Scorpio Gold Corporation has engaged SLR International Corporation to design and execute a sonic drilling and metallurgical test work program evaluating historic surface facilities at the 100%-owned Manhattan District Project in Nevada, USA.

The program targets four historic surface facilities: a heap leach pad, tailings storage facilities, a waste dump, and a low-grade stockpile area, delineated through volumetric modelling of a 2024 LiDAR survey, historical topographic data, density estimates, and swell factors.

Phase 1 will comprise approximately 35 vertical sonic drill holes using a track-mounted rig, with samples collected on 0.5 to 1.0-metre intervals. Head characterization test work includes total gold and silver assays, LECO sulfur analysis, and cyanide shake testing to estimate grade, variability, oxidation state, and cyanide amenability. SLR will provide on-site support throughout drilling, logging, sampling, and quality assurance, with a full summary report to follow.

Should Phase 1 generate positive results indicating potential economic value, SLR will complete a Mineral Resource Estimate for the surface material. Any resulting estimate would be incremental to the existing mineral inventory at Manhattan, which includes a maiden inferred resource of 18,343,000 tonnes grading 1.26 g/t gold for 740,000 ounces across the Goldwedge and Manhattan Pit areas.

"This program is about systematically quantifying this material and obtaining preliminary metallurgical characterization of each material type," said Zayn Kalyan, CEO of Scorpio Gold.

The program builds on recent site developments, including a February 2026 infrastructure realignment that established a centralized core processing and storage facility, and a July 2026 upsized public offering that raised $10,800,000 in gross proceeds to support ongoing district exploration.

"Junior exploration companies are typically dependent on equity financings to fund growth; the Program is designed to test whether Manhattan's surface material can provide an alternative through organic growth," said Harrison Pokrandt, VP of Exploration at Scorpio Gold.

Read the full announcement: Scorpio Gold Announces Sonic Drilling and Metallurgical Program to Evaluate Reprocessing Opportunity at Manhattan