Integra Resources Launches Strategic 10,000-Meter Drill Program at Florida Canyon Mine

Integra Resources initiates growth-focused exploration at Nevada gold mine targeting resource expansion and mine life extension.
- Integra Resources has initiated a 10,000-meter reverse circulation drill program at its Florida Canyon Mine in Nevada, focused on expanding oxide gold resources and extending mine life.
- The drill program targets three key areas: historical dump material with near-surface oxide potential, expansion of in-situ resources between existing open pits, and testing lateral extensions and in-pit infill drilling.
- The company expects to complete drilling in Q3 2025, with initial results expected during summer 2025 and a mineral resource update planned for early 2026.
- The $1.5 million program represents the first phase of a multi-year growth strategy designed to increase mineral reserves, extend mine life, and maximize the value of Florida Canyon.
- Since operations began in 1986, Florida Canyon has produced approximately 2.7 million ounces of gold, with current proven and probable mineral reserves of 785,000 ounces.
Integra Resources (TSXV:ITR) is a growing precious metals producer in the Great Basin of the Western United States. The company focuses on demonstrating profitability and operational excellence at its principal operating asset, the Florida Canyon Mine in Nevada. Additionally, Integra is committed to advancing its flagship development-stage heap leach projects: the past-producing DeLamar Project in southwestern Idaho and the Nevada North Project in western Nevada.
Integra announced the initiation of a gold resource growth-focused drill program at Florida Canyon. The 2025 drill program marks the first phase of a multi-year growth strategy designed to expand mineral reserves and resources, extend mine life, and ultimately maximize the value of the company's primary operating asset.
Strategic Growth Opportunities at Florida Canyon
The 2025 drill program consists of approximately 10,000 meters of reverse circulation drilling focused on near-mine targets identified at Florida Canyon. The program is designed to support oxide mineral reserve and resource growth and mine life extension.
In a news release, George Salamis, President, CEO and Director of Integra Resources, highlighted the strategic importance of this program:
"Following a strong start to 2025 with solid operational results from Florida Canyon gold production and a demonstrated ability to generate cash flow, we are pleased to launch a growth-focused drill program. We see this program as a critical step in unlocking the next phase of value at Florida Canyon."
The drilling initiative, which commenced in early May 2025, is expected to conclude in the third quarter of 2025, with initial results anticipated during the summer months. The program is targeting three key areas for potential resource growth:
Near-Surface Oxide Potential from Historical Dump Material
Approximately 2,000 meters of drilling will target large volumes of historical gold-mineralized backfill and low-grade waste material previously estimated to be below the mining cut-off grade in a significantly lower gold price environment.
This opportunity leverages existing material already within the permitted mine boundary, where several large volumes of historically mined low-grade gold-mineralized dump material exist. These areas demonstrate the greatest near-term opportunity to increase mineral resources and potentially extend mine life with minimal mining cost.
The drilling will:
- Confirm gold grade continuity and distribution within the historical North Dumps
- Provide material for metallurgical testing
- Support potential conversion of this material into mineral reserves
- Increase operational flexibility by providing readily available, gold-mineralized material suitable for heap leaching that will not require blasting
Integra has previously implemented a similar strategy successfully at its DeLamar Project in Idaho, where in 2022, the company drilled numerous stockpile and backfill areas that were discarded as waste by previous operators because the material did not meet historical cut-off grades. In 2023, Integra added a significant quantity of potentially heap-leachable material to the total mineral resource at that project.
Expanding In-Situ Resources Between Existing Mine Open Pits
The largest portion of the program—approximately 5,000 meters of drilling—will target in-situ gold resource expansion opportunities within "saddle" and "ridge" zones located between existing open pits.

Source: Integra Initiates 10,000 Meter Drill Program At Florida Canyon, Focused On Near Mine Oxide Gold Resource Growth Opportunities
Several of these areas remain sparsely drilled and offer significant upside gold potential, with historical drilling demonstrating encouraging intercepts of oxide mineralization at or near surface. Key objectives include:
- Testing the Central/Radio Tower Pit Saddle: material directly connecting two large areas of known gold mineralization
- Testing Florida Canyon Saddle: an area requiring improved structural geologic understanding that offers potential to host additional oxide mineralized gold material
- Testing North Pit Saddle: location of a potential satellite pit adjacent to an existing pit, requiring follow-up drilling on a high-grade gold vein system that was historically underexplored
Success within these identified zones has the potential to meaningfully increase mineral resources and reserves by extending existing pit limits within the current Florida Canyon Mine Plan of Operations.
Opportunity 3: Testing Lateral Extensions & In-Pit Infill Drilling
Approximately 3,000 meters of drilling will test lateral extensions of existing pits and complete infill drilling within current areas planned for pit pushbacks. These efforts aim to:
- Test the North and Central Pit areas: The upper portions of the planned pit pushbacks are currently classified as inferred, lower-confidence resources. Although this material is generally low-grade, infill drilling has potential to improve classification, enhance short-term mine planning, and increase oxide gold heap leach pad feed.
- Test Jasperoid Hill Pit area: While most of the near-surface oxide mineralization has been mined or is expected to be largely depleted within the next few years, current gold prices present opportunities to potentially define additional near-surface gold mineralization.
Limited infill drilling has historically been completed within these areas. The 2025 drilling program aims to de-risk future production and unlock potential for readily accessible gold oxide material in historically productive zones.
A Long-Operating Mine with Growth Potential
Florida Canyon has a substantial production history dating back to 1986. Through the end of 2024, the mine has produced approximately 2.7 million ounces of gold from over 200 million tonnes of ore mined.
As of December 31, 2024, proven and probable mineral reserves at Florida Canyon total 70.4 million tonnes at a grade of 0.35 grams per tonne gold for a total of 785,000 ounces of gold.
Building on this long operating history, Integra believes there remains significant near-mine resource growth potential within the current permitted mine plan. The recent increase in spot gold prices has made areas historically considered uneconomic now present compelling opportunities for re-evaluation.
Salamis noted, "We have identified significant potential to not only optimize the mining operation, but also to increase the production scale and mine life of the asset, leading to material value creation for Integra's shareholders. We look forward to sharing our progress over the coming months."
Program Timeline & Expected Outcomes
The 2025 growth-focused exploration drilling program at Florida Canyon is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2025. Results from the drill program will support an updated mineral resource and reserve estimate, and a revised life-of-mine plan targeting early 2026.
This first phase of the program is budgeted at approximately US$1.5 million and represents a critical part of Integra's broader strategy of maximizing value from its portfolio of high-quality assets through disciplined capital allocation, operational excellence, and targeted near-mine and regional exploration.
Near-term growth opportunities require targeted exploration drilling and mine optimization work, while longer-term initiatives will focus on broader greenfield exploration across the extensive Florida Canyon land package.
For Investors
For investors considering Integra Resources, this drill program represents a strategic initiative to enhance shareholder value through organic growth at an existing producing asset. The program aligns with the company's stated focus on demonstrating profitability and operational excellence while also advancing its development-stage projects.
The multi-phase approach to resource growth—prioritizing near-mine opportunities that can leverage existing infrastructure and permitting—suggests a disciplined capital allocation strategy that aims to maximize returns while minimizing execution risk.
With Florida Canyon already generating cash flow and the potential to extend mine life and increase production scale through this targeted exploration, Integra is positioning itself to strengthen its operational foundation while advancing its development-stage assets in Idaho and Nevada.
Investors should monitor the upcoming drill results expected in summer 2025 and the subsequent resource update in early 2026 for indications of how successful this strategy may prove in extending Florida Canyon's productive life and enhancing the overall value of Integra's asset portfolio.
Analyst's Notes


