Centerra Gold launches major drilling at Idaho's historic Crane Creek gold project

Centerra Gold Inc. has launched a new drilling programme at Headwater Gold Inc.’s Crane Creek Project in western Idaho. The work marks the first exploration at the site since the 1990s. The programme is fully funded and managed by Centerra under an earn-in agreement with Headwater. The drill programme covers up to 3,000 metres, split between 15 reverse circulation holes and five diamond core holes. It aims to follow up on past gold findings, test beneath exposed gold-bearing veins, and explore further along strike from known mineralised zones.

Historical drilling at Crane Creek included notable intercepts, such as 62.5 metres grading 1.21 g/t gold, with a high-grade section of 8.14 g/t over 3.0 metres in hole 96-243. The project sits within a large, underexplored epithermal system featuring a 4 km by 2 km potassium anomaly and multiple structural targets.

Centerra plans to spend about US$1.7 million on exploration this year as part of its US$2.5 million minimum commitment. The Crane Creek Project lies roughly 18 km northeast of Weiser and 90 km northwest of Boise, with a paved road less than 1 km from its southern edge. Caleb Stroup, President and CEO of Headwater, has welcomed the start of work on this high-priority site. The programme represents a significant step in assessing the project’s potential. Centerra’s investment and technical efforts will help determine the extent of gold mineralisation at Crane Creek. Results from the drilling will guide future exploration decisions.