq, 0.236 g/t Au, 0.142% Cu, and 0.911 g/t Ag, with 5.7 million oz AuEq, 3.0 million oz Au, 1,212 million lbs Cu, and 11.4 million oz Ag. At a 0.25 g/t AuEq cutoff, KMZ contains 368,000,000 tonnes at 0.470 g/t AuEq, 0.242 g/t Au, 0.146% Cu, and 0.924 g/t Ag, with 5.6 million oz AuEq, 2.9 million oz Au, 1,181 million lbs Cu, and 10.9 million oz Ag. The effective date of the Mineral Resource estimate is July 31, 2025. The mineral resource is constrained within a pit shell using metal recoveries of 80% for copper, 65% for gold, and 65% for silver, an exchange rate of 1.30 CAD:USD, mining cost of C$3.5/t, process cost of C$7.0/t, G&A costs of C$3.0/t, pit slopes of 45 degrees, and metal prices of US$4.60/lb Cu, US$2,600/oz Au, and US$30.00/oz Ag. Four diamond drill holes totaling 1,524 m were completed at the M39 target at Kliyul in 2026, with results pending. RDP is also 100% owned by Pacific Ridge, covers over 100 km2, and is located in the Golden Horseshoe at the southern end of the Toodoggone district. In 2026, the company completed 3,010 m of drilling in five holes at the Day target, with holes RDP-26-017, RDP-26-018, and RDP-26-019 totaling 1,958 m testing the western magnetic lobe. These holes followed up on RDP-25-014, which returned 130.8 m of 0.47% CuEq or 0.70 g/t AuEq (0.30% Cu, 0.24 g/t Au, or 1.34 g/t Ag) from a vertical depth of approximately 450 m. The 2026 drill holes confirmed continuous copper-sulphide mineralization from vertical depths of approximately 170 m over lengths greater than 300 m. Results from the 2026 drilling at RDP are pending. The company estimates copper recoveries of 80%, gold recoveries of 65% (Kliyul) or 60% (RDP), and silver recoveries of 65% (Kliyul) or 60% (RDP). The technical information in the release was prepared under the supervision of Danette Schwab, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration of the company.

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