Vancouver, British Columbia — February 24, 2026 — Leads & Copy — Great Pacific Gold Corp. has announced the arrival of a second diamond drill rig at its flagship Wild Dog Project in Papua New Guinea, initiating drilling at the Kasie Ridge gold-copper target.
The Kasie Ridge target, situated on the island of New Britain, East New Britain Province, represents the largest preserved advanced argillic alteration system identified to date within the Wild Dog Project. The prospect, part of the broader Nengmutka hydrothermal system, lies northeast of the central Wild Dog corridor.
Geological interpretation suggests it is a structurally controlled lithocap developed above or adjacent to a potential high-sulphidation epithermal or porphyry system at depth. The scale, intensity, and mineralogical maturity of the alteration footprint are consistent with the upper levels of magmatic-hydrothermal systems.
This marks the first drilling ever undertaken at Kasie Ridge.
Key highlights of the Kasie Ridge target include:
- Extensive advanced argillic alteration footprint extending approximately 1.5-2.0 km in strike and several hundred metres in width.
- Alteration assemblage includes pyrophyllite, dickite, kaolinite, alunite, diaspore and zunyite, consistent with high-temperature, acidic hydrothermal conditions.
- Coincident magnetic anomaly interpreted as hydrothermal modification of a shallow magnetic source.
- MobileMT and resistivity inversions define conductive clay-rich zones with localized deeper resistive features interpreted as potential silica-rich or structurally focused zones.
- Structural interpretation highlights multiple NNW-NW trending lineaments converging beneath the ridge.
According to Callum Spink, VP Exploration, the scale of alteration, presence of high-temperature minerals, and convergence of structural corridors into a magnetic feature suggest a hydrothermal centre. Spink added that the drill program will apply disciplined mineral systems thinking to test whether the company is positioned above something significant. Drilling with Rig #1 is also progressing well with a second hole underway at the Kavasuki target. He stated that having two rigs turning full time will allow the company to increase the pace of its exploration in 2026, as planned.
Kasie Ridge is located on the northern end of the 15-km Wild Dog Structural Corridor and approximately 4.5 km north of the Sinivit Target. Figure 1 illustrates the Wild Dog Structural Corridor pipeline of epithermal targets developed from historical and recent work on the Project and the location of Kasie Ridge target.
Kasie Ridge is defined by an extensive advanced argillic alteration footprint extending approximately 1.5-2.0 km along strike and several hundred metres in width. The alteration assemblage includes alunite, pyrophyllite, dickite, kaolinite, diaspore and importantly zunyite (Figure 2).
The presence of zunyite and diaspore is particularly significant, as these minerals are commonly associated with higher-temperature, highly acidic hydrothermal conditions proximal to a heat source.
Magnetic data define a coincident magnetic feature beneath the ridge interpreted to potentially reflect hydrothermal modification of a shallow magnetic source. Resistivity inversions identify conductive clay-rich domains with localized deeper resistive features interpreted as potential silica-rich or structurally focused zones.
The company’s working interpretation considers Kasie Ridge to represent the preserved upper levels of a high-sulphidation epithermal system or lithocap developed above a potential porphyry source.
The first drill hole, KAS-01, has been collared within the highest-temperature portion of the advanced argillic assemblage. The hole is designed to test the interpreted intersection of two conductive lineaments, evaluate the margin of a moderately conductive “upflow” zone defined by resistivity inversion modelling, and assess vertical alteration zonation and sulphide development at depth.
Greg McCunn, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Great Pacific Gold, said that results from KAS-01 will guide follow-up drilling and determine whether the prospect advances to more systematic testing and that Kasie Ridge represents a technically compelling, first-principles mineral systems test within the broader Wild Dog corridor.
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Callum Spink, the Company’s Vice President, Exploration.
Great Pacific Gold’s vision is to become the leading gold-copper development company in Papua New Guinea (“PNG”). The company has a portfolio of exploration-stage projects in PNG, as follows: Wild Dog Project, Kesar Project, Arau Project and the Tinga Valley Project.
Source: Great Pacific Gold
