Domestic Metals launches 9,000-metre drill program at Rio Tinto-backed Smart Creek project

Domestic Metals CEO Gord Neal joined Steve Darling from Proactive to discuss the start of the company's fully funded 9,000-metre diamond drilling program at its Smart Creek Project in Montana, a major exploration campaign aimed at testing high-grade porphyry copper mineralization identified through extensive exploration work completed over the past two years. Neal said the program will consist of approximately six to eight drill holes focused primarily on the Smart Creek and Sunrise Mine targets. These targets were generated through a combination of induced polarization (IP) geophysical surveys, surface sampling, historical drilling results, and advanced 3D geological modeling designed to identify and vector toward the property's most prospective mineralized zones. The Smart Creek Project is being advanced through a joint venture with mining giant Rio Tinto, which currently holds a 40% interest in the project. Covering approximately 8,000 hectares in Montana, the property is located about 50 kilometres northwest of the historic Butte Mining District and shares many of the same geological characteristics that have made the region one of North America's most prolific copper-producing areas. Neal noted that Smart Creek is considered highly prospective for both large-scale porphyry copper systems and copper-gold-silver enriched carbonate replacement deposits. Previous work by Rio Tinto helped establish the project's potential, with the company drilling 26 of 40 permitted drill sites while targeting what is believed to be a porphyry centre beneath the Smart Creek target area. One of Rio Tinto's most significant drill intercepts returned 109.73 metres grading 0.75% copper, including a higher-grade section of 89 metres grading 0.97% copper. Those results helped strengthen the geological model and provided important vectors for the current drill campaign. Adding to the project's growing exploration appeal, Domestic Metals' 2025 field program delivered exceptionally high-grade surface sampling results, including values of 102 grams per tonne gold, 23.1% copper, and 3,810 grams per tonne silver. These results further support the presence of a robust mineralizing system and provide additional targets for follow-up exploration. #proactiveinvestors #domesticmetals #tsxv #dmcu #otcqb #dmcuf #SmartCreek #CopperMining #RioTinto #CopperExploration #GoldMining #SilverMining #CriticalMinerals #MiningStocks #ResourceInvesting