Thunder Gold Announces Start of 2026 Resource Definition Drill Program at Tower Mountain

On January 20, 2026, Thunder Gold Corp. announced the commencement of its 2026 Phase One drill program at the Tower Mountain Gold Property, consisting of 5,000 meters. The program, starting February 1, 2026, is designed to support resource definition within the model established for the upcoming Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE). Key highlights include: - MRE Timing: The Maiden NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate is expected to be released "in the coming weeks" (estimated February 2026). - Future Catalysts: The company intends to initiate a combined MRE update and Scoping Study (PEA) by Q4 2026. - Drill Recap: The release summarizes 2025 results, highlighting broad, low-grade bulk tonnage intercepts (e.g., 3738 Target averaging 0.544 g/t Au over 59.0m and P-Target averaging 0.592 g/t Au over 17.9m). - Metallurgy: Preliminary testing indicates recovery rates between 68% and 95%, averaging 85%.

While the commencement of drilling is operationally positive, this news is assessed as Routine - Positive rather than Material because it largely confirms previously signaled timelines rather than presenting new fundamental data. - Execution: The company is effectively deploying capital raised in December 2025 ($2.15M), demonstrating operational stability. - Validation Risk: The critical material event is the upcoming MRE. This news release serves as a bridge, maintaining investor interest. The confirmation of the MRE release "in coming weeks" crystallizes the timeline for a major binary risk event. - Strategic Direction: The explicit mention of a Scoping Study/PEA by Q4 2026 provides a clear roadmap, suggesting management is confident the MRE will be sufficient to warrant economic studies.

Thunder Gold Corp. (TSXV: TGOL) focuses on gold exploration in Canada. - Flagship Project: Tower Mountain Gold Property, located 50km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. - Infrastructure Advantage: The project is adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway with access to grid power and a local workforce, which significantly reduces exploration and potential CAPEX costs compared to remote projects. - Geology: The project hosts an Intrusion-Related Gold System (IRGS). It is a bulk-tonnage, low-grade target. Mineralization is broad and consistent but lacks high-grade veins typically sought in Canadian exploration. The thesis relies on volume (economies of scale) rather than grade.