Great Pacific Gold Appoints Callum Spink as Vice President, Exploration

Rhea-AI Summary

Great Pacific Gold (TSXV: GPAC) (OTCQX: FSXLF) has appointed Callum Spink as Vice President, Exploration, as the company focuses on its Papua New Guinea (PNG) projects. Spink brings 15 years of mining and exploration expertise, including senior roles at Barrick Gold's Porgera and Newcrest's Lihir operations in PNG. The appointment coincides with GPAC's ongoing 5,000-meter diamond drill program at the Kesar Project and preparations for 2025 field work at the Wild Dog Project. The company also announced the immediate resignation of COO and Director Neil Motton and Director Liza Gazis, marking a shift in focus from Victoria, Australia to PNG operations.

Positive

• Commenced 5,000-meter diamond drill program at Kesar Project near K92 Mining's Kainantu mine
• Appointed experienced PNG expert Callum Spink with 15 years of relevant expertise
• Strategic location of Kesar Project near established mining operations

Negative

• Departure of key management members (COO and Director)
• Shift away from established Australian operations indicates potential operational disruption

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Pacific Gold Corp. ("Great Pacific Gold,” “GPAC,” or the "Company") (TSXV: GPAC) (OTCQX: FSXLF) (Germany: V3H) has recently commenced a 5,000 meter diamond drill program at the Company’s Kesar Project in Papua New Guinea, near the border with K92 Mining’s Kainantu mine concessions. The Company also recently announced that preparations have begun for a 2025 field program at its Wild Dog Project in East New Britain Province, PNG.

With exploration activity at the Company focused at Kesar and Wild Dog in Papua New Guinea, the Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Callum Spink as Vice President, Exploration.

Mr. Spink brings 15 years of dedicated expertise in mining, exploration, and resource development, marked by a record of success across complex geological terrains, particularly in Papua New Guinea. Mr. Spink has excelled in high-level exploration roles, including in his recent position as Senior Exploration Geologist at Porgera, Papua New Guinea for Barrick Gold. His previous experience spans Superintendent and Principal Geologist roles with companies like Newcrest (Lihir), Northern Star Resources and Pacgold, underscoring his ability to drive strategic project generation and deliver sustainable value through rigorous geological assessment.

Mr. Spink specialises in project management, 3D modelling, and advanced geostatistical analysis, bringing a refined skill set in subsurface interpretation, drill program design, and high-priority target identification. His geological exploration expertise has enabled him to lead complex exploration programs from inception through to discovery. Mr. Spink leverages his technical proficiencies and strategic vision to drive discovery and optimise resource growth, ensuring impactful exploration outcomes and shareholder value creation.

“Attracting someone of Callum’s caliber to the team is a testament to the quality of our assets, particularly Kesar and Wild Dog,” stated Greg McCunn, CEO of Great Pacific Gold. “His extensive experience in PNG including recently as Senior Exploration Geologist at Porgera and at Lihir will be invaluable as we unlock shareholder value with our 5,000 meter diamond drill program that is currently underway at Kesar, and with our plans for Wild Dog for 2025.”

Mr. Spink will oversee all the Company’s exploration programs in both Papua New Guinea and Victoria, Australia. He will be instrumental in setting the Wild Dog exploration program for 2025 over a transition period in November and December. He will start full-time in the Vice President, Exploration role on January 1, 2025.

Mr. Spink holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Geology and a Master in Business Administration (MBA).

Other Management and Board Changes

The Company also announces the resignation of Neil (Rex) Motton, Chief Operating Officer and Director, effective immediately. Mr. Motton has overseen the exploration program and land acquisition program for the Company in Victoria, Australia since the Company’s inception as Fosterville South in 2020.  

Liza Gazis, Project Administrator Australia and Director, has also resigned, effective immediately.

Great Pacific Gold Board Chair, Charles Hethey stated: “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Rex and Liza for their efforts to build an exploration portfolio in Victoria, Australia. With the Company shifting its focus to Papua New Guinea, we wish Rex and Liza well in their future endeavours.”

On behalf of Great Pacific Gold:
Greg McCunn
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Direct: (604) 229-9445
Toll Free: 1 (833) 923-3334

For further information visit gpacgold.com or contact:
Investor Relations
Email: info@gpacgold.com

About Great Pacific Gold

Great Pacific Gold has a portfolio of exploration stage projects in Papua New Guinea (“PNG”) and Australia. The Company is focused on developing gold-copper resources from its highly prospective land packages. Its core projects include:

• Kesar – located in the Eastern Highlands province of PNG and contiguous with K92 Mining’s mine tenements, Kesar is a greenfield exploration project with several high priority targets in close proximity to the property boundary with K92. Multiple epithermal veins at Kesar are on strike and have the same orientation of key K92 deposits such as Kora. Exploration work to date by GPAC at Kesar has shown that these veins have high grades of gold present in outcrop and very elevated gold in soil grades, coincident with aeromagnetic highs.
• Arau – located in Eastern Highlands province of PNG, the Arau Project contains the highly prospective Mt. Victor exploration target with potential for a high sulphidation epithermal gold-base metal deposit. A Phase 1 Reverse Circulation drilling program was completed at Mt. Victor in August 2024, with results pending. The Arau project includes the Elandora licence which also contains various epithermal and copper-gold porphyry targets.
• Wild Dog – located in the East New Britain province of PNG, Wild Dog is a brownfield exploration project with a history of small-scale gold mining. The project contains numerous epithermal and porphyry hydrothermal-magmatic targets evidenced by previous exploration and operations. The Company completed a road refurbishment in August 2024 and access to the project has been established for baseline environmental and exploration work.
• Lauriston – located in the state of Victoria, Australia, the Lauriston project is located on the southern extension of the Fosterville Goldfield Belt and is adjacent to Agnico Eagle’s extensive Fosterville tenements and mine operations. Lauriston contains the Comet-Trojan target, a 4.5km long epizonal orogenic system. The discovery hole at Comet intersected 8m at 105 g/t gold and a follow-up drilling program was completed in Q3 2024. The Company is consolidating its information on the Lauriston project and expects to publish an NI 43-101 compliant technical report.
• Walhalla – located in the state of Victoria, Australia, the Walhalla project consists of over 1,400km² of concessions including the numerous historical mining operations and the recently acquired Woods Point land package. The Company is consolidating its information on the Walhalla project and expects to publish an NI 43-101 compliant technical report. Walhalla contains a high-priority greenfield target called Pinnacles. Extensive soil geochemistry has highlighted a 400m x 1,100m gold mineralized aplitic dyke which contains disseminated sulphides and outcrops at surface. The Pinnacles target is fully permitted and ready for drilling.
  

The Company also holds a number of other exploration projects including the recently acquired Tinga Valley Project.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Great Pacific Gold cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by many material factors, many of which are beyond their respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Great Pacific Gold's limited operating history, its exploration and development activities on its mineral properties and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Great Pacific Gold does not undertake to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

Neither 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.

FAQ

What is Great Pacific Gold's (FSXLF) new drilling program at Kesar Project?

Great Pacific Gold has commenced a 5,000-meter diamond drill program at the Kesar Project in Papua New Guinea, located near K92 Mining's Kainantu mine concessions.

Who is the new Vice President of Exploration at Great Pacific Gold (FSXLF)?

Callum Spink has been appointed as Vice President of Exploration, bringing 15 years of mining and exploration expertise, including experience at Barrick Gold's Porgera and Newcrest's Lihir operations in PNG.

When will Callum Spink start his full-time role at Great Pacific Gold (FSXLF)?

Callum Spink will start his full-time role as Vice President of Exploration on January 1, 2025, after a transition period in November and December 2024.