Great Atlantic Resources Corp. (TSXV: GR) has announced the commencement of an excavator trenching program at its 100% owned South Quarry Tungsten Property in southern Newfoundland, targeting areas of previously identified tungsten mineralization and geochemical anomalies. The 2026 program plans five trenches across two target areas in the property's northern region, building directly on results from a 2016 campaign. The announcement comes at a time of heightened global interest in tungsten as a critical mineral, with Western governments prioritising secure supply chains for the metal.

Key Points

  • Great Atlantic Resources Corp. (TSXV: GR) is a Vancouver-based Canadian mineral exploration company focused on Atlantic Canada.
  • The company has commenced a five-trench excavator program at its 100% owned South Quarry Tungsten Property in southern Newfoundland.
  • Historical 2016 grab samples from a key target area returned tungsten values of 1,240 to 3,060 parts per million (ppm).
  • Investors may be watching for assay results from rock and till samples to be collected across both target areas.

Five Trenches Planned Across Two Northern Target Areas at South Quarry

The 2026 program is focused on two distinct target areas located north and northeast of two quarries within the South Quarry Property. Trenches one through three are planned approximately 1.9 to 2.0 kilometres north of those quarries, in an area where a 2016 trench exposed tungsten mineralization as scheelite in quartz veins in bedrock. Trenches four and five are situated approximately 1.4 to 1.5 kilometres northeast of the same quarries, targeting an area of tungsten soil and till geochemical anomalies first identified in a 2016 trench and further defined by 2022 soil sampling conducted by the company.

Historical Tungsten Results Underpin the 2026 Trenching Targets

The 2016 campaign provided the geological foundation for the current program. Four grab samples from a bedrock trench in Target Area 1 returned tungsten values of 1,240 to 2,350 ppm (0.124% to 0.235% W), while a boulder sample from the same trench returned 3,060 ppm tungsten (0.306% W). In Target Area 2, a quartz vein with scheelite intersected at the base of a 2016 trench returned 1,020 ppm tungsten (0.102% W). The company notes that grab samples are selective by nature and may not be representative of broader mineralisation on the property.

Tungsten's Critical Mineral Status Adds Strategic Context to South Quarry Exploration

Tungsten is listed on Canada's Critical Minerals List and is recognised as a strategic metal by the United States, the European Union, and other allied jurisdictions. The release highlights that tungsten possesses the highest melting point of any metal and is integral to defence, aerospace, machining, and energy sectors, with few practical substitutes. Global supply is heavily concentrated, with China accounting for the majority of world production — a factor that has elevated the strategic significance of exploration projects in allied nations, including those in Atlantic Canada.