Explorer Discovers Massive Copper Porphyry, Big Gains Projected

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1. Ownership and Share Structure Information

The information listed above was updated on the date this article was published and was compiled from information from the company and various other data providers.

Hercules Metals Corp. (BADEF:OTCMKTS; BIG:TSXV) announced more results from its 2026 Leviathan porphyry at the Hercules project in Idaho, U.S., on June 16, 2026. Two targets were at the center of the news, though three targets returned significant values.

HER-25-21 extended Leviathan's footwall southwest, returning:

• 801.6 m (meters) of 0.40% copper equivalent, or CuEq (0.30% Cu (copper), 82 ppm Mo (molybdenum), 5.3 g/t Ag (silver), 0.01 g/t Au (gold))
• 107.8 m of 0.52% CuEq (0.43% Cu, 104 ppm Mo, 1.8 g/t Ag, 0.02 g/t Au)
• 206.3 m of 0.45% CuEq (0.39% Cu, 98 ppm Mo, 0.7 g/t Ag, 0.01 g/t Au)

Hole HER-25-18 was also extended further, with results indicating:

• 787.9 m of 0.54% CuEq (0.43% Cu, 91 ppm Mo, 3.5 g/t Ag, 0.03 g/t Au)
• Incl. 212.8 m of 0.89% CuEq (0.67% Cu, 128 ppm Mo, 10.2 g/t Ag, 0.05 g/t Au)

Finally, HER-25-24 results indicated:

• 8 m of 1.54% CuEq, beginning at 236 m downhole (112 m true depth below surface)

Chris Paul, CEO for Hercules Metals, said in the release: "We're pleased to further extend mineralization to the southwest as the Leviathan porphyry copper system continues to demonstrate its continuity and growth potential. We look forward to completing further ongoing step-outs to the southwest as the 2026 season progresses. We're also very encouraged by the ongoing IP results at the new Hook target. What initially began as a subtle MT anomaly has quickly evolved into a high-priority target, and the first to exhibit a near-identical IP response to Leviathan. We look forward to receiving the final survey results once the remaining lines are completed, after which the crew will return to the Pegasus anomaly to investigate the potential for additional near-surface mineralization."

Hercules Metals Corp. explores potential copper and other rare earth deposits in the U.S., as part of an effort to develop copper porphyries in Idaho.

The Hercules Project can be found northwest of Cambridge and is 100% owned. It is home to the Leviathan porphyry copper system, a significant discovery for the U.S. that is continuing to expand. The company is supported by strategic investment from Barrick Mining Corp. (ABX:TSX; B:NYSE) and is expected to grow due to the increasing demand for copper. The goal of the company is to eventually provide shareholders value through proven discovery.

Copper Demand Expected to Grow

Demand for copper is expected to rise due to continued use in electronics, especially with the widespread construction of new data centers and defense needs America is experiencing. A report from Businessworld claimed that, "global copper demand is gradually shifting towards strategic and less price-sensitive sectors such as AI infrastructure, defense, power grids, and clean energy systems. By 2040, these categories are expected to account for nearly 45% of total copper demand, up from 32% in 2024."

Copper has experienced some volatility this year. While a bull market for traders, physical products are trending toward a bear market due to potential tariffs. Last year, the looming potential of President Donald Trump's tariffs surged copper prices in the U.S. as American investors stockpiled the metal.

This hype created an overstocking of copper, widening the gap between futures and physical worth. "Collectively, inventories at the world's main exchanges have risen by more than 500,000 tons since the start of the year," stated a March 6 article by Bloomberg News. The imagined certainty of inaccessible copper due to tariffs evaporated, however, when premiums for U.S. copper futures disappeared, and the tariffs did not materialize. Trump may choose to impose tariffs next year, but analysts and investors are skeptical since his administration chose to forego them in January 2026.

As of June 16, 2026, copper was trading at US$13,500 per tonne, down from its all-time high of US$14,800 per tonne in Q1 2026. 

Experts Celebrating Hercules' Results

On June 16, 2026, Bob Moriarty of 321gold.com discussed the company's news, saying: "Chris Paul and his team have done a brilliant job of advancing what appears to be a giant copper porphyry system in Idaho. The project was originally believed to be a high-grade silver epithermal system. Deeper drilling in 2023 discovered a massive copper-rich porphyry system with the discovery hole reporting 184 meters of 0.84% Cu (copper) with moly and silver credits. Robert Sinn was banging the drums on this company for a couple of years before the great unwashed woke up. He deserves a lot of credit for finding the company." 

In fact, Robert Sinn weighed in on the same day, writing: "After today's results, I can see the open-pit resource taking shape. It's not small. So, quick back-of-the-napkin math gets me above 5 billion pounds of copper with a resource grade close to .50% CuEq — if the cutoff grade is lowered to include all the .20% Cu mineralization, then Leviathan could already be approaching 7-8 billion pounds of copper. Admittedly, some of that copper mineralization is deep and below standard underground mining grades."

Still, Sinn pointed out that "10 billion pounds of copper is the resource threshold that gets the world’s largest copper producers to pay attention and begin booking flights, signing Cas, etc."

Surveys Underway

New discoveries are being made by Hercules Metals, such as a reconnaissance IP survey of the Pegasus and Hook MT anomalies. The goal is to improve targeting prior to drill testing, and four 2D induced polarization lines at Pegasus identified promising early results.

The one-line placed at Hook returned a significant chargeability response. Final results will be released during Q2 once the weather permits higher-elevation testing.

Ownership & Share Information¹

Hercules Metals Corp. has a market cap of CA$281.35 million, with 325.90 million shares outstanding. The company's 52-week range is CA$0.52-CA$0.96.

Institutions own 10.86% of shares, while Strategic Investors own 11.12%. Management & Insiders own 4.32% of shares, and the remaining 73.70% of shares are held by Retail.