Vital Battery Metals Announces 2024 Exploration & Drilling Program on its Sting Copper Project

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vital Battery Metals Inc. (“Vital” or the “Company”) (CSE: VBAM | OTC: VBAMF | FRA: C0O), is pleased to announce upcoming comprehensive summer Work Programs (the “Programs”) at the Company’s Sting Copper Project (“Project” or “Sting”) located in western Newfoundland. Vital holds a commanding 123 km² land package within 7 claim blocks located north of the Bay of Islands which contain northerly extensions of the lithologic units host to the past producing York Harbour Mine (recent drilling of up to 5.25% Cu over 29m, York Harbour Metals news release March 26, 2022) found southwards from the Property (Figure 1, readers are cautioned that mineralization hosted on nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on Vital’s claim block)*.

The exploration programs will be led by Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. (“Dahrouge”). In preparation for the spring/summer 2024 field exploration programs at Sting, Dahrouge has reviewed historical and recently acquired exploration data, which have indicated that the rocks within the Property have the potential to contain both copper and gold mineralization as Cyprus-type Cu-Zn (+/- Au, Ag) VMS deposits as well as structurally controlled Cu and Au mineralization.

The 2024 field exploration will target three prospective Areas within two claim blocks (Jumbo-Lode and North Sting; Figure 2). A first phase of exploration will include mapping and sampling over both claim blocks as well as an IP survey at Jumbo-Lode. Following receipt and interpretation of results from the first phase a follow-up drilling program is targeted for the fall of 2024 at Jumbo-Lode.

Highlights of the proposed 2024 work program include:

Jumbo-Lode Claim Block

• Follow-up soil sampling and prospecting, close to the historical, previously channel sampled, Jumbo (9.0% Cu across 9.1m), Red Lode (2.5% Cu across 1.8m) (Assessment File 012G/08/0002), and Friar Tuck (3.7 g/t Au over 0.9 m, Assessment File 012G/08/0078) showings will confirm mineralized trends and highlight targets for future drilling (Areas 1 and 2, Fig. 2).

• The Lode 9 copper occurrence has also been channel sampled (6.1% Cu across 2.8m, Assessment File 012G/08/0078) and is located <250m to the north of the Jumbo-Lode Claim Block (readers are cautioned that mineralization hosted on adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on Vital’s claim block).

• An IP survey in the southwest and northeast corners of the claim block will focus on areas with anomalous Cu and Au soil samples results and further aid in drill targeting (Fig. 3).

• As previously reported (company news release, October 26, 2023), outcrop samples with quartz veining downslope of the Red Lode showing returned up to 9.51 g/t Au and up to 2.53% Cu .These outcrops will be channel sampled and re-examined to aid in drill targeting.