LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc. has expanded its 2026 Phase 1 diamond drilling program at the 100%-owned Ishkōday Gold and Polymetallic Project in Northwestern Ontario from a planned 3,865 metres to 5,605 metres across 22 drill holes, the company announced in a release carried by NEWMEDIAWIRE. The decision follows assay results from six holes that returned multiple gold-bearing intersections at the A-Zone, including a high-grade hit of 1.80 metres grading 17.10 grams per tonne gold in hole LBX26-117.
The expansion is significant because it is being guided by an independent structural gap analysis of the A-Zone conducted by SRK Consulting, which identified five priority target areas where additional drilling may fill gaps in the existing drill database. LAURION is using that framework to prioritize near-term drilling with the objective of validating its geological interpretation and supporting the evaluation of a potential maiden Mineral Resource Estimate. For a company at the mid-stage exploration level, the shift from broad exploration to resource-focused infill work marks a key step toward demonstrating the project's economic potential.
Hole LBX26-117, one of the standout results, returned 1.80 metres grading 17.100 g/t gold and 9.24 g/t silver, including 0.80 metres at 31.500 g/t gold, together with a broader 10.05-metre interval of gold-bearing polymetallic mineralization deeper in the hole. LBX26-121, drilled from the same collar at a shallower angle, intersected 5.20 metres grading 1.067 g/t gold with 1.11% zinc, while LBX26-116 returned 2.80 metres grading 2.261 g/t gold. The company also reported results from LBX26-114A and LBX26-115, both designed as targeted infill drilling to refine interpretations of mineralization between earlier intersections.
Not all results reinforced the historical record. LBX26-113 – Interpretation was drilled as a twin of historical hole 92-65 to verify previously reported high-grade gold and polymetallic mineralization, but the new assays returned lower grades than the historical results. The company said it will evaluate the implications for the historical drill database and its geological interpretation. That caveat matters for investors because it introduces uncertainty about the reliability of older data as LAURION builds the technical foundation for a resource estimate.
CEO Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin said the drilling is designed to address the specific gaps identified by SRK Consulting, improve understanding of the continuity and geometry of mineralization between drill holes, and build a reliable technical foundation at the A-Zone. The program's progress remains subject to ongoing results and available financing, and true widths have not yet been determined. The company's shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange, and further details are available through the www.newmediawire.com release and at http://www.LAURION.ca.
