Technical Powerhouse Joins Scorpio Gold: Leo Hathaway Adds Decades of Mineral Exploration Mastery to Manhattan District Leadership

Scorpio Gold Corporation (TSXV: SGN) (OTCQB: SRCRF) (FSE: RY9) has officially brought on board Leo Hathaway, a heavyweight in the global mineral exploration sector, to fortify its technical advisory team as the company accelerates development of its flagship projects in Nevada’s Walker Lane Trend.

Who Is Leo Hathaway? A 30-Year Track Record of Deals and Development

With three decades embedded in mineral exploration, Hathaway brings credibility that extends far beyond typical advisory roles. Currently serving as Executive Chairman of Golden Shield Resources Inc. and Senior Vice President at Lumina Gold Corp., his career reads like a masterclass in project acquisition, advancement, and value creation.

The numbers speak volumes: Hathaway orchestrated the strategic acquisition, development, and subsequent divestiture of Lumina Copper’s original ten projects across the Americas to seven separate buyers, collectively valued at $1.65 billion. His fingerprints are also on Ventana Gold’s La Bodega project in Colombia, which eventually fetched $1.5 billion when sold to AUX. More recently, he championed the discovery and advancement of Lumina Gold’s Cangrejos gold project in Ecuador, a 20.5-million-ounce resource that showcased his ability to identify and scale exceptional opportunities.

Academically, Hathaway holds a BSc (Hons) in Applied Geology from the University of Plymouth and an MSc in Mineral Exploration from Imperial College, London. He maintains registration as a Professional Geoscientist with EGBC, underscoring his standing within the industry’s regulatory framework.

Manhattan District: Where Opportunity Meets Infrastructure

Scorpio Gold’s consolidation of the Manhattan District represents a rare convergence of exploration upside and operational readiness. The district encompasses two distinct yet complementary assets: the Goldwedge Project, anchored by a 400 ton-per-day gravity processing facility, and the broader Manhattan Project, a ~4,780-hectare exploration canvas acquired from Kinross in 2021.

What makes Manhattan compelling isn’t just its geology—it’s the layered advantages. The property benefits from over 100,000 meters of historical drilling data, established water rights, proven permitting infrastructure, and proximity to two past-producing pits. These aren’t speculative advantages; they represent years of de-risking already completed by prior operators.

The company plans to file a NI-43-101 compliant resource estimate for Manhattan in Q1 2025, a catalytic moment that will reframe market perception of the project’s scale and economics. Beyond that near-term milestone, Scorpio Gold aims to consolidate exploration acreage across the Manhattan District and advance a broader development strategy.

Mineral Ridge: Production History Meets Expansion Potential

Parallel to Manhattan’s exploration trajectory, Mineral Ridge sits on a different inflection point. The property produced over 222,440 ounces of gold between 2010 and 2020, proving its ore-grade credentials. Unlike greenfield exploration targets, Mineral Ridge already carries a proven and probable resource, operational permits, water allocations, and processing infrastructure.

The recent acquisition of the adjacent North Star exploration target adds another layer of upside, positioning Mineral Ridge as a potential near-term development platform. With feasibility work conducted as recently as 2018, the asset sits materially closer to production readiness than most exploration plays.

Why This Timing Matters for Scorpio Gold

According to Zayn Kalyan, Scorpio Gold’s CEO and Director: “Leo’s appointment reinforces our commitment to assembling world-class technical leadership capable of maximizing the Manhattan District’s potential. His track record of identifying, building, and scaling exploration assets directly mirrors our strategic ambitions here in Nevada.”

Kalyan highlighted the near-term catalysts: “We’re targeting Q1 2025 for our Manhattan resource filing, followed by focused exploration and potential consolidation of the Manhattan District. Leo’s expertise in advancing similar-scale opportunities will be instrumental in executing this roadmap.”

The appointment signals that Scorpio Gold isn’t pursuing a traditional junior explorer narrative. Instead, the company is positioning itself as a technical and operational powerhouse capable of bridging the gap between exploration-stage discovery and development-stage execution. Hathaway’s addition to the advisory board reinforces this positioning, adding institutional credibility and proven deal-making acumen to a leadership team already focused on delivering shareholder value.

The Bigger Picture: Walker Lane Trend Potential

Nevada’s Walker Lane Trend remains one of North America’s most prolific gold-bearing corridors, with historical production and active exploration across numerous operators. Scorpio Gold’s consolidated land package—combining Manhattan’s exploration upside with Mineral Ridge’s production history—positions the company as a meaningful consolidated player within this broader geological narrative.

With Hathaway’s technical oversight and the company’s focus on near-term catalysts, market participants will be watching the Manhattan resource update closely. The intersection of proven geology, established infrastructure, and world-class technical guidance could represent a meaningful inflection point for Scorpio Gold’s narrative and shareholder trajectory.

Scorpio Gold Corporation | (TSXV: SGN) (OTCQB: SRCRF) (FSE: RY9)