Surge Copper launches 2026 field program at Berg copper project

Vancouver, British Columbia, July 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Surge Copper Corp. (TSXV:  SURG ) (OTCQB: SRGXF ) (Frankfurt: G6D2 ) (“Surge” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the commencement of its 2026 field program at the Company’s 100%-owned Berg Copper Project, located in central British Columbia. The 2026 field program is designed to support the next stage of technical advancement of the Berg Copper Project following completion of the Company’s recent pre-feasibility study work (see June 15, 2026 news release ). The program will focus primarily on the collection of geotechnical, groundwater, hydrogeological, acid rock drainage (“ARD”), geophysical, LiDAR, and baseline environmental data in and around the Berg deposit and across proposed project infrastructure areas.

This work is intended to advance a significant portion of the expected data requirements needed to progress the Project toward feasibility-level engineering and to support the Project’s readiness to enter the environmental assessment and permitting process. The Company also expects the 2026 field season to provide its highest level of seasonal employment to date for members of local First Nations, across a range of field-based roles including environmental technicians, monitors, clan liaisons and other camp and field program support positions. In addition, the Company expects to host site visits for members of local First Nations during the field season.

Leif Nilsson, Chief Executive Officer, commented “The 2026 field program represents one of the most comprehensive field programs ever undertaken by Surge at the Berg Copper Project. While the Project has advanced beyond conventional exploration drilling, this year’s program is significant in terms of the breadth of technical and environmental work being completed, the number of drill sites and study areas being investigated, the physical footprint of field activity, and the number of people expected to be involved on site. The program has been designed to collect high-priority technical and environmental data that will support future feasibility-level design work, anticipated environmental assessment and permitting requirements, and long-term project planning.

This work is also intended to improve our understanding of key valued components such as water, wildlife and fish, and land use, as well as important project design considerations related to mine rock, infrastructure, and water management, all of which will be important as we continue to engage with First Nations, regulators, and other interested parties regarding the advancement of the Project. We have also been pleased by the level of interest and uptake by members of Wet’suwet’en and Cheslatta communities in seasonal employment opportunities across a variety of important field roles.” 2026 Field Program Overview The planned 2026 field program includes up to 46 drill holes totalling approximately 6,330 metres of drilling. An additional four lower-priority pit geotechnical drill holes totalling approximately 1,650 metres may also be completed, in whole or in part, depending on seasonal capacity and field conditions.

The principal components of the program include: Pit Geotechnical Drilling. Six geotechnical drill holes are planned within the proposed pit shell, totalling approximately 2,400 metres of drilling. These holes are expected to include geotechnical logging, packer testing, televiewer surveys, and vibrating wire piezometer installations.

This work will be supplemented by structural geology mapping of accessible outcrops and drone-based outcrop surveys. Rock Storage Facilities and Low-Grade Stockpile Investigations. Proposed rock storage facilities and the low-grade stockpile area are expected to be investigated with up to 16 shallow boreholes totalling approximately 365 metres of drilling.

The work will include soil and core logging, sampling, and laboratory testing. These areas will also be investigated with shallow test pits to assess soil composition and collect additional samples for laboratory testing. In addition, the Company plans to complete 13 geophysical survey lines over the proposed rock storage facilities and low-grade stockpile area.

These surveys are expected to include ground-penetrating radar, electrical resistivity tomography, and seismic refraction tomography, totalling approximately eight line-kilometers of surveying. Site-Wide Groundwater Monitoring. The program includes 16 boreholes targeting the open pit area and planned infrastructure areas, including the proposed tailings waste management facility, with a total estimated drilled length of approximately 890 metres.

This work is expected to include hydraulic conductivity testing and installation of monitoring wells which will be used for subsequent baseline monitoring and groundwater sampling. Acid Rock Drainage Characterization. Up to eight drill holes totalling approximately 2,675 metres are planned specifically to support modelling of the acid rock characteristics of waste material within the proposed open pit.

Where practical, drill holes will be used for multiple purposes. Several planned geotechnical holes are expected to both support geotechnical data collection and to be sampled for ARD characterization. LiDAR and Baseline Studies.

In addition to the drilling, geotechnical, hydrogeological, geophysical, and ARD-related work, the Company also plans to complete a LiDAR survey and continue a broad range of baseline environmental data collection activities across the Project area. These activities are expected to include site-wide surface water and groundwater monitoring, hydrometeorological monitoring, wildlife and wildlife habitat studies, vegetation and ecosystem mapping, fish and fish habitat studies and other environmental baseline programs intended to support future project design, environmental assessment, and permitting activities. Supporting Project Advancement The 2026 field program is part of Surge’s broader plan to advance the Berg Copper Project through the next stages of technical, environmental, and regulatory readiness.

The data collected through the program is expected to inform future feasibility-level engineering, including pit design, infrastructure siting, rock storage planning, groundwater modelling, geochemical characterization, and water management planning. The program has also been designed to support the Company’s understanding of key environmental and land-use considerations associated with potential future project development. In particular, the planned groundwater monitoring, hydrogeological testing, geochemical characterization, rock storage investigations, LiDAR survey, and wildlife, fisheries, vegetation and hydrometeorological baseline studies are expected to provide important information to support future water management planning, mine rock and tailings management, infrastructure design, closure planning, and environmental assessment requirements.

The Company intends to continue advancing the Project through a collaborative, transparent, and efficient approach that integrates technical study work, environmental baseline programs, engagement with First Nations, and regulatory planning. Stock Option Grant The Company also announces that it has granted an aggregate of 150,000 stock options to a consultant of the Company pursuant to the Company’s share compensation plan. The options are exercisable at a price of C$0.52 per common share for a period of five years and are subject to the terms of the Company’s share compensation plan and applicable TSX Venture exchange policies.

Shareholder Update The Company also announces that, based on current shareholder records available to the Company, Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Centerra Gold Inc. (“Centerra”), has substantially reduced its shareholding in Surge and is no longer a significant shareholder of the Company. Centerra previously ceased to be an insider of the Company and filed an early warning report disclosing that change. The Company is providing this update for transparency and does not consider the matter to have any impact on the Company’s business, strategy, or ongoing advancement of the Berg Copper Project.

Qualified Persons Dr. Shane Ebert P.Geo., is the Qualified Person for the Ootsa and Berg projects as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release. Dr. Ebert is an Officer and a Director of Surge and is not independent of the Company. About Surge Copper Corp. Surge Copper Corp. is a Canadian resource company advancing one of British Columbia’s emerging copper districts.

The Company’s 100%-owned Berg Copper Project hosts a large-scale copper-molybdenum-silver deposit in central British Columbia supported by a Pre-Feasibility Study and Mineral Reserve estimate that establish a defined development pathway for a long-life copper project with significant molybdenum, silver, and gold by-product production. In addition to Berg, Surge controls a large, contiguous mineral claim package that includes multiple advanced porphyry deposits, including the Ootsa Property adjacent to the past-producing Huckleberry Mine. Collectively, the Company’s assets position Surge as a potential long-term contributor to Canada’s critical minerals strategy through the responsible development of copper, molybdenum, and associated metals.

Surge is committed to advancing its projects through early engagement with First Nations and local communities, with a focus on transparent communication, relationship building, and respectful, constructive dialogue. For more information, visit www.surgecopper.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors “Leif Nilsson” Chief Executive Officer For Further information, please contact: Riley Trimble, Corporate Communications & Development Telephone: +1 604 639 3852 Email: info@surgecopper.com Twitter: @SurgeCopper LinkedIn: Surge Copper Corp https://www.surgecopper.com Neither the 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 . This News Release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events.

In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "will", "may", "should", "expects", "plans", or "anticipates" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding the Company’s plans for advancement of the Berg Copper Project and the Ootsa Property, the scope, timing, objectives, and anticipated completion of the Company’s 2026 field program, including the anticipated number, location, type, and aggregate meterage of drill holes, the potential completion of additional lower-priority drill holes, the anticipated completion of geotechnical, hydrogeological, groundwater, acid rock drainage, geophysical, LiDAR, and baseline environmental studies, the expected use of data collected from the 2026 field program to support feasibility-level engineering, environmental assessment readiness, permitting, and long-term project planning, the anticipated participation of members of local First Nations in seasonal employment roles associated with the 2026 field program, the anticipated grant of stock options to a consultant of the Company, and the terms thereof. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Such uncertainties and risks may include, among others, actual results of the Company's exploration activities being different than those expected by management, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required government or other regulatory approvals, the ability to obtain adequate financing to conduct its planned exploration programs, inability to procure labour, equipment, and supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis, equipment breakdown, and bad weather. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect the Company's current judgment regarding the direction of its business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions, or other future performance suggestions herein. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not intend to update any forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

Globe Newswire July 8, 2026 - 4:00 AM PDT News by QuoteMedia www.quotemedia.com