Athos Metals Enters into a Service Agreement to Secure an Airborne Geophysical Survey Using VTEM+ over Its Empire District Claims
Vancouver, British Columbia – March 10, 2026 – Athos Metals Corp. (“Athos” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a service agreement (the “Service Agreement” or the “Agreement”) with Geotech Ltd. (“Geotech”) to provide an airborne electromagnetic geophysical (“AEM”) survey and mapping data over the Empire District claim blocks using Geotech’s trademarked Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic System – VTEM™ Plus (the “VTEM+”). Athos announced the terms of an Acquisition Agreement with VR Resources Ltd. for to acquire the Empire District claims on February 26th, 2026.
“Executing a modern airborne geophysical survey across the entire Empire District is a key step in advancing Athos’ exploration strategy,” said Alex Bayer, Chief Executive Officer. “VTEM+ is one of the most effective tools available for identifying conductive sulphide systems at depth, and this program will help us prioritize drill targets across multiple Cu-Ni-PGE prospects. With seven high-priority targets already identified, this survey will significantly enhance our ability to define and rank the most compelling opportunities for drilling.”
“To see beneath the surface is the dream of every geologist,” said Raul Sanabria, Vice President of Exploration. “Many older AEM systems used higher base frequencies and shorter pulses which work better for near-surface conductors, and struggle through conductive cover. The Empire District geology suggests sulphides will be concentrated at the basal contact, also known as reefs. We expect the VTEM+ survey to enhance and strengthen the Company’s understanding of the Empire District exploration targets as the survey penetrates terrain up to depths of approximately ~500 metres. The interpretation of the VTEM+ survey will help us produce a reliable 3D geological model, of the multiple intrusive targets lying beneath the surface of the Empire District.”
Overview of the VTEM+ Program
Geotech will undertake the VTEM+ over all seven of the Cu-Ni-PGE targets located on the Empire District claim blocks: Rye, Rush, Westwood, Trewartha Macron, Rambler and Mack.
Empire District targets for the VTEM+ airborne geophysical survey. Regional magnetic base map courtesy of the Ontario Geological Survey.
Athos chose VTEM+ for its ability to penetrate up to depths of ~500 metres which are achieved through use of low base operating frequency (~30 Hz), making this form of geophysical survey compatible with the Company’s exploration model.
Athos will use the VTEM+ survey data to model the Empire District targets in 3D for massive sulphide deposits, strata-bound reef-type PGE mineralization, and pipe-like bodies where sulphides texturally appear as massive, disseminated, net-textured, and containing pyrrhotite, pentlandite and chalcopyrite. These new data set will build on work previously conducted by previous operator VR Resources. On the completion of the VTEM+ airborne survey, Athos believes that the Company will have sufficient data to follow up with high-priority electromagnetic anomalies as primary drill targets. The Company has already raised the budget to allow for a summer 2026 drill program.
About Geotech Ltd. and VTEM™ Plusi
In its 30-year history, Geotech, of Aurora, Canada, has grown from frequency-domain electromagnetic (“EM”) instrument manufacturer to the largest helicopter time-domain EM service provider in the world. VTEM+ uses coincident, vertical dipole transmitter-receiver configuration provides a systematic system response. Any asymmetry in the measured EM profile is due to conductor dip, not the system or direction of flying. This allows for easy identification of the conductor location and for interpretation of the EM data. The low noise receiver, plus the high-power transmitter yields a system that has the best signal to noise ratio of any airborne system.
VTEM+ has been designed to detect and discriminate between moderate to excellent conductors using a low base frequency, long pulse width, and derived B-field. The B-field is derived from integrating data collected at 192 kHz over the entire waveform.
The system can be shipped using standard containers. Geotech maintains an inventory of spare parts to ensure the system can be repaired in the field.
Geotech Ltd. VTEM helicopter time-domain EM system (courtesy Geotech Ltd.)
VTEM time-domain EM system (courtesy Geotech Ltd.)
The Empire District
The Empire Project group of properties comprises the Empire, Mack, and Rambler claim blocks, covering more than 15,000 hectares within the Marmion Terrane — a geological domain historically overlooked due to glacial cover but increasingly recognized for its magmatic nickel-copper-platinum group element potential.
Recent, modern exploration by VR Resources has transformed the Empire District from data-poor to data-rich, including high-resolution magnetics, DIGHEM airborne electromagnetic surveys, and drill confirmation of copper-nickel mineralization within a fertile ultramafic intrusion at the Westwood target. Multiple untested geophysical targets remain across the district, positioning Athos for near-term discovery-driven drilling.
