NovaRed Mining Announces Planned 2026 Field Program

16:56 Uhr  |  Newsfile

Vancouver, June 17, 2026 - NovaRed Mining Inc. (CSE: NRED) (OTCQB: NREDF) ("NovaRed" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its planned 2026 field program on its 100%-optioned Wilmac Copper-Gold Project (the "Project"), located within the Quesnel porphyry belt in the Similkameen Mining Division of British Columbia, approximately 10 kilometres west of Hudbay Minerals Inc.'s producing Copper Mountain Mine.

"Wilmac is a systematically underexplored copper-gold porphyry opportunity in one of British Columbia's premier mineralised belts, and our 2026 program puts us on track for the drill program we believe will begin to reveal what lies beneath the surface," said Brian Goss, Chief Executive Officer of NovaRed Mining. "We are expanding soil geochemical coverage, completing four geophysical surveys that will materially grow and integrate our existing dataset, and advancing the acquisition of a drill permit - all aimed at an initial drill program in the fall. The large iron carbonate-silica alteration zones mapped at the Plume grid, interpreted as the surface expression of a significant underlying intrusive system, together with the IP and AMT anomalies documented at Wilmac and Lamont, continue to build our confidence that the Wilmac Project hosts the kind of target worth drilling."

Proposed 2026 Program

The 2026 field program at the Wilmac Copper-Gold Project comprises three complementary components: an expanded soil sampling campaign building on the Company's successful 2025 pXRF program; four Induced Polarization/Audio-Frequency Magnetotelluric ("IP/AMT") geophysical surveys across the North Lamont, West Lamont, Wilmac, and Plume grids; and an initial drill program, subject to receipt of an approved drill permit currently being acquired from the previous operator. Each component is designed to build on and integrate with the others, systematically advancing the Company's evaluation of the alkalic copper-gold porphyry potential of the Project.

Soil Sampling

The Company plans to continue its successful soil sampling program along the extensive forestry road network across the Project (refer to News Release dated May 11, 2026). A total of 970 soil samples were collected and analyzed using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) base station. Analytical results obtained support continued acquisition of information from soil samples. In particular, soil samples are proposed for acquisition from forestry roads in:

1. the North Lamont grid area, from which anomalous copper values were obtained from samples taken in 2024 (refer to News Release dated May 11, 2026),

2. the Lamont grid area from which analysis of samples utilized an Aqua Regia (partial digestion), rather than a four acid (near total digestion). Samples proposed for acquisition in 2026 will replace results obtained using the Aqua Regia digestion to provide consistency with samples obtained in 2025, resulting in a uniform database,

3. and around the Plume grid area to provide an extensive geochemical database with which to further assess and evaluate the extensive iron carbonate - silica alteration documented there. In addition, the resulting analytical data will support evaluation of a potassium anomaly identified by the previous operator in the area west of the Plume grid (anomalous potassium potentially being indicative of potassic alteration, which may, in turn, delineate the high-grade mineralized core of an alkalic porphyry system), and

4. the west side of the West Lamont Complex (east of Arrastra Creek) where a comparatively large gabbroic exposure has been mapped. Samples recovered in this area would allow initial evaluation of alteration and, potentially, mineralization associated with the interpreted intrusive complex.

In addition, soil samples are proposed for acquisition along the proposed and completed geophysical survey lines, providing geochemical results directly correlatable with underlying anomalous geophysical results. These data are expected to provide a valuable geochemical signature with which to identify areas overlying potentially anomalous geophysics which have not been surveyed and which may delineate additional priority target areas for subsequent geophysical surveys.

Analysis

Soils samples recovered from the Project in 2025 will be submitted to ALS Chemex in North Vancouver for four acid digestion followed by multi-element Inductively Coupled Plasma analysis. The resulting analytical database would be broadly comparable to, and consistent with, B Horizon samples recovered and analyzed by the previous operator, resulting in a single B Horizon geochemical database for the Project.

Furthermore, analysis of these data in combination with pXRF readings is expected to yield a linear regression calibration for elements of interest, allowing pXRF field readings to be expressed as estimated laboratory-equivalent concentrations in near real time. Results derived from the calibration equation are treated as indicative, pending confirmation by conventional four-acid ICP assay. As a result, anomalous geochemical results could be followed up within a single field season, at a more cost-effective rate.

Geophysical Surveys

The proposed 2026 program will include four geophysical surveys on the North Lamont, West Lamont, Wilmac, and Plume survey grids, designed to systematically expand and infill the Company's geophysical coverage across the Project (refer to News Releases dated March 3, 2026). Upon completion, the North Lamont and West Lamont data will be merged with the previously completed Lamont survey (refer to News Release dated May 13, 2026), resulting in a single, integrated dataset of the geophysical response in an interpreted alteration and mineralized halo for the eastern portion of the West Lamont Intrusive Complex.

In addition, the Company anticipates receipt of the Audio Frequency Magnetotelluric (AMT) results from the partially completed Wilmac Survey (refer to News Release dated March 3, 2026). Furthermore, the remainder of the Wilmac survey will be completed, expected to return additional IP and AMT anomalies in this high priority target area on the Project (refer to News Release dated March 11, 2026).

The fourth survey, on the Plume grid, targets two separate and distinct iron carbonate-silica alteration zones approximately four kilometres south-southwest of the Wilmac survey (Massey et al., 2008). These large and extensive alteration zones are interpreted to represent hydrothermal alteration driven by a large underlying intrusive complex. Work in the Ridgeway - Cadia area, New South Wales, Australia, together with comparisons to alkalic deposits documented in British Columbia, supports the interpreted significance of these iron carbonate - silica alteration zones (Wilson 2021). At Mount Milligan, a dolomite - ankerite - sericite - alkali feldspar - albite alteration cap is partially preserved in the 66 Zone, interpreted as a remnant of a "carbonate - phyllic" overprint (Lang et al., 1995). (Note: iron carbonates include dolomite and ankerite). The spatial association of this alteration with a small exposure of diorite is interpreted to support diorite as the causative source of the alteration and may be indicative of alkalic epithermal-style alteration analogous to that documented in other alkalic porphyry systems.

Drilling

The Company is planning an initial drill program and is in the process of acquiring the approved drill permit held by the previous operator. Subject to receipt of the permit, initial subsurface testing of anomalous surface geochemistry and underlying geophysical anomalies in the Wilmac, Lamont and Trojan-Condor Corridor grids is contemplated, in descending order of priority. An initial drill program is contemplated to commence in the fall of 2026.

Wilmac Copper-Gold Project Overview

The Wilmac Copper-Gold Project comprises 16,078 hectares of mineral tenures located within the Quesnel porphyry belt in the Similkameen Mining Division of British Columbia, southwest of Princeton. The Project is situated in a well-documented copper-gold porphyry belt and is interpreted to host potential for identification of one or more copper-gold alkalic porphyry occurrences similar in age and deposit type to those hosting the nearby Copper Mountain Mine, which currently hosts Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves of 345 million tonnes grading 0.26% copper and 0.12 g/t gold (Hudbay Minerals Inc., "Hudbay Provides Annual Reserve and Resource Update with Mine Life Extensions and Improved Three-Year Production Outlook," news release dated March 27, 2026; mineral reserves estimated in accordance with CIM Definition Standards incorporated by reference in NI 43-101).

The Project is separated from the Copper Mountain camp by the regionally significant Boundary Fault. Saleken (2013) interpreted the geological setting west of the fault to be analogous to that of the Copper Mountain Intrusive Complex, but at a shallower level of erosional exposure, with numerous small, high-level diorite, gabbro and pyroxenite intrusions interpreted to represent the uppermost portions of an underlying intrusive complex.

Located immediately west of Highway 3, the Project is road-accessible within a well-established mining district with existing infrastructure and support services.

Readers are cautioned that the discussion of mineralization on adjacent or similar properties, including the Copper Mountain Mine, is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization or potential of the Wilmac Project. The Company has no interest in, or right to acquire any interest in, any such adjacent properties.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Rick Walker, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Walker is not independent of the Company within the meaning of NI 43-101.

References

Lang, J. Stanley, C, Thompson, J. and Dunne, K.P.E. 1995. Na-K-Ca magmatic-hydrothermal alteration in alkalic porphyry Cu Au deposits, British Columbia. Mineralogical Association of Canada Short Course # 23, pp.339-366.

Massey, N.W.D., Vineham, J.M.S. and Oliver, S.L. (2008). Geology and Mineral Deposits of the Whipsaw Creek-Eastgate-Wolfe Creek Area, British Columbia (parts of NTS 092H/01W, 02E, 07E, 08W), 1:30,000 Scale, BCMEMPR Open File 2009-08.

Saleken, L. 2013, Compilation Report for the Tulameen Project Property, Whipsaw Target Area. Assessment Report 33,626A, filed January 31, 2013, 149p.

Wilson, A. 2021. Tops of alkalic Au-Cu porphyry systems: Exploration challenge & opportunity - Alan Wilson - Ore Deposits Hub 057, YouTube, October 21, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPefg5Ruk6w

About NovaRed Mining Inc.

NovaRed Mining Inc. (CSE: NRED) (OTCQB: NREDF) is a mineral exploration company focused on the identification, acquisition, exploration and development of copper-gold porphyry projects in British Columbia, leveraging an artificial intelligence-enhanced geospatial technology platform that it developed to identify and evaluate prospective mineral properties. The Company's optioned Wilmac copper-gold project comprises 16,078 hectares located within the Quesnel porphyry belt in the Similkameen Mining Division, southwest of Princeton and approximately 10 kilometres west of Hudbay Minerals Inc.'s producing Copper Mountain Mine. For more information, visit novaredmining.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the planned 2026 field program, the timing, scope and completion of the proposed soil sampling and IP/AMT geophysical surveys on the North Lamont, West Lamont, Wilmac and Plume grids, the anticipated merging of survey datasets with previously completed data, the Company's planned exploration activities on the Project, the acquisition of the approved drill permit held by the previous operator, and the commencement of an initial drill program in the fall of 2026. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company at the date of this news release, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Such assumptions include, without limitation, the availability of adequate funding to complete the proposed programs, the successful acquisition of the approved drill permit, receipt of all necessary permits and authorizations, the availability of qualified personnel and geophysical contractors, favourable weather and field conditions, access to the Project area, and the accuracy of current geological interpretations.

Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Important risk factors include, but are not limited to: the continued availability of capital and financing; adverse weather or terrain conditions that may delay or prevent fieldwork; risks inherent in mineral exploration activities; changes in applicable laws and regulations; the ability to retain key personnel and contractors; litigation; failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations; and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Figure 1: Wilmac project map with proposed survey grids

Location of the four proposed 2026 IP/AMT survey grids (North Lamont, West Lamont, Wilmac and Plume) across the Project. The intense magenta-coloured magnetic anomaly at the left edge of the image corresponds to the West Lamont Intrusive Complex. Previously completed Lamont survey grid shown for reference.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9977/301870_fee79817040b0b04_002full.jpg

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/301870