When Major Miners Pivot: What Hecla’s Nevada Renaissance Means for Fairchild Gold Corp. (TSX.V: FAIR) (OTC: FCHDF) and Adjacent Exploration Ground

Disseminated on behalf of  Fairchild Gold Corp. (TSX.V: FAIR) (OTC: FCHDF) and may include paid advertising.

• Hecla Mining posted record Q3 earnings and announced heightened exploration activity across Nevada properties, including the closed Midas and Hollister mines
• Exploration is advancing multiple targets with existing infrastructure, signaling renewed confidence in Nevada’s epithermal gold systems
• Fairchild Gold controls strategic ground at Carlin Queen, positioned directly along the same mineralized trends that produced over 2 million ounces at Midas

In exploration geology, context matters as much as the rock itself. When a 134-year-old mining company with four operating mines and $100 million in quarterly cash flow announces it will increase exploration spending in a specific district after years of underinvestment, the companies holding adjacent ground inherit a different valuation equation overnight.

That shift is now unfolding in northern Elko County, Nevada, where Hecla Mining’s renewed focus on the Midas and Hollister mine sites has implications that extend beyond the company’s own claim boundaries.

The Signal in the Quarterly Report

Hecla’s third quarter results showed adjusted net income of $77.68 million, driven by silver averaging $42.58 per ounce and gold at $3,509. But the more revealing detail came during the earnings call. Kurt Allen, Vice President of Exploration, stated that all Nevada properties have “significant exploration potential, minimal regulatory hurdles and existing infrastructure,” before adding, “You can expect heightened activity in Nevada next year.”

Russell Lawlar, Senior Vice President and CFO, acknowledged the company has “historically underinvested in exploration” and confirmed plans to increase spending companywide while remaining prudent with investor capital.

For companies like Fairchild Gold (TSX.V: FAIR) (OTCID: FCHDF) holding exploration ground in the same geological systems, this represents a meaningful shift in district dynamics.

Infrastructure and Proximity

Hecla’s Nevada portfolio includes the Midas Mine and Hollister Mine, both in northern Elko County. Historical production from Midas exceeded 2 million ounces of gold at stope grades frequently above 1 ounce per ton. Hollister produced approximately 570,000 ounces at grades of 1.29 ounces per ton gold and 7 ounces per ton silver.

Both mines retain processing infrastructure. Midas and Aurora have mills, while Hollister sits within hauling distance of Midas. In exploration economics, existing mills eliminate one of the largest capital hurdles between discovery and production.

Fairchild’s Carlin Queen project sits at the intersection of the Carlin and Midas-Hollister gold trends, approximately 4.6 miles from Hecla’s Hollister property. The 73 unpatented lode claims covering 1,508 acres occupy ground where fault structures extending northward from Hollister continue into Carlin Queen. Local tungsten anomalies reaching 1,500 ppm suggest the presence of a magmatic intrusion at depth, the type of heat engine that drives both Carlin-style disseminated deposits and low-sulfidation epithermal vein systems.

When Hecla’s exploration teams begin drilling untested targets within their claim blocks, any positive results extend the prospectivity of the broader trend. Carlin Queen inherits that structural and geochemical context without incurring Hecla’s exploration costs.

Strategic Positioning

Fairchild’s acquisition terms reflect tactical positioning: three annual cash payments of $150,000 each (or $375,000 if settled before April 30, 2026), plus a 2% net smelter return royalty buyable for $4 million. Total consideration for drill-ready ground along a producing trend that generated more than 98 million ounces from the Carlin Trend through 2022 is under $400,000 upfront.

The project benefits from prior USGS geological mapping, geochemical sampling, and multiple geophysical surveys including ground magnetics, gravity, CSAMT, and induced polarization. It sits 48 miles northwest of Elko and about 11 miles from Nevada Gold Mines’ Goldstrike complex.

The Trinity Strategy

Executive Chairman Nikolas Perrault framed Carlin Queen in district-building terms: “With this additional 100% acquisition, Fairchild has in less than 18 months established a significant Nevada-focused gold and copper portfolio.”

Nevada Titan remains the flagship, 22 square kilometers in southern Nevada with copper-gold mineralization including surface samples up to 34% copper. The 2025 sampling program returned values including 34.0% copper, 1.27 g/t gold, and 134 g/t silver from the Copperside Mine area. A newly identified breccia pipe shows porphyry affinities.

Golden Arrow, under memorandum of understanding with Emergent Metals, carries a historical NI 43-101 resource of approximately 346,900 ounces gold measured and indicated, plus 50,400 ounces inferred. The project benefits from an approved BLM Plan of Operations permitting up to 240,000 feet of drilling.

Carlin Queen adds a third geological system, epithermal gold-silver along proven trends with existing infrastructure nearby. The three properties span different mineralization styles across Nevada’s second-ranked mining jurisdiction globally.

Capital and Timing

When a major miner announces increased exploration spending in a district, junior explorers holding adjacent ground face a choice: advance projects quickly to establish value before drill results reset district expectations, or risk being sidelined as consolidation accelerates.

The Nevada Titan drone magnetic survey is currently delivering 2-centimeter DEM resolution. Induced polarization surveys are planned for Q4 2025-Q1 2026 targeting the Copper Hill anomaly. AI integration combining structural, geochemical, magnetic, and IP data begins in 2025-2026.

These timelines reflect a tactical approach to establishing drill targets while Hecla’s teams mobilize in the same district. 

The companies that benefit most from that dynamic are those already holding strategic ground, with capital in the treasury and technical teams capable of executing systematic exploration. Fairchild has assembled three projects spanning distinct mineralization styles, raised working capital, and positioned itself to advance drilling programs as a major miner validates the district geology next door.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.FairchildGold.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to FAIR are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/FAIR

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