Midland and Wallbridge to Test Gold Exploration Targets by Drilling at Casault
MONTREAL, Aug. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midland Exploration Inc. (“Midland”) (TSX-V: MD), in partnership with Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd (“Wallbridge”), is pleased to announce that field crews and a diamond drill rig are being mobilized to the Casault gold property in preparation for the commencement of a 3,000 metre diamond drilling campaign in this week.
Highlights:
- Drilling program totalling approximately 3,000 metres in 10-12 drill holes;
- More than 15 newly recognized exploration targets generated from new structural and geophysical interpretation, including the Vortex gold occurrence.
Diamond Drilling
The primary objective of the 2026 drilling campaign is to evaluate the potential for additional gold mineralization along the Casault segment of the Sunday Lake Deformation Zone (“SLDZ”) through testing of newly interpreted exploration targets and follow-up drilling at the Vortex gold occurrence.
Wallbridge has designed the planned 10 to 12 holes, approximately 3,000 metres, diamond drilling program to evaluate several new gold exploration targets identified through a comprehensive reinterpretation of historical geophysical and drilling data, combined with recent geological mapping and surface sampling. Drilling will initially focus on a series of exploration targets located where the east-west trending SLDZ is intersected by northwest-trending cross-faults and subsidiary shear zones. These structural intersections are considered favourable sites for gold mineralization and could reflect the structural setting that seems to control gold mineralization at Agnico Eagle's Detour Lake Mine. The campaign will follow a results-driven approach, beginning with the Vortex Zone and several newly identified targets elsewhere on the Casault property.
Drilling at Vortex in 2017 led to the discovery of the Vortex zone, a new showing of shallow syenite-associated gold mineralization hosted within six steeply dipping sub-parallel shear structures developed along a transitional contact between gabbroic rocks to the north and mafic volcanic rocks to the south. Gold mineralization has been traced within a corridor approximately 50 metres wide and 1,200 metres along strike. Significant intercepts from the program include:
- 1.30 g/t Au over 23.5 m including 3.46 g/t Au over 6.0 m and 23.6 g/t over 0.5 m (CAS-17-095)
- 1.38 g/t Au over 26.5 m including 7.87 g/t Au over 2.2 m and 14.55 g/t Au over 0.8 m (CAS-17-096)
* See Midland news release dated January 17, 2018 for additional details.
A recent reinterpretation of historical drilling and high-resolution airborne geophysical data by Wallbridge has identified a potential eastward extension of the shear-hosted gold mineralization that could potentially increase the strike length of the Vortex Zone by approximately 1,000 metres. The 2026 drilling program will comprise 5 to 6 drill holes totalling approximately 1,500 to 1,750 metres, designed to test the interpreted eastern extension while also evaluating the continuity of gold mineralization within the main Vortex Zone.
The second area to be tested by Wallbridge is the C2 target, located approximately 4 kilometres southwest of the Vortex Zone. C2 is a compelling undrilled target situated at the intersection of the Sunday Lake Deformation Zone and a northwest-trending cross-fault, adjacent to the contact between a large felsic to intermediate intrusive stock and surrounding mafic volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The coincidence of these favourable structural and lithological features represents an attractive setting for gold mineralization. Wallbridge plans to complete an initial 3-hole campaign totalling approximately 750 to 1,000 metres to evaluate the C2 target.
Additional exploration targets under consideration for this year’s drilling campaign include the intersection of the SLDZ and a northwest-trending Fontina cross-fault, as well as untested induced polarization (“IP”) conductivity anomalies along the Lac du Doigt fault zone where it is interpreted to intersect the northern margin of the SLDZ. The Lac du Doigt fault is a structural control on gold mineralization at Wallbridge’s Martiniere deposit, located approximately 14 kilometres to the east. Depending on final target prioritization, Wallbridge anticipates drilling one or both target areas with 3 to 4 holes totalling approximately 500 to 750 metres.
Casault Gold Property
The Casault property, comprising three claim blocks totalling 177 square kilometres, is located approximately 110 kilometres west of the town of Matagami. The property is strategically positioned along a 20-kilometres section of the SLDZ, a regionally extensive gold-bearing fault system that hosts Agnico Eagle's Detour Lake Mine located 37 kilometres to the west, and Wallbridge’s Martiniere and Fenelon deposits, located 14 and 42 kilometres to the east respectively. Wallbridge holds an option to earn up to a 65% interest in Casault through staged exploration expenditures and other earn-in commitments to Midland (see press release by Midland dated June 18, 2020).
The Vortex gold zone is characterized by the presence of monzonitic alkaline intrusions associated with predominantly hematite, magnetite, carbonate, and albite alteration as well as disseminated pyrite mineralization. These alkaline intrusions commonly occur within 1 to 2 kilometres of the SLDZ along contacts and within a sequence of highly deformed mafic volcanic units. The Lower Detour gold deposit (Zone 58N), located 6 kilometres south of the Detour Lake mine and approximately 40 kilometres southwest of Vortex, is a gold deposit that is also described as associated with alkaline intrusions. This type of gold mineralization is known as “syenite-associated disseminated gold” (Robert, 2001a). A number of gold deposits in the southern Abitibi belong to this category, namely Canadian Malartic, Young-Davidson and Holt-McDermott (Robert, 2001).
Location coordinates for the drill holes referenced in this news release are provided in the table below:
| Hole ID | Easting (m) | Northing (m) | Azimuth (Degrees) | Dip (Degrees) | Depth (m) | Core Size |
| CAS-17-95 | 628310 | 5540510 | 180 | -50 | 249.0 | HQ |
| CAS-17-96 | 628520 | 5540560 | 180 | -50 | 321.0 | HQ |
* Drill holes on the Vortex gold showing mentioned in this press release
* Coordinates in UTM zone 18, NAD83
a Robert, F. (2001): Syenite-associated disseminated gold deposits in the Abitibi greenstone belt, Canada. Mineralium Deposita, Vol. 36, p. 503–516.
Cautionary Statement
The true thickness of reported drilling intervals cannot be determined with the information currently available; intervals are thus reported in core length.
Mineralization occurring on the Fenelon Gold and Martiniere gold projects held by Wallbridge, and at the Detour Lake mine held by Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, is not necessarily indicative of mineralization that may be found on the Casault property held by Midland.
About Midland
Midland targets the mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new deposits of gold and critical metals. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as Wallbridge, Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc., Centerra Gold Inc., BHP Canada Inc., Barrick Mining Corporation, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, SOQUEM Inc., Fresnillo plc, Electric Elements Mining Corp., Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund, and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Company portfolio and generate shareholder value.
Qualified Person and Exploration Director Richard D. St-Cyr, P.Geo., reviewed and approved this press release and the Casault project data as Midland’s Qualified Person (QP) within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.
For further information, please consult Midland’s website or contact:
Gino Roger, President and Chief Executive Officer
Tel.: 450 420-5977
Fax: 450 420-5978
Email: info@midlandexploration.com
Website: https://www.midlandexploration.com/
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements relating to the Corporation’s expectations regarding the conclusion of additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties, and other estimates and statements that describe Midland’s future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that Midland or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, without limitation, changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets, changes in demand and prices for minerals, failure to obtain the requisite permits and approvals from government bodies and third parties, regulatory and governmental policy changes (laws and policies) and those risks set out in Midland’s public documents, including in each management discussion and analysis, filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. Although Midland believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Except where required by applicable law, Midland disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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