Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2026) - Metalero Mining Corp. (TSXV: MLO) ("Metalero" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that field crews have mobilized to the Benson Project to initiate exploration at the Bollos and Pinnacle porphyry copper-gold targets (Figure 1). This program represents the first systematic exploration ever undertaken on these two targets identified by Geoscience BC's QUEST Artificial-Intelligence (AI) Project designed to highlight copper-gold porphyry targets within the Quesnel Trough.
"The Bollos and Pinnacle targets have seen very little exploration despite being highly prospective geophysical anomalies adjacent to a highway so we are excited to get boots on the ground with some systematic soil grids as a first pass," stated Rob L'Heureux, President & CEO of Metalero Mining. "These targets represent magnetic highs similar to Cantin which has produced encouraging soil numbers for gold and copper, so we are eager to start exploring them."
MULTIPLE PROPHYRY TARGETS AT BENSON
The Bollos and Pinnacle prospects are less than 25 km east of the city of Quesnel and are easily accessed by highways 97 and 26, respectively. Similar to the other targets at Benson, Bollos and Pinnacle share the same regional geology and structural setup as the Mount Polley Mine which is 75 km to the southeast.
The 2025 field programs at Benson collected soil samples from the Cantin and Sundberg prospects and generated copper and gold anomalies which cover a total of 23 km2 and 5 km2 respectively. The Cantin soil anomaly is open towards the southwest within the newly acquired 7km2 mineral claim. These prospects were initially identified by the QUEST AI Project which used regional-scale geological and geophysical data to identify copper-gold porphyry prospects in the Quesnel terrane, comparable to Mount Polley and Mount Milligan, which were hidden by overburden. The Cantin and Sundberg prospects were flagged as potential targets because of the high magnetic susceptibility anomaly (approx. 54×10-3 SI) and high density (2.70-2.73 g/cm3). The Bollos and Pinnacle targets area, each >3 km2 in size, are very comparable with a magnetic susceptibility of approximately 35×10-3 SI and a density of 2.72 g/cm3.
Figure 1. Map of the Benson Property with regional magnetics. The 2025 field programs collected samples at the Cantin, Sundberg, and Chiaz targets. Bollos and Pinnacle will be the focus of the 2026 fall soil sampling program. The new land package, shown in yellow on the inset map, increases Benson's footprint by 7 km 2.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11670/320099_d1ab4fe514867a43_001full.jpg
EXPANDED LAND PACKAGE
The British Columbia Mineral Titles Branch has recently approved the application of claim #1138294 which covers 7 km2 west of Cantin where Metalero has identified a large copper-gold soil anomaly open in several directions.
BENSON PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Benson Project is strategically located in the Quesnel Trough, one of Canada's most prolific mineral belts. The Quesnel Trough is a Triassic/Jurassic-age belt of volcano-sedimentary and intrusive rocks which host >360 alkalic copper-gold porphyry occurrences and deposits. The >1,500 km long Quesnel Trough runs through the middle of BC stretching from the US to the Yukon Territory and hosts several types of gold deposits and numerous major mines which produce copper and gold as well as variable amounts of silver.
High profile and long-lived mines in the Quesnel Trough include Highland Valley, Mt. Milligan, New Afton, and Kemess which are complemented by recent exploration work including AuRORA, Woodjam, MPD, Kwanika, and the extensive staking by Australian mining giant, the Fortescue Group.
The Benson Project lies close to infrastructure traversed by Highway 26 and a vast network of logging roads allowing for ready access to all parts of the Property and capital-efficient exploration. The large land package covers five different target areas illuminated by recent Artificial-Intelligence (AI) work by Geoscience BC (Mitchinson et al., Geoscience BC Report 2022-07). This AI study incorporated a wide variety of historical datasets including geophysics, geology, sampling information, and drilling data (where present) to identify high potential ("porphyry-like") anomalies with similarities to know porphyry deposits elsewhere in the belt. The limited historical exploration at Benson has identified numerous gold and copper surface geochemical anomalies while modest, historical drill programs have intersected skarn and epithermal gold and silver mineralization, which are both intrusive-related types of mineralization and are commonly associated with porphyry systems.
About Metalero Mining Corp.
Metalero Mining Corp. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on silver, copper, and gold projects in the Americas including its San Cristobal properties in Bolivia which total 230 km2 next to the San Cristobal Mine, a global top-5 silver producer. The 173 km2, road-accessible Benson Project in central British Columbia is host to five prospects containing copper and gold within porphyry-related mineralized systems.
Qualified Person
The technical content of this news release was reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc, P.Geol., P.Geo., a non-independent qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
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 may contain certain "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws including, without limitation, the timing, nature, scope and details regarding the Company's exploration plans and results. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.
Forward-looking statements in this press release are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the mining industry in general, the exploration and development of mineral properties, the Company's ability to obtain necessary financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management's discussion and analysis which is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Metalero disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/320099
© 2026 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.