Opawica Explorations Inc. (TSXV: OPW) (FSE: A2PEAD) (OTCQB: OPWEF) has announced a comprehensive exploration update on its 100%-owned Arrowhead Gold Property in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt of Quebec, outlining a permitted 10,000-metre drill strategy targeting high-grade gold mineralization. The company holds drill permits for 25 drill-pad locations, positioning Arrowhead for a significant phase of exploration.
The planned drilling is designed to systematically test high-priority targets derived from an extensive dataset compiled over years, including geophysics, seismic surveys, artificial-intelligence-assisted targeting, and 3D geological modelling. This program aims to test the continuity, extensions, and potential depth of known gold mineralization, building on historical and modern exploration results.
Arrowhead is strategically located adjacent to Agnico Eagle Mines Limited’s LaRonde Complex, a major producing gold mine that has yielded over eight million ounces of gold since 1988. While mineralization on adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of Arrowhead’s potential, the proximity to an established mining district enhances the property’s appeal.
Exploration at Arrowhead dates back nearly a century, with early prospecting beginning circa 1920. Historical work included trenching, pitting, underground workings, and diamond drilling, focusing on shear zones with quartz-carbonate veins containing free gold. Historical gold values reported include approximately 45.05 g/t Au, and chip sampling returned up to 90.75 g/t Au over 1.0 metre. However, these historical results have not been independently verified by Opawica’s Qualified Person.
In 2022, Opawica completed its inaugural modern drill program at Arrowhead, consisting of 4,306 metres across 14 holes, with 1,590 rock samples submitted for assay. The program tested 13 targets and confirmed gold mineralization along an approximately one-kilometre strike length, with 11 holes intersecting zones grading greater than 1.0 g/t Au. Notable results include 18.7 g/t Au over 0.35 metres with 0.72% Cu in hole AR-22-01, and 1.52 g/t Au over 14.8 metres in AR-22-04. The drilling identified gold in two geological settings: shear zones with quartz-carbonate-tourmaline veins in mafic volcanic rocks, and mineralized felsic tuffs with quartz-tourmaline veining.
Despite these successes, nine target zones from the 2022 program remain untested. The upcoming 10,000-metre campaign aims to address these untested targets and explore deeper extensions, following the company’s belief that Arrowhead has reached a pivotal stage where drilling is the next logical step.
“Following years of geological compilation, geophysics, seismic surveying, artificial-intelligence-assisted targeting, three-dimensional geological modelling, and diamond drilling, Opawica believes Arrowhead has reached an important stage in its evolution,” the company stated. The next phase is about drilling.
The Arrowhead property is not an early-stage conceptual project; it has a century of exploration history and modern datasets that have significantly de-risked the targets. The company plans to leverage its existing permits to systematically test these high-priority targets, potentially leading to resource definition.
The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Yvan Bussieres, P.Eng., an independent Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Opawica Explorations is a junior Canadian exploration company focused on precious and base metal properties in the Rouyn-Noranda region of the Abitibi Gold Belt in Quebec.
