Trailbreaker Resources Ltd. has received a property-wide exploration permit for its 8,000-hectare Coho copper-gold porphyry target in central British Columbia. The five-year Multi-Year Area-Based Mines Act permit, approved by the BC Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals with a provisional expiry date of December 18, 2030, allows diamond drilling from up to 50 drill pads, construction of up to 15 kilometers of exploration access trails, 20 line-kilometers of ground geophysical surveys, and construction of a temporary work camp.
The permit enables the company to conduct its inaugural drill program at the Coho zone during the 2026 exploration season. CEO Daithi Mac Gearailt described this as an opportunity to explore an undrilled Cu-Au porphyry target in a prolific mineral district. The Coho property is located 30 kilometers west of Centerra Gold's Mount Milligan copper-gold porphyry deposit, a producing mine with current reserves of 1.2 billion pounds of copper and 2.8 million ounces of gold, according to the Centerra Gold website.
The property's strategic location within the Quesnel Tectonic Terrane places it in a district known for prolific alkalic copper-gold porphyry deposits. Pacific Empire Minerals' Trident property is contiguous with the Coho property's western border, where on December 15, 2025, the company reported a drill intercept of 0.77% copper, 0.51 g/t gold, and 3.4 g/t silver over 183.0 meters from the 'A-zone', located only 3.5 kilometers west of the Coho property, as detailed in their December 15, 2025 news release.
To the north lies Pacific Ridge Resources' Chuchi property, where 2024 drilling returned 382.0 meters of 0.19% copper, 0.12 g/t gold, and 0.47 g/t silver from the BP zone, according to their November 25, 2024 news release. The Coho zone is located 4.5 kilometers south of this BP zone and is interpreted to be situated along the same Valley/Redline fault structure.
The Coho zone itself is defined by a 650 by 550 meter copper-gold-silver surface rock and soil geochemical anomaly within diorite, spatially associated with an ENE-trending fault zone and gabbro dykes. Historic surface grab samples at the Coho zone returned values up to 16.15 g/t gold, 16.35% copper, and 67.3 g/t silver. Recent geophysical surveys identified an interpreted 400 by 250 by 200-meter-deep porphyry intrusive complex with a two-limbed induced polarization chargeability high anomaly spanning more than 1.4 kilometers.
Community engagement forms a critical component of the exploration program, as the Coho property is located within the territory of the Takla First Nation. Trailbreaker has committed to continued engagement and building a working relationship with the Takla First Nation and is currently collaborating with them on the future drill program.
The significance of this permit extends beyond Trailbreaker's immediate exploration plans. The Coho property represents one of the few remaining undrilled copper-gold porphyry targets in a district surrounded by established deposits and recent discoveries. With global demand for copper expected to rise significantly due to electrification and renewable energy transitions, successful exploration in this region could contribute to North American critical mineral supply chains. The proximity to existing infrastructure, including the Mount Milligan mine 30 kilometers east, provides potential operational advantages if exploration proves successful.
Alkalic porphyry deposits commonly occur in clusters, and Trailbreaker's geological team believes the Coho property may represent a copper-gold porphyry system similar to surrounding prospects and deposits. The company has interpreted this system to be part of a cluster of deposits found along the margin of the Hogem batholith. The receipt of this five-year permit provides Trailbreaker with regulatory certainty and operational flexibility to systematically test this hypothesis through multiple exploration seasons.
