Surge Reports Initial Results On It’s 2018 Ontario Cobalt Exploration Program

Vancouver, BC – January 14, 2019 – Surge Exploration Inc. (the “Company” or “Surge”) (TSX‐V: SUR, OTCQB:SURJF, FRA: DJ5C) is pleased to provide an initial report on the mineral assay results that have been recently returned from five of thirty-three holes completed on its 2018 Diamond Drilling Exploration Program on its Glencore-Bucke and Teledyne Cobalt Properties (the “Ontario Cobalt Properties”) located in Cobalt, Ontario.  

During the late fall of 2018, Surge completed a total of 4,272 m / 14,016 ft. of diamond drilling in 33 holes on both the Glencore-Bucke and Teledyne Cobalt Properties: 2,559 m / 8,396 ft. were completed in 24 drill holes on the Glencore Bucke Property, and 1,713 m / 5,620 ft. in 9 drill holes on the Teledyne Cobalt Property.

On the Glencore-Bucke Property, drill holes GB18-22 to GB18-40 (assays pending) tested the Northwest and Main Zones with the intent of intersecting mineralized zones along strike and vertically above and below previous intersections reported in the 2017 drilling program completed on the same properties.  To the east of the Main Zone, a single hole (GB18-41) was completed to test for mineralization at depth beneath a historical trench and intersected anomalous cobalt mineralization.    To the south, drill holes GB18-42 to GB18-45 were completed in a fence 200 m south of recent drilling on the Main and North West Zones (2017 LiCo and 2018 Surge) in an area where no known historical drilling has been completed.

Highlights from diamond drill holes GB18-41 to GB18-45 include:

• • GB18-44 0.26 % Co, 1.16% Cu over 3.15 m from 110.60 to 113.75 m, including 0.57% Co, 0.27% Cu over 0.65 m from 110.60 to 111.25 m. 

• • GB18-44 0.17% Co, 4.21% Cu over 1.65 m from 113.00 to 114.65 m

• • GB18-45 0.43% Cu, 1.04% Zn over 7.90 m from 104.00 to 111.90 m, including 2.01% Cu, 0.55% Zn over 0.70 m from 109.00 to 109.70 m.

“We have recently completed the second phase of drilling on both the Glencore-Bucke and Teledyne Ontario Cobalt Properties.  We are strongly encouraged by the initial results from the  fence of drill holes completed 200 m to the south of our definition drilling, and intend to continue targeting and extending this exciting new development” states Mr. Tim Fernback, Surge President & CEO.  “Surge management believes that the results received so far from the 2018 exploration program are typical of the area and the Ontario Cobalt camp generally.  We are looking forward to receiving and reporting the remaining results from the assay lab in the near future. ” 

The results for diamond drill hole GB18-41 to GB18-45 are summarized below in Tables 1 and 2.  

Table 1: Summary of Diamond Drill Results

Note: Intervals reported in Table 1 represent core lengths and not true widths.

Table 2: Drill hole Collar Information

QA/QC Program
Surge Exploration Inc. has implemented a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program for both the Glencore-Bucke and Teledyne Property drill programs.

Diamond drill cores were logged, and where marked for sampling, split in half, with one half placed in a labelled sample bag, and the remaining half placed back into the core tray and stored in a secured compound. A blank and a standard were inserted in the assay sampling sequence at every 26th and 27th place respectively.  All samples were shipped to Activation Laboratories in Ancaster, Ontario. Each sample was coarsely crushed and a 250 g aliquot is then pulverized and made ready for analysis. A 0.25g portion of the pulverised material is digested with a near total digestion (4 acid) and then analyzed using an ICP. QC for the digestion is 14% for each batch, 5 method reagent blanks, 10 in‐house controls, 10 samples duplicates, and 8 certified reference materials. An additional 13% QC is performed as part of the instrumental analysis to ensure quality in the areas of instrumental drift. If over limits for Cu, Pb, Zn, and Co are encountered, a sodium peroxide fusion, acid dissolution followed by ICP‐OES is completed. Where Ag over limits, a four‐acid digestion is completed followed by ICP‐OES.

Qualified Person
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Joerg Kleinboeck, P.Geo., an independent consulting geologist and a qualified person as defined in NI 43-101.  

About Surge Exploration Inc.  https://surgeexploration.com/ 

The Company is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company which has been active in the resource sector in British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada.  The Company has an exploration office in Santiago, Chile to review mineral exploration opportunities in Chile and elsewhere in South America.

Atacama Cobalto Project (Cobalt):
The Atacama Cobalto Project is located in the Atacama Province in northern Chile, 15 km northwest of the town of Copiapó, where mining is the largest economic activity, and the mining industry is one of the region’s major employers. The Atacama Cobalto Project consists of 1,059 hectares and is located only 3 km East of the Cerro Iman Mine.  To date, CAP Minería has drilled over 20,250 m on the Atacama Coblato Project.

The area of interest hosts several other mining companies and is situated near the mylonitic corridor that is part of the Atacama Fault System that hosts many of the IOCG deposits in northern Chile. The Atacama Cobalto Project corresponds to a “cobalt anomalous IOCG” associated with the geographic area. 

The Atacama Cobalto Project benefits from access to excellent infrastructure, including port access, energy supply, and access through the Pan American Highway.

Ontario Cobalt Properties (Cobalt):
The Company has an option to earn an undivided 60% interest in the Glencore Bucke Property and the Teledyne Cobalt Property, located in Cobalt, Ontario Canada.

Incahuasi Lithium Project (Lithium Brine):
The property is located on the northernmost section of the Incahuasi salar, 75 km southeast from both the town of Tilomonte, Chile and the Salar de Atacama, where mining is the largest economic activity, and the mining industry is one of the region’s major employers.  The Incahuasi salar is located on the national border between Chile and Argentina at an elevation of 3,260 m.  The Incahuasi Lithium Project consists of 10 mineral exploration concessions totalling 2,300 hectares.  Bordering this property, in Argentina, is a 9,843 hectare lithium exploration property held by Advantage Lithium (TSXV: AAL OTCQB: AVLIF).  The option on this project is subject to TSX-V approval.

Mineral Mountain Property (Copper, Gold) British Columbia
As announced on November 28, 2018, Surge has acquired a 100% interest in 9 claim blocks comprising 19,665 hectares (197 sq km) in the Omineca region of north-central British Columbia, approximately 150 km north of Fort St. James.  The claims are not subject to any royalty terms, back-in rights, payments or any other agreements and encumbrances.  The region is host to numerous operating mines, good infrastructure including experienced exploration and supporting services.  

B.C. Minfile assessment report data indicates that most of the area covered by the Omineca Group claim blocks were at one time or another covered by staking during surges of exploration in B.C. dating from the 1940’s to present day.  Prominent among early discoveries in the Omineca region were the nearby Lustdust/Stardust property (Sun Metals Corp. TSX-V: SUNM) covering a large, coherent integrated porphyry-skarn, epithermal system; the Kwanika property (Serengeti Resources Inc./POSCO Daewoo TSX-V: SIR) a promising advanced stage copper-gold project; the Lorraine property (Lorraine Copper Corp. TSX-V: LLC) host to a large copper/gold NI 43-101 compliant resource.  The tenures are located between the Kemess North project being developed by Centerra Gold’s subsidiary Aurico Metals and Centerra Gold’s operation Mt Milligan mine.   

Hedge Hog Property, (Copper, Gold) British Columbia
The Company has an option to earn an undivided 60% interest seven mineral tenure covering 2,418 hectares (5,972 acres) located approximately 80 km northeast of the town of Quesnel, BC and 20 km north of the historic gold mining towns of Wells and Barkerville.  

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

“Tim Fernback”

Tim Fernback
President & CEO