Lode Gold Initiates Permit Process For Surface Drilling At Fremont Gold Mine

Core Viewpoint - Lode Gold Resources Inc is advancing its Fremont Gold Mine project by engaging a legal and permitting advisory group to facilitate the permitting process for an imminent drill program in Mariposa County, California [1] Drilling Program - The permit application will authorize a program of ten surface drill holes totaling approximately 1,500 meters, aimed at supporting technical work for a planned Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) [2] - The drilling program is designed to collect representative material for updated metallurgical tests and obtain geotechnical data necessary for a rock mechanics study within the mineralized zone [3] - The focus of the proposed drilling is on technical validation rather than resource expansion, aimed at de-risking key engineering parameters for underground mine design as the project progresses toward the PFS stage [4] Corporate Update - Lode Gold is currently in a disagreement with a business partner over certain contractual terms, leading to a Notice of Claim filed by the partner seeking compensation; the company believes it has fulfilled its contractual obligations and has retained legal counsel to respond [5] Project Background - The Fremont Gold Mine project is a brownfield site in Mariposa, California, with 43,000 meters drilled, 8,000 channel samples, 14 adits, and 2 shafts; mining was halted in 1942 due to a gold mining prohibition during World War II [7] - The project has a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) completed in 2023, based on 1 million ounces (M&I) and 2 million ounces (Inferred), with an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) in 2025 indicating that 92% of the ounces remain unmined [7]