Great Pacific Gold Appoints New Country Manager, Papua New Guinea

Rhea-AI Summary

Great Pacific Gold Corp. (TSXV: GPAC) (OTCQX: FSXLF) has appointed Ron Gawi as Country Manager for Papua New Guinea, effective immediately. Mr. Gawi brings over 20 years of experience from the Papua New Guinea Department of Minerals and Energy and Mineral Resources Authority (MRA), where he reached the position of Manager, Project Coordination. His extensive background in permitting and managing social license to operate in PNG is considered critical for the company's long-term success.

Mr. Gawi's experience includes overseeing seven operating mines, negotiating Integrated Benefits Package Agreements, and managing government and diplomatic relations. He has also served as Country Manager for Highlands Pacific for a decade and is a member of the mining committee of the PNG Chamber of Resources and Energy (CORE).

The appointment coincides with Great Pacific Gold's maiden drill program at Kesar, highlighting the company's increased focus on exploration activities in Papua New Guinea. Benjamin Trotsky, the previous Country Manager, will transition to an advisory role to ensure a smooth handover.

Positive

• Appointment of Ron Gawi as Country Manager for Papua New Guinea, bringing extensive local experience
• Gawi's background in permitting and social license management aligns with company's long-term goals
• Timing of appointment coincides with the start of maiden drill program at Kesar
• Gawi's experience includes overseeing seven operating mines and negotiating benefits agreements

Negative

• None.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Pacific Gold Corp. ("Great Pacific Gold,” “GPAC,” or the "Company") (TSXV: GPAC) (OTCQX: FSXLF) (Germany: V3H) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ron Gawi as Country Manager, Papua New Guinea, effective immediately.

“With the focus of the Company’s exploration activity now in Papua New Guinea, we are very pleased to welcome Ron Gawi to our executive team,” stated Greg McCunn, CEO of Great Pacific Gold. “His extensive background in permitting and obtaining and managing social license to operate in PNG is critical for the long-term success of Great Pacific Gold. With an exciting maiden drill program just getting underway at Kesar, Ron is joining the team at an ideal time.”

Mr. Gawi, worked for over 20 years for the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Department of Minerals and Energy which later became the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA). He reached the level of Assistant Director Mining and then Manager, Project Coordination at MRA. The MRA is the government institution which regulates the mining industry in PNG and during his tenure, Mr. Gawi provided leadership and guidance to a team of project coordinators overseeing seven operating mines. In this role, Mr. Gawi also acted as team leader for review and negotiation of Integrated Benefits Package Agreements in mining projects. Earlier in his career at the MRA he acted as a Principal Project Coordinator, overseeing mining operations at Porgera and Lihir. His responsibilities also included the Kainantu Mine, now operated by K92 Mining and in close proximity to the Company’s active drilling program at Kesar.

Following a successful career at the MRA, Mr. Gawi took on the role of Country Manager, PNG, for Highlands Pacific and held that role for a decade. In this role, Mr. Gawi developed vast experience in government relations and diplomatic relations with extensive dealings with consultants, aid donors, civil society groups, women’s groups and landowner associations in mining and exploration areas.

Mr. Gawi is a former Director of MRA and also the PNG Chamber of Resources and Energy (CORE) and is currently a member of the mining committee of CORE. The role of CORE is to promote the mineral and exploration potential of PNG. CORE has a membership of over 100 companies, including Great Pacific Gold.

In conjunction with Mr. Gawi’s appointment, Benjamin Trotsky, previous Country Manager, will be moving to an advisory role where he will assist the Company as required to ensure a smooth transition.

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

Who is the new Country Manager for Great Pacific Gold in Papua New Guinea?

Ron Gawi has been appointed as the new Country Manager for Great Pacific Gold in Papua New Guinea, effective immediately.

What is Ron Gawi's background in the mining industry in Papua New Guinea?

Ron Gawi has over 20 years of experience with the Papua New Guinea Department of Minerals and Energy and Mineral Resources Authority (MRA), reaching the position of Manager, Project Coordination. He also served as Country Manager for Highlands Pacific for a decade.

What is Great Pacific Gold's current focus in Papua New Guinea?

Great Pacific Gold is currently focused on exploration activities in Papua New Guinea, with a maiden drill program just starting at Kesar.

What happened to Benjamin Trotsky, the previous Country Manager for Great Pacific Gold (FSXLF)?

Benjamin Trotsky, the previous Country Manager, will be moving to an advisory role to assist the company and ensure a smooth transition.