West Red Lake Gold Commences 4,000 Metre Drill Program at Past-Producing Starratt-Olsen Gold Mine

West Red Lake Gold Mines has launched a fully funded 4,000 metre drill program at the past-producing Starratt-Olsen Mine near its Madsen Mine in Ontario's Red Lake district. The campaign will test extensions of historic high-grade gold mineralisation, evaluate unmined zones, and explore for new mineralised lenses at a mine that produced approximately 164,000 ounces of gold between 1948 and 1956. The program forms part of the company's broader hub-and-spoke growth strategy, following recent drilling success at Rowan and ongoing development at Fork, with Starratt-Olsen representing the next target for resource expansion along the southwestern structural corridor feeding the Madsen processing hub. Drill results are expected as assays become available, with the program scheduled for completion by mid-August 2026.

Company Overview

West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: WRLG | OTCQX: WRLGF) is a Canadian gold producer and developer advancing a high-grade, district-scale opportunity in the Red Lake district of Ontario. The company's flagship Madsen Mine achieved commercial production in 2025 and is positioned as the central processing hub for a growing multi-asset platform across a 47-square-kilometre land package in the Red Lake district, which has historically produced over 20 million ounces of gold. West Red Lake Gold also owns the Rowan Property in Red Lake, covering 31 square kilometres and including 3 past producing mines, Rowan, Mount Jamie and Red Summit, representing a key source of future production growth.

Drill Program Overview

West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. has commenced a fully funded surface drill program of up to 4,000 metres of oriented HQ diameter diamond drilling at the Starratt-Olsen Mine, located approximately 1.1 kilometres southwest of the 100% owned Madsen Mine in the Red Lake Mining District. The program marks the first focused drill testing of the main areas of historic mining at Starratt-Olsen since mining ceased in the 1950s.

Starratt-Olsen is the second-largest gold producer historically on the Madsen property, with approximately 164,000 ounces of gold produced between 1948 and 1956 at an average grade of 6.17 grams per tonne gold, according to the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. The program targets up- and down-plunge extensions to previously mined panels, investigates unmined portions of previously defined mineralisation, and tests for new sub-parallel lenses.

Strategic Context

The Starratt-Olsen program follows the completion of drilling at the Rowan and Fork deposits, with underground development now underway at Fork. Per the June 16, 2026, press release, Fork is targeting inclusion in the Madsen production profile in 2027, which the company states positions Starratt-Olsen as the next step in defining new resources along the southwestern structural corridor connecting the 3 deposits.

Will Robinson, Vice President of Exploration at West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd., commented on the deposit's position within the southwestern corridor and its implications for resource growth at Madsen: 

"Following a highly successful drilling season at Rowan and Fork, we are maintaining our momentum by moving the surface drill to the past-producing Starratt-Olsen Mine. Given that underground development is now underway at Fork and the deposit is advancing toward inclusion in the Madsen production profile in 2027, it is logical to continue defining new resources along this main southwestern structural corridor. Starratt represents our next major stepping stone along this prospective trend as we systematically unlock the full value and exploration scale across the Madsen property."

Next Steps

The 4,000 metre drill program at Starratt-Olsen is targeted for completion by mid-August 2026, with assay results to be released as they become available.

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