VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ESGold Corp. (CSE: ESAU) (OTCQB: ESAUF) (FSE: Z7D) (the “Company” or “ESGold”) is pleased to announce the commencement of its 2026 surface diamond drilling program at the Company's Montauban Project, located approximately 120 kilometres west of Québec City, Québec.
The commencement of drilling marks an important milestone in ESGold's systematic evaluation of the broader geological and exploration potential of the Montauban property.
The current program consists of approximately 5,000 metres of surface diamond drilling across 29 proposed drill holes, with a principal focus on the historic Montauban mine area.
Forage Lamontagne has been selected as the drilling contractor for the program.
The drilling campaign will be conducted under the geological supervision of Merouane Rachidi, P.Geo., Ph.D., of GoldMinds Geoservices, who prepared the current drilling program and will oversee all geological aspects of the campaign, including drill-hole implementation, core logging, sampling and geological interpretation.
The initial drilling program was designed using extensive historical drilling and geological data from the Montauban mine area. The proposed holes are generally oriented east-west and positioned to test mineralized zones and the continuity of the geological structures interpreted from previous work.
Image: Drilling contractor and drill rig
Principal Objectives of The Drill Program
- Validate mineralization within areas previously identified as mineralized
- Test continuity between historical drill holes and mineralized panels
- Investigate potential extensions of mineralization into areas that remain insufficiently tested.
This drilling program is designed not only to test individual mineralized intervals, but also to strengthen ESGold’s understanding of the geological architecture and controls on mineralization within the historic Montauban mine area. It will also test and validate mineralization documented through historical drilling and referenced in previous technical reports and historical estimates. By generating modern geological, analytical and QA/QC data, the program may help the Company evaluate this historical information and determine what additional work is required to support a current mineral resource estimate in accordance with NI 43-101.
The historical estimates should not be treated as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and a Qualified Person has not completed sufficient work to classify them as current mineral resources or mineral reserves.
Image: Core samples from the Montauban mine property
Building a More Comprehensive Geological Model
ESGold is undertaking the drilling program as part of a broader effort to integrate the significant amount of historical geological, drilling and geophysical information available for Montauban with the Company's recent exploration work.
The new drill core will provide substantive geological and analytical data that can be incorporated into the property’s evolving three-dimensional geological interpretation. Together with the historical drilling database, these results are also expected to help the Company assess the reliability and relevance of mineralization described in previous reports and determine the scope of any future work required for a current mineral resource evaluation.
As drilling progresses, the Company will continuously evaluate new results alongside historical drilling data, geological interpretations, and available geophysical data. This integrated and iterative approach enables ESGold to refine its geological model, prioritize emerging targets and adjust the drill program as new geological and analytical information becomes available.
“The commencement of drilling marks an important milestone for ESGold as we begin systematically testing the Montauban Project using the extensive historical database together with the modern geological work completed by our team,” said Gordon Robb, CEO of ESGold. “Our focus is on defining the continuity and geometry of known mineralized zones, testing areas of mineralization identified through historical work, and building the geological framework needed to assess the broader exploration potential across the property.”
André Gauthier, Geological Engineer and Director of ESGold, commented:
“Montauban has benefited from substantial historical exploration, including previous technical reports that referenced historical estimates of mineralization. Our objective is not to treat those historical estimates as current resources, but to generate new drilling, geological and analytical information that will allow us to test the mineralization documented by earlier work, evaluate continuity between historical holes and determine what additional work may ultimately be required to support a current mineral resource evaluation.”
“At the same time, the program will contribute to the continued refinement of our three-dimensional geological model and help delineate future exploration targets across the property.”
Core Processing, Assaying and Quality Control
Drill core will be geologically logged, photographed and sampled under the supervision of Merouane Rachidi, P.Geo., Ph.D., of GoldMinds Geoservices, in accordance with the Company's established sampling and QA/QC procedures.
Samples selected for analysis will be submitted to SGS and Swastika Laboratories. The Company intends to use both laboratory facilities as part of its analytical workflow to streamline sample processing and, where possible, reduce assay turnaround times as the drilling campaign progresses.
Using two laboratories is intended to give ESGold operational flexibility during the drilling campaign. All analytical results will remain subject to the Company's QA/QC procedures and technical review before being publicly reported.
ESGold will provide regular updates on the progress of the drilling campaign and announce assay results following their receipt, verification and interpretation.
Historical Estimates
Certain previous technical reports concerning the Montauban mine area have referenced historical estimates of mineralization. These historical estimates are not being treated by ESGold as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. A Qualified Person has not completed sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company intends to use new drilling and analytical data, together with other technical work as appropriate, to evaluate their relevance and determine whether a current mineral resource estimate may be warranted in the future.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Merouane Rachidi, Ph.D., P.Geo., an independent Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About ESGold Corp.
ESGold Corp. (CSE: ESAU | OTCQB: ESAUF | FSE: Z7D) is a fully permitted, fully funded, pre-production mining company advancing a scalable clean mining model across North America. The Company’s flagship Montauban Gold-Silver Project in Quebec is under construction. With a dual-track strategy of cash flow today and discovery tomorrow, ESGold is building a platform for clean, sustainable growth and long-term shareholder value.
For more information, please contact ESGold Corp. at +1-888-370-1059 or visit esgold.com for additional resources, including a French version of this press release, past news releases, a 3D model of the Montauban processing plant, media interviews, and opinion-editorial pieces.
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For further information on the Company please contact:
Email: ir@esgold.com or info@esgold.com or gordon@esgold.com
Phone:604-885-1348 or 1-888-370-1059 or 250-217-2321
On behalf of the Board of Directors of ESGold Corp.
Gordon Robb
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding the metallurgical recoveries, project economics, construction timelines and equipment deliverables, and exploration activities and potential. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions believed to be current but involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. Historical data referenced herein is not current, has not been independently verified by ESGold, and should not be relied upon for investment decisions. ESGold disclaims any obligation to update or revise forward-looking information except as required by law.
These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include, among other things: the drill program and results therefrom, construction timelines and exploration activities at the Montauban Project, the ANT-based 3D geological model, its results and interpretation of the same, conditions in general economic and financial markets; accuracy of assay results; geological interpretations from drilling results, timing and amount of capital expenditures; performance of available laboratory and other related services; future operating costs; the historical basis for current estimates of potential quantities and grades of target zones; the availability of skilled labour and no labour related disruptions at any of the Company's operations; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled activities; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals for operations are received in a timely manner; the ability to secure and maintain title and ownership to properties and the surface rights necessary for operations; and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.
The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties; the interpretation and uncertainties of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project costs overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; availability of funds; failure to delineate potential quantities and grades of the target zones based on historical data; general market and industry conditions; and those factors identified under the caption "Risks Factors" in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com.
Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
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