Eagle Plains Resources and Sun Summit Minerals commence fieldwork at Orbit JV, Toodoggone
CRANBROOK, BC / ACCESS Newswire / August 27, 2026 / Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSXV:EPL)(OTCQB:EGPLF) ("EPL" or "Eagle Plains") and Sun Summit Minerals Corp. (TSXV:SMN)(OTCQB:SMREF) ("Sun Summit") have mobilized exploration crews to commence 2026 fieldwork at the Orbit copper-gold project (the "Orbit Project"), north-central British Columbia. The 6595ha property is a Joint Venture between Eagle Plains (49%) and Sun Summit (51%).
Orbit Project 2026 Exploration Program
The 2026 work program will build on the success from the 2025 field season which was then the first known recorded exploration on the property. The Calypso Zone, found in 2025, is defined by copper mineralization located over a 300 m area, hosted in silica-sericite altered intrusive rocks. The objective of the 2026 field program at Orbit will be to better define, and expand, the Calypso Zone and explore other remote sensing anomalies to find additional mineral showings, and identify prospective trends for further follow-up.
The planned 2026 fieldwork includes:
Prospecting, geological mapping, and geochemical sampling based at fly camps nearest to zones of interest.
Property-wide silt sampling on 1st and 2nd order streams - used to identify mineralization up-stream/in basins.
Prospecting, mapping, rock sampling of Calypso Zone
Reconnaissance of prioritized remote-sensing anomalies identified in 2025
Soil sampling down-ridge of altered or mineralized structures
Eagle Plains is the designated operator on the project with fieldwork managed by TerraLogic Exploration Inc. with helicopter and logistical support from the Sun Summit's JD Camp as required.
See Orbit Project Information and Map here
2025 Greenfields Discovery
The core area that makes up the Orbit Property was identified in 2025 through the advanced interpretation of remote sensing data originally collected to evaluate EPL's Theory Project, located 14 kms to the west and currently under option to Sun Summit. EarthDaily Analytics identified a large area to the east of the Theory Project with hydrothermal alteration likely associated with minerals such as white mica, sericite and illite, typical indicators of porphyry mineralization. The 2025 program was the first fieldwork ever undertaken on the property and prospected less than 5% of the anomaly area.
The single day of fieldwork in 2025 identified gold, copper, and silver mineralization associated with a remote sensing anomaly (the Calypso Zone). Rock grab samples included from trace values up to 3.80 g/t Au, 130 g/t Ag (JBOIR011), 1.37g/t Au, 0.48% Cu and 26.9 g/t Ag (THOIR009) and 0.78g/t Au, 0.96% Cu and 10.3 g/t Ag (THOIR009).
Orbit Project Highlights
Unexplored: Within the claim boundary there are no documented Assessment Reports filed with the BC Government (ARIS) and no MinFile occurrences, with the closest known mineral occurrence from the Calypso Zone being 8 kms away. Management believes that the absence of historical exploration may be due, in part, to a lack of geophysical and geochemical anomalies. At a regional scale, publicly available geophysical data does not show significant magnetic anomalism typical to porphyry deposits of the region. Similarly, the Regional Geochemical Survey (RGS) database does not exhibit strong anomalies in the tributaries draining the property. For these reasons it is probable that the 2025 program was the first ever geologic investigation of the property.
Tier-1 Geology
The Orbit Project straddles the Quesnellia and Stikinia terranes, host to many of BC's producing and past producing porphyry deposits, and is underlain by prospective Early Jurassic granodioritic rocks of the Pitman Batholith in fault contact to the west with Lower to Middle Jurassic sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Hazelton Group of Stikine terrane. Available geologic data from the BCGS currently exists at a regional scale only and continued field work will work toward refining a property scale geologic map.
Prominent Exploration District: The Toodoggone is regarded as a highly prospective, deposit-rich, under explored geologic region in north-central BC. It's best known for the past-producing Kemess Mine currently owned by Centerra Gold Inc. ("Centerra"). Centerra recently announced a positive mineral resource update and PEA on the Kemess Main, South, Underground and East Deposits with average grades of 0.39 g/t Au and 0.18% Cu (1). The district has recently attracted investment from other senior mining companies including Freeport-McMoRan who is now 60% owner and operator of the Joy Project, originally optioned from Amarc Resources, after spending over $35 million in exploration (2). Significant exploration success at the Joy Project includes the recent discoveries of the Aurora (271m of 0.98 g/t Au, 0.25% Cu, and 1.93 g/t Ag) and Twin Deposits (300m of 0.51 g/t Au, 0.23% Cu and 0.5 g/t Ag) in 2024 and 2025 respectively (3,4). Another senior producer, AngloGold Ashanti, recently invested >$38 million into Thesis Gold and Silver Inc. to fund activities related to the Lawyers-Ranch gold-silver project (5).
A formal Agreement has been reached with Sun Summit whereby a definitive Joint Venture (JV) will be formed by December 31, 2026 to facilitate continued exploration on the property. Eagle Plains has been named the operator and ownership will initially be Sun Summit (51%) and Eagle Plains (49%).
Centerra Gold Inc. (January 19, 2026). Centerra Gold's Kemess Preliminary Economic Assessment Highlights Strong Economics that Support the Company's Long-Term Growth Pipeline. https://www.centerragold.com/investor-news/news-details/2026/Centerra-Golds-Kemess-Preliminary-Economic-Assessment-Highlights-Strong-Economics-that-Support-the-Companys-Long-Term-Growth-Pipeline/default.aspx
Amarc Resources Ltd. (September 4, 2025). Amarc Announces Freeport has Elected to Proceed to CAD $75 Million Stage 2 Earn-In at JOY. https://amarcresources.com/news-releases/amarc-announces-freeport-has-elected-to-proceed-to-cad-75-million-stage-2-earn-in-at-joy/
Amarc Resources Ltd. (January 17, 2025). Amarc Announces New High Grade "AuRORA" Copper-Gold-Silver Deposit Discovery in Collaboration With Freeport at the JOY District, British Columbia. https://amarcresources.com/news-releases/amarc-announces-new-high-grade-aurora-copper-gold-silver-deposit-discovery-in-collaboration-with-freeport-at-the-joy-district/
Amarc Resources Ltd. (February 19, 2026). Amarc Confirms Discovery of Third New Porphyry Copper-Gold System at JOY. https://amarcresources.com/news-releases/amarc-confirms-discovery-of-third-new-porphyry-copper-gold-system-at-joy/
Thesis Gold Inc. (February 19, 2026). Thesis Gold Announces Strategic Investment by AngloGold Ashanti and Participation by Centerra Gold for C$44M. https://www.thesisgoldsilver.com/news-media/news/thesis-gold-announces-strategic-investment-by-anglogold-ashanti-and-participation-by-centerra-gold-for-c44m
Rock grab samples are selective samples by nature and as such are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted across the property. Eagle Plains' management cautions that past results or discoveries on proximate land are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved on the subject properties.
Update on the Hearne Hill South Project
See Hearne Hill South Property Information and Map here
Eagle Plains has been notified by American Eagle Gold Corp. (TSXV:AE)(OTCQB:AMEGF) ("American Eagle") that American Eagle has received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange for the previously announced option agreement (see Eagle Plains NR July 28, 2026) (the "Option"), pursuant to which American Eagle has been granted the exclusive right to earn up to an 80% interest in the 4,656-hectare Hearne Hill South copper-gold porphyry project ("Hearne Hill South") along with two nearby properties (Jinx and NAK NW), all located approximately 70 km northeast of Smithers, in British Columbia's Babine Porphyry District. The northern boundary of the Hearne Hill South claims is approximately 4.5 kilometres from American Eagle's flagship NAK copper-gold porphyry project, where a 55,000-metre drill program is currently underway. Including the American Eagle transaction, EPL currently has 18 projects under option or Joint Venture with 9 different partners.
To exercise the Option, American Eagle must make a series of cash payments and share issuances to Eagle Plains and fund exploration expenditures on the Project. These payments, share issuance and expenditures are separated into two phases, with the First Option entitling American Eagle to acquire a 60% interest in the Project by paying CA$400,000, issuing an aggregate of 1,200,000 common shares to EPL and funding CA$4,850,000 in exploration expenditures on the Project over a six-year term. Pursuant to the Second phase of the Option, American Eagle may acquire an additional 20% interest in the Project (for an 80% total interest) by notifying Eagle Plains of its intent to increase its interest to 80% and making an additional one-time payment of CA$1,000,000 cash, of which half may be paid in American Eagle shares valued at the 10-day VWAP at the time of notification. As part of the option agreement, American Eagle will reimburse Eagle Plains for the 2026 field program at Hearne Hill South.
If the First Option or the Second Option is exercised, a 2% smelter returns royalty will be granted to Eagle Plains over the entire property, 1% of which may be repurchased for CA$2,500,000. Following the exercise of the First or Second Option by American Eagle, Eagle Plains and American Eagle will form a joint venture which will administer the continued exploration and operation of the Project. American Eagle will serve as Operator during the term of the Agreement and TerraLogic Exploration Inc. will serve as geoscience consultant for all pre-drilling exploration. The Agreement remains subject to final approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.
Qualified Person
Technical information in this News Release has been reviewed and approved by C.C. Downie, P.Geo., a director and officer of Eagle Plains, hereby identified as the "Qualified Person" under N.I. 43-101.
About Eagle Plains Resources
Based in Cranbrook, B.C., Eagle Plains is a well-funded, prolific project generator that continues to conduct research, acquire and explore mineral projects throughout western Canada, with a focus on critical metals integral to an increasingly electrified, decarbonized economy.
The Company was formed in 1992 and is the fourth-oldest listed issuer on the TSX-V (and the only one of these four that has not seen a roll-back or restructuring of its shares). Eagle Plains has continued to deliver shareholder value over the years and through numerous spin outs has transferred over $115,000,000 in value directly to its shareholders, with Copper Canyon Resources and Taiga Gold Corp. being notable examples. Eagle Plains latest spinout, Eagle Royalties Ltd. (CSE:"ER") was listed on May 24, 2023, and on October 30, 2025, ER shareholders overwhelmingly approved a three-cornered amalgamation that resulted in a reverse takeover of Eagle Royalties by Summit Royalty Corp. The resulting issuer is named Summit Royalties Ltd. and trades under the symbol SUM on the TSX Venture Exchange with a market capitalization of over $100M.
On October 2, 2024, Eagle Plains announced the formation of a separate division within the Company that will give Eagle Plains' shareholders direct exposure to strategic opportunities in Canadian green energy transition. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Eagle Plains, Osprey Power Inc. ("OP") will focus on identifying and advancing innovative and diverse clean energy project portfolios in target markets throughout Canada, with an initial focus on Western Canada.
Eagle Plains' core business is acquiring grassroots critical- and precious-metal exploration properties. The Company is committed to steadily enhancing shareholder value by advancing our diverse portfolio of projects toward discovery through collaborative partnerships and development of a highly experienced technical team.
Expenditures from 2010-2025 on Eagle Plains-related projects exceed $41M, the majority of which was funded by third-party partners. This exploration work resulted in approximately 50,000m of diamond-drilling and extensive ground-based exploration work facilitating the advancement of numerous projects at various stages of development.
Throughout the exploration process, our mission is to help maintain prosperous communities by exploring for and discovering resource opportunities while building lasting relationships through honest and respectful business practices.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Eagle Plains
"C.C. (Chuck) Downie, P.Geo"
President and CEO
For further information on EPL, please contact Andrew Wilson at 1 866 HUNT ORE (486 8673)
Email: abw@eagleplains.com or visit our website at https://www.eagleplains.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
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 may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.
SOURCE: Eagle Plains Resources Ltd.
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