Forte Minerals Commences First-Ever Drilling at the Pucarini High-Sulfidation Gold Project, Puno, Peru

Core Viewpoint - Forte Minerals Corp. has commenced its inaugural diamond drilling program at the Pucarini High-Sulfidation Gold Project in southern Peru, marking a significant milestone after years of preparatory work and community engagement [1][20]. Project Overview - The Pucarini Project is situated within the Southern Peru Miocene Mineral Belt, known for its epithermal gold and porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits, featuring a large-scale hydrothermal alteration footprint with high-sulfidation epithermal gold mineralization [2][5]. - The project encompasses 1,000 hectares and includes multiple advanced argillic alteration zones within a 3.6 km by 1.8 km hydrothermal alteration footprint [12]. Drilling Program Details - The Phase I drilling program consists of five holes totaling 1,750 meters, with each hole approximately 350 meters deep, aimed at testing a potential large-scale high-sulfidation epithermal gold system [4][10]. - The drilling targets were selected based on coincident gold geochemistry, high-sulfidation alteration zones, and high resistivity geophysical anomalies [6]. Community Engagement and Permitting - The company has established strong relationships with local communities and secured its DIA drilling permit in August 2023, along with a renewed one-year Community Agreement in March 2025 to support the exploration drilling program [5][20]. Financial and Strategic Developments - Forte has attracted two new strategic investors, each contributing C$5.7 million, enhancing the company's financial position and aligning long-term development plans across its projects [21]. - The company is also advancing its second gold project, Alto Ruri, located 15 km from Barrick's Pierina Mine, which shows potential for near-surface gold discovery [22][23].