VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 26, 2026 /CNW/ - Coast Copper Corp. ("Coast Copper" or the "Company") (TSX-V: COCO) is pleased to highlight its mineral claim holdings on northern Vancouver Island and wishes to congratulate its neighbor Northisle Copper and Gold Inc. ("Northisle") on the significant announcement made by the B.C. provincial government on February 23, 2026 noting that its North Island project2 will receive B.C. Critical Minerals Office support as an advanced project1.
The Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals of the Province of B.C. has selected Northisle's North Island project to work with the Critical Minerals Office to support early co-ordination as the project prepares for environmental assessment and future permitting processes. The Critical Minerals Office works with selected advanced project proponents to accelerate their permitting processes by helping co-ordinate First Nations and community engagement, identify regulatory requirements early, align permitting pathways and support readiness for future environmental assessment and regulatory processes.
Adam Travis, CEO, comments: "I grew up on Vancouver Island and have explored it since the early 1990s when BHP's Island Copper mine was still in production and was Canada's second largest copper mine at the time. I have been watching Northisle advance its project in the same belt. This announcement highlights the importance of these projects for critical minerals and commitments to modern exploration, community engagement and collaboration with all levels of government and First Nations, which we also share. Coast Copper's 2026 exploration programs are expected to commence this spring, starting with an Induced Polarization geophysical survey at our Copper Kettle project which sits between Northisle's North Island project and BHP's former producing Island Copper mine. Coast Copper is well-funded to undertake this work because of its business model which generates cash from the optimization and sale of non-core projects for cash and shares. Planning is also underway for more extensive exploration in 2026."
NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND PORPHYRY Copper ("Cu") – Molybdenum ("Mo") +/- Gold ("Au") and Massive Sulphide Cu - Au - Magnetite
On northern Vancouver Island, a 50-kilometer ("km") east-west trending corridor hosts a series of Early Jurassic mineralized Cu - Au - Mo porphyry systems, mostly held by Northisle2. However, at its western end, Coast Copper owns the Knob Hill NW property which abuts Northisle's Hushamu and Red Dog and NW Expo deposits and at the eastern end, Coast Copper owns the Copper Kettle property, which sits adjacent to BHP's Island Copper mine lease2. Coast Copper's Empire Mine project is the most advanced brownfield high-grade Cu-Au-magnetite massive sulphide deposit project on northern Vancouver Island and is located approximately 30 km south-southeast of the Island Copper Mine (see Figure 1).
Copper Kettle Project Porphyry Cu - Mo +/- Au Target
The 5,225-hectare ("ha") Copper Kettle property (see Figure 1) hosts the NW Zone, one of the six genetically related Jurassic calc-alkaline porphyry systems that form the "Island Copper Cluster" which occupies a 10 km long structural-magnetic anomaly with the NW Zone being the only member located outside BHP's Island Copper mining lease4. From 1983 to 1989 BHP drilled 31 diamond holes (9,072 meters ("m")) and 10 percussion holes (789.5 m), outlining a buried system 1.8 km long and 800 m wide. Seventeen drillholes returned significant copper and molybdenum values; nine of which ended in mineralization, confirming this system remains open to depth (see news release dated September 8, 2025). Highlights from BHP's previous drilling include 277.4 m assaying 0.20% Cu and 0.018% Mo in hole E-64, 91.5 m assaying 0.57% Cu and 0.017% Mo in hole E-69 and 88.4 m assaying 0.38% Cu and 0.029% Mo in hole W-6.
Recent work by the Company included surface rock and soil sampling and an Audio Magnetotellurics ("AMT") survey which highlighted that previous BHP drilling has potentially only tested a small area of a much larger porphyry system (see news release dated February 18, 2026).
Empire Mine Project High-Grade Massive Cu-Au-Magnetite Deposits
The Empire Mine project now totals approximately 17,186 ha over a 25 km prospective trend covering 30 Minfile occurrences of which 3 of them are past producing open pit mines and 2 of them are past producing underground mines for copper, gold, magnetite and silver (see Figure 1).
In May 2023, Coast Copper published a high-grade, starter mineral resource estimate for the Merry Widow pit which Coast Copper believes can be expanded with further drilling. The Merry Widow inferred resource hosts 594,019 tonnes grading 0.51% Cu, and 3.52 grams per tonne ("g/t") Au (see press release dated May 23, 2023). Historical records and maps from Cominco Ltd. in 1972, indicate the Benson Lake mine (1 km east of the Merry Widow pit) hosts 454,500 tonnes at 0.59 g/t Au and 1.3% Cu classified as "measured and indicated" and a further 2,700,000 tonnes at 1.7% Cu5 (no gold grade estimated) to the 2100 level as of December 31, 1972 classified as "inferred". While Coast Copper notes that Cominco's historical results are not NI 43-101 compliant and have not been verified by the Company's QP, these combined historical Benson Lake resources total approximately 3.154 million tonnes and will help guide Coast Copper's exploration programs.
In 2025 the Company conducted modest surface exploration programs and continued to consolidate holdings in the area with the addition of 3 claims (61.8 ha) covering the Clancy and Pilgrim minfile occurrences.
Knob Hill NW Project Porphyry Cu - Au +/- Mo Target
The Company has continued to maintain and advance its Knob Hill NW property located at the western end of Northisle's property and within 4 km of Northisle's NW Expo Deposit (see Figure 1). Coast Copper completed modest stream sediment, soil and rock sampling programs in 2025. This work along with previous work by the Company has highlighted elevated copper in soils and rock samples in the southwest area of the property around magnetic highs and strongly anomalous gold-in-stream sediment sampling such as KH2024MM-006 which returned 1,400 ppb Au draining the eastern side of the property (see press release dated September 23, 2024).
NEXT STEPS
Copper Kettle Project - The Company is planning to conduct a 25 km detailed Induced Polarization survey, followed by a conditional 10-site diamond drill program based on the exciting results of its surface and AMT survey work indicating that BHP's earlier drill programs only tested a small portion of the overall much larger porphyry system.
Empire Mine Project - The Company anticipates conducting further Controlled Source Audio-frequency Magnetotellurics ("C.S.M.A.T.") ground geophysical surveys (see news release dated January 23, 2024) to refine drill targets on its Benson and Old Sport mine high-grade Cu - Au - magnetite horizons.
Knob Hill NW Project - The Company is planning on conducting further surface programs to test the elevated copper-in-soil anomalies associated with magnetic highs in the southwestern portion of the property as well as continuing to refine and explain the significant gold-in-stream sediment anomalies along the eastern side of the property.
Qualified Persons
The technical information contained in this news release has been prepared, reviewed, and approved by Wade Barnes, P.Geo. (BC), Coast Copper's geological consultant and a Qualified Person within the context of the Canadian Securities Administrators' NI 43-101; Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Coast Copper Corp.
Coast Copper's flagship projects are the Copper Kettle post-discovery Cu-Au-Mo project located in the Island Copper Cluster on northern Vancouver Island, the former producing Cu-Au Empire mine also located on northern Vancouver Island and the former producing Emerald and Virginia Silver mines located near the Huckleberry mine and Smithers in northern B.C. Coast has an additional 18 projects in B.C. that are available for acquisition, partnering or option that are strategically located in seven advanced mining camps that include the Toodoggone, Golden Triangle Anyox, Goliath Resources (Golddigger), Babine, Bralorne and Sullivan camps providing exposure and leverage to millions of dollars being spent on neighboring properties. Coast Copper's strategy is to optimize the value of each mineral property within our portfolio through a combination of prospect generation and discovery focused, high-impact exploration while minimizing share dilution through active deal-making.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors:
"Adam Travis"
Adam Travis, Chief Executive Officer and Director
For further information, please contact:
Adam Travis, CEO
Coast Copper Corp.
409 Granville Street, Suite 904
Vancouver, BC, V6C 1T2, Canada
P: 877-578-9563
E: adamt@coastcoppercorp.com
NR26-06
Cautionary Notes in News Release and/or Maps
- Source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026MCM0010-000179
- This news release may contain information about adjacent properties on which Coast Copper has no right to explore or mine. Investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on the Company's properties.
- Historical information, maps or figures contained in this release regarding the Property or adjacent properties cannot be relied upon as the Company's QP, as defined under NI-43-101 has not prepared nor verified the historical information.
- Perello J.A., Fleming J.A., O'Kane K.P., Burt P.D., Clakre G.A., Himes M.D. and Reeves A.T. (1995) Porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum deposits in the Island Copper Cluster, northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia: CIM Special Volume 46, Part 2, p. 214-238.
- Cominco Resources, Drill Section Maps "Plan of Cominco's Benson Lake Operations on Empire Claims Showing Ore Reserves & Proposed Exploration Program", 1970, Private Files. While Coast Copper notes that Cominco's historical results are not NI 43-101 compliant and have not been verified by the Company's QP, these combined historical resources total nearly 3.154 million tonnes and will help guide Coast Copper's exploration programs. Benson lake Mine historical reserves recorded by Cominco Resources (1972) report a non NI 43-101 resource of 454,000 tonnes grading 0.59 g/t Au and 1.3% Cu and in Inferred resource of 2.7 million tonnes of 1.7% Cu with no Au grade calculated.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
Certain information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release, including any information regarding the proposed Transaction, private placement, board and management changes, as to our strategy, projects, plans or future financial or operating performance, constitutes "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Coast Copper, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, geological and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Although Coast Copper believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not a guarantee of future performance. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to: fluctuations in market prices, exploration and exploitation successes, continued availability of capital and financing, changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations, expropriation or nationalization of property and general political, economic, market or business conditions. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect our actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release, or incorporated by reference, are qualified by these cautionary statements. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
SOURCE Coast Copper Corp.
