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FPX Nickel Corp. (TSXV: FPX) (OTCQB: FPOCF) (‘ FPX Nickel ‘ or the ‘ Company ‘) is pleased to announce the results of an Economic Impact Study (the ‘Study’ ) completed for the Company’s Baptiste Nickel Project (‘ Baptiste ‘ or ‘ the Project ‘). The Company engaged Mansfield Consulting Inc. to assess the potential regional, provincial, and national economic impact of the Baptiste Nickel Project, based on the findings of the Company’s Pre-Feasibility Study (‘PFS’ ) published in September 2023 .

The Economic Impact Study focuses on quantification of the economic impacts that would be created by the development and ongoing operations of the Project, and assesses the regional employment impacts created by the Project; the Study does not replace or alter the findings of the PFS. Amounts herein are in Canadian Dollars unless otherwise noted.

Figure 1 – Baptiste Economic Impact Study Highlights (CNW Group/FPX Nickel Corp.)

‘This Study clearly demonstrates the economic value of Baptiste to central B.C., the province, and Canada , positioning the Project as one with not just regional, but national significance for more than 30 years. This includes the significant opportunity for Indigenous leadership and direct economic participation in major projects such as Baptiste. As we progress with Project development, FPX is committed to continuing to assess and define the Project with First Nation communities.  We believe the addition of Baptiste to the established mines operating in this region, including the Mt. Milligan Mine and the Blackwater Mine, will provide much-needed opportunities for local workers and businesses given the anticipated decline in regional forestry activity in the decades to come.’

–   Martin Turenne, President and CEO of FPX Nickel

‘B.C. is positioned to take advantage of the growing demand for critical minerals. The Province has established a Critical Minerals Office to guide projects and ensure they move efficiently through regulatory processes, and I want to recognize FPX Nickel Corp. for being the first company supported by that Office. The Baptiste Project has tremendous potential, and we are excited to see what the future holds. Together, we are creating opportunities, collaborating with First Nations to the benefit of all, and advancing projects that could be the critical minerals mines of tomorrow.’

–   The Honourable Jagrup Brar, British Columbia’s Minister for Mining and Critical Minerals

Economic Impact Study Highlights

  • Total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $45.6 billion
  • Total labour income of $17.5 billion
  • Total direct, indirect and induced tax revenues of $15.5 billion , broken down as follows:
    • Federal taxes: $6.2 billion
    • Provincial taxes: $8.5 billion
    • Municipal taxes: $0.8 billion
  • Total employment of 208,000 job-years including direct, indirect, and induced jobs over the life of mine
    • This equates to an average of approximately 1,100 direct and 3,400 indirect jobs created per year from construction to the end of operations
    • Assuming 61% of positions will be filled through regional employment, this equates to over 600 Bulkley-Nechako/ Prince George residents employed per year on average, for over 32 years
    • The Baptiste Nickel Project is projected to create well-paying jobs. Based on data published by the Mining Association of British Columbia , the estimated average annual salary in the B.C. mining industry is $139,000 , which is 26% higher than the median household income in Prince George in 2022, as reported by Statistics Canada.

Summary of Economic and Employment Impacts

A phased development approach is considered in the PFS, with an initial mill throughput rate of 108,000 tonnes per day (Phase 1), followed by an expansion to 162,000 tonnes per day (Phase 2) in Year 8 of the mine life.

The PFS projected the initial development of the mine to take place over three years (Years -3, -2, -1) with a total capital cost of approximately $2.9 billion . Expansion of the mine would take place over two years (Years 8 and 9) at a cost of approximately $1.0 billion . Over the nine-year duration of Phase 1 operations, the PFS projected average annual revenues of approximately $1.1 billion , and over the twenty-year duration of Phase 2 operations, the Project would achieve average annual revenues of approximately $1.6 billion .

Table 1 provides a summary of the economic impact of the Project by phase:

Table 1 – Total Economic Impacts By Phase of Project
Dollar amounts in $ billion, totals may not sum due to rounding

Criteria

Total GDP
($B)

Total
Labour
Income
($B)

Total
Employment
(direct,
indirect, and
induced jobs)

Total Tax
Revenues
($B)

Initial Development
(3 years)

3.3

2.2

19,800

0.8

Mine Expansion
(2 years)

1.1

0.7

6,500

0.3

Mine Operations
(29 years)

41.2

14.6

181,900

14.5

Total

45.6

17.5

208,100

15.6

Table 2 provides a summary of the economic impact of the Project on the municipal, provincial, and federal government revenues, including taxes from direct, indirect and induced activities (thus total taxes are higher than as released in the Company’s 2023 PFS).

Table 2 – Taxes Attributable to Mine Development and Operations
Amounts in $ million, totals may not sum due to rounding

Criteria

Federal Taxes

Provincial Tax

Municipal Tax

Initial Development (3 years)

421

338

53

Mine Expansion (2 years)

144

117

19

Mine Operations (29 years)

5,616

8,083

753

Total

6,181

8,538

825

Table 3 provides a summary of the direct, indirect, and induced jobs created by the project per year, by Project phase.

Table 3 – Number of Jobs By Mine Phase (Note 1)

Criteria

Initial
Development

Phase 1
Operations

Expansion

Phase 2
Operations

Average

Direct Jobs Per Year

2,600

700

1,200

1,000

1,100

Indirect Jobs Per Year

2,300

2,700

3,800

3,800

3,400

Induced Jobs Per Year

1,700

1,500

2,400

2,100

1,900

Note 1: Direct impacts are changes that occur in ‘front-end’ businesses that initially receive operating revenues and incur expenditures. During the development or extension of a mine, direct impacts occur with the mine owner and with other businesses that receive a portion of the initial spending on a project (for example, engineering companies engaged to help develop a project). During the operation of a mine, direct impacts occur with the mine owner and with other businesses that may receive a portion of the mine revenues. Indirect impacts are changes that occur with suppliers of the front-end businesses. Induced impacts are changes that occur in the general economy through the spending by employees of front-end businesses and suppliers.

Regional Direct Employment

A substantial portion of direct employment at the mine site is anticipated to be filled by residents of the Bulkley-Nechako Regional District, Prince George and surrounding areas. The 2023 PFS assumed that residents of Bulkley-Nechako and Prince George would fill a combined average of 633 full-time positions or 61 percent of the total employment at the mine, resulting in 283 Bulkley-Nechako Residents and 350 Prince George residents employed per year on average over 32 years.

To place the on-site employment of Bulkley-Nechako residents in context, it was compared with regional employment in other industries. According to census profiles, the largest industry by employment in the main Bulkley-Nechako communities of Burns Lake , Vanderhoof , Fort St James and Fraser Lake is manufacturing (primarily wood product manufacturing), accounting for 655 people out of the total labour force of 4,215 people. As displayed in Figure 2, the average employment of 283 from Baptiste plus other existing mines would make the Mining, Quarrying, and Oil & Gas Extraction sector the largest resource industry employer in the region.

Figure 2 – Bulkley-Nechako Communities Labour Force by Industry (2021 Census, Note 2) --- Note 2: 2021 census data pre-date recent notable Canfor mill closures in Vanderhoof and Fort St. James in 2024, which were reported to impact approximately 500 workers. (CNW Group/FPX Nickel Corp.)

Andrew Osterloh , P.Eng., FPX’s Senior Vice President, Projects & Operations, FPX’s Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical content of this news release.

About the Baptiste Nickel Project

The Company’s Baptiste Nickel Project represents a large-scale greenfield discovery of nickel mineralization in the form of a sulphur-free, nickel-iron mineral called awaruite (Ni 3 Fe) hosted in an ultramafic/ophiolite complex. The Baptiste mineral claims cover an area of 408 km 2 west of Middle River and north of Trembleur Lake, in central British Columbia . In addition to the Baptiste Deposit itself, awaruite mineralization has been confirmed through drilling at several target areas within the same claims package, most notably at the Van Target which is located 6 km to the north of the Baptiste Deposit. Since 2010, approximately US $30 million has been spent on the exploration and development of Baptiste.

FPX has conducted mineral exploration activities to date subject to the conditions of agreements with First Nations and keyoh holders.

About FPX Nickel Corp.

FPX Nickel Corp.  is focused on the exploration and development of the Baptiste Nickel Project, located in central British Columbia , and other occurrences of the same unique style of naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy mineralization known as awaruite.  For more information, please view the Company’s website at https://fpxnickel.com/ or contact Martin Turenne, President and CEO, at (604) 681-8600 or ceo@fpxnickel.com .

On behalf of FPX Nickel Corp.

‘Martin Turenne’
Martin Turenne , President, CEO and Director

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the statements made and information contained herein is considered ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. These statements address future events and conditions and so involve inherent risks and uncertainties, as disclosed in the Company’s periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Actual results could differ from those currently projected. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE FPX Nickel Corp.

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Rua Gold Inc. (TSXV: RUA) (OTCQB: NZAUF) (WKN: A40QYC) (‘Rua Gold’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to advise on the updated Cumberland gold camp drill target. This follows on from the integration of VRIFY AI into RUA’s extensive geological database and the consolidation of the Reefton Goldfield, an orogenic gold and antimony belt on the South Island of New Zealand.

Highlights: 

  • The AI contribution is already paying dividends as the tool has accelerated the identification of and prioritization of our drill targets. 

  • Prioritizing Cumberland gold camp comprising of 7 historic mines in a 2 km long north-northwest trending zone of quartz veins and shearing. 

  • Follow up target on historic Cumberland drill hole, GAL001 showing 21.9m (5m true width) of 92.0g/t Au including 1m of 1911 g/t Au (60 oz/t)

  • Drilling contractor is being mobilized and the Company anticipates commencing drilling before the end of January.

The Company is expanding its 2025 exploration program to include the Cumberland gold camp, a historic gold camp 3kms south of Globe Progress Mine, which has produced over 1 million ounces of gold (historic production prior to 1950 of 424,000 ounces, and a further 665,000 ounces from 2007 – 2015 under OceanaGold).

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Figure 1: Overview of the Reefton Goldfield.

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EARLY WIN FROM Rua Gold’S AI INVESTMENT
The Cumberland target was identified by uncovering several exploratory holes drilled by OceanaGold 15 years ago, including hole GAL001, which had the following exceptional results on a well-defined quartz vein at shallow depth:

GAL001: 21.9m (5m true width) of 92.0g/t Au including 1m of 1911 g/t Au (60 oz/t).

GAL001 was drilled down the vein, giving an exaggerated width but provides for a compelling and prospective target to follow up immediately.

Rua Gold has collated hundreds of thousands of data points from its recent Siren acquisition, historic workings and contemporary exploration on its multiple mine sites, and district wide geophysical data over the Reefton Goldfields. The ability to combine rapid data-mining of this information by VRIFY, in concert with Rua Gold’s extensive surface geochemistry and ultra-detailed UAV magnetics accumulated in the last 5 years, provides us with rapid feedback on a multi layered dataset, that now focusses our prospect ranking, and directly informs our drilling programs.

Simon Henderson, COO of Rua Gold, commented, ‘Consolidation of our holdings on the Reefton Goldfield provides a plethora of gold targets and historic deposits to examine. AI driven VRIFY provides a science data driven platform to assimilate the vast amount of data available, identify patterns and associations at lightning speed, and provide iterative feedback, constantly updating and adding value as the exploration process rolls out. We are excited by its early success in highlighting key areas such as Cumberland to prioritize our drill activity planned in 2025.’

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Figure 2: VRIFY AI hotspot identification showing Cumberland-Gallant Prospect

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CUMBERLAND HISTORY

The Cumberland gold camp comprises 7 historic mines in a 2 km long north-northwest trending zone of quartz veins and shearing. Historic production totaled 21,740oz gold at an average recovered grade of 26.1 g/t (see appendices).

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Figure 3: Map showing Cumberland historic mine camp

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INITIAL DRILL TARGET

Based on the extensive surface exploration work and historical drilling, the Gallant lode in the Cumberland gold camp presents an exceptional high-grade target that has never seen significant exploration work:

  • It has quartz veins outcropping on surface within an envelope of strong gold-arsenic anomalism.

  • It has several exploratory holes drilled by OceanaGold 15 years ago, which include exceptional results on a well-defined quartz vein at shallow depth (Table 1).

  • Core orientation clearly demonstrates that this intersection drilled down the quartz reef exaggerating its width.

  • Geological modelling interprets the vein to be approximately 5m wide.

Table 1: Intercept from GAL001, calculated with a 1.5ppm Au cut-off and up to 3m internal dilution.

Drill hole From To Interval Au (g/t)
GAL001 31.0 52.9 21.9m 92
including 47.0 48.0 1.0m 1911

 

Note: true width of vein: 5m.

VRIFY’S AI PLATFORM

The Company has partnered with VRIFY to onboard VRIFY’s AI-assisted mineral discovery platform to accelerate discovery, reduce costs and further de-risk exploration.

In conjunction with the consolidation of the Reefton Goldfield in November 2024, the Company implemented the VRIFY AI tool. Early in the AI training phase, Cumberland was identified as a standout target. The VRIFY team has assimilated geochemistry, drilling and geophysical data on an unprecedented scale and accuracy over the whole district, processing over 84GB of data, +170,000 data points, actively informing our 2025 drill targets for quicker project advancement and de-risking our work programs.

Rua Gold’s data, unlocked through VRIFY’s Al-assisted mineral discovery platform. This AI-assisted data synthesis enabled Rua Gold to actively and effectively rank its 2025 drill targets, accelerating its project advancement and de-risking its work programs in a matter of minutes, a process that would have taken months, if performed manually.

ACCELERATED DISCOVERY

Rua Gold inherited thousands of data points from historic activity on its multiple mine sites and exploration work with the Reefton Goldfields. The ability to rapidly mine this existing data for new insights and targets, while incorporating recent work, provided real-time feedback through VRIFY’s platform to inform drilling programs.

SCALABILITY and COST SAVINGS

Rua Gold is just beginning and is confident that VRIFY will continue to add value by allowing for the analysis of larger datasets without increasing costs linearly.

HIGHER ACCURACY

VRIFY’s proprietary Al model reduces human error and identifies patterns that manual review might miss, increasing discovery potential.

QAQC HISTORIC DRILLING (MR 5093)

Rua Gold is treating the drill results as historic.

The QP has verified the data disclosed, including drill collar location, sampling and analytical information contained in the written disclosure,

  1. Data was verified by examination of remaining core in the core-box; confirming intervals, core splitting and interval handling procedures and logged core descriptions matched original core logging.

  2. Verified the core sampling and assay procedures by examining and confirming from the original assay certificates of SGS and ALS laboratories that the sample numbers recorded matched the sample intervals logged.

  3. Verified from original assay certificates stated blanks and certified standards and duplicates were used and reported, and where deviations outside 2 standard deviations assays have been repeated.

  4. Verified that suitable assay methodology for coarse gold was used by both laboratories SGS Reefton method FASC30T(screen fire assay) and ALS method Au-SCR22AA (screen fire assay).

  5. The QP has verified in the zone of exceptionally high-grade gold values that gold is clearly visible in veinlets within a significant quartz vein.
    (c) The QP satisfactorily verified all data used in this disclosure.

The QAQC summarized from the OceanaGold report is as follows:

‘Diamond drill samples were generally taken over 1 m intervals and cut in half. Half the core was then sent to SGS or ALS. Some of the significant reef samples were analyzed at the ALS laboratory in Townsville for rapid processing and the rest were analyzed at the SGS laboratory in Westport. Due to the large amount of quartz reef drilled in the first part of the program, a screen fire technique was introduced at SGS (FAS30T).

ALS Townsville preformed 1 kg screen fire assays (Au-SCR22AA) along with a standard fire assay procedure (Au-AA26). Diamond core submissions included at the minimum one blank and two certified standards and at least two lab duplicates taken after coarse crushing of the sample. If both standard assays from the same hole returned assay values outside two standard deviations of the actual value, the laboratory was requested to re-assay the job. Assays from dispatches RD131025.1 and RD131106.1 showed significant deviation from standards and checks. These two batches were re-assayed (RD131025.1R and RD131106.1R respectively).

All assay data was imported into the Reefton project acQuire database directly from laboratory reports.’

Source: Anderson, T., 2014. MP 41164 Globe Progress annual technical report – 2014, OceanaGold Ltd; NZP&M, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE), New Zealand. Unpublished Mineral Report MR5093.

ABOUT Rua Gold

Rua Gold is an exploration company, strategically focused on New Zealand. With decades of expertise, our team has successfully taken major discoveries into producing world-class mines across multiple continents. The team is now focused on maximizing the asset potential of RUA’s two highly prospective high-grade gold projects.

The Company controls the Reefton Gold District as the dominant landholder in the Reefton Goldfield on New Zealand’s South Island with over 120,000 hectares of tenements, in a district that historically produced over 2 million ounces of gold grading between 9 and 50 grams per tonne.

The Company’s Glamorgan Project solidifies Rua Gold’s position as a leading high-grade gold explorer on New Zealand’s North Island. This highly prospective project is located within the North Islands’ Hauraki district, a region that has produced an impressive 15 million ounces of gold and 60 million ounces of silver. Glamorgan is adjacent to OceanaGold Corporation’s biggest gold mining project, WKP.

For further information, please refer to the Company’s disclosure record on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Technical Information

Simon Henderson CP, AUSIMM, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained herein.

Rua Gold Contact

Robert Eckford
Chief Executive Officer
Email: reckford@RUAGOLD.com
Website: www.RUAGOLD.com

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed ‘forward-looking statements’. All statements in this new release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-Looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words ‘expects’, ‘plans’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ‘projects’, ‘potential’ and similar expressions, or that events or conditions ‘will’, ‘would’, ‘may’, ‘could’ or ‘should’ occur and specifically include statements regarding: the Company’s strategies, expectations, planned operations or future actions; and the effects and benefits of the Transaction. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. A variety of inherent risks, uncertainties and factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, affect the operations, performance and results of the Company and its business, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Some of these risks, uncertainties and factors include: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; risks related to the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war; risks related to climate change; operational risks in exploration, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration projects or capital expenditures; the actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; changes in labour costs and other costs and expenses or equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, including but not limited to environmental hazards, flooding or unfavorable operating conditions and losses, insurrection or war, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing, and commodity prices. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company’s forward-looking statements and reference should also be made to the Company’s short form base shelf prospectus dated July 11, 2024, and the documents incorporated by reference therein, filed under its SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca for a description of additional risk factors.

Forward-Looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Appendices

Historic Production Cumberland Camp (Barry, 1993)

Lode Tonnes Production
(Au oz)
Recovered grade (oz/t) Recovered grade (g/t)
Scotia 604 1,283 2.1 66.1
Gallant 2,378 759 0.3 9.9
Sir Francis Drake-Happy Valley 17,261 5,810 0.3 10.5
Cumberland 14,120 13,629 1.0 30.0
Exchange-Industry 519 260 0.5 15.6

 

Source: Barry, J.M., 1993. The History and Mineral Resources of the Reefton Goldfield. Ministry of Commerce Resource Information Report No. 15.

Reference for historical grades and production:
Barry, J.M., 1993. The History and Mineral Resources of the Reefton Goldfield. Ministry of Commerce Resource Information Report No. 15.

Reference for Gallant assay results:
Anderson, T., 2014. MP 41164 Globe Progress annual technical report – 2014, OceanaGold Ltd; NZP&M, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE), New Zealand. Unpublished Mineral Report MR5093.

Table 3: Collar for GAL001, historic drill hole.

Drill hole Easting
(NZTM)
Northing
(NZTM)
Elevation
(RL)
End depth Azimuth Dip
GAL001 1508726 5327981 628 123.7 293° -70°

 

Projection: New Zealand Transverse Mercator (NZTM) 2000.

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HIGHLIGHTS

  • Charger Zone: A significant gold target in Awalé’s portfolio, marking a transformative achievement in 2024 with some of the highest-grade intercepts in Africa in the last 12 months.

  • BBM Zone and Trend: Successful delineation and expansion of a significant gold and copper target with district scale potential for growth.

  • Financial Strength: Well-funded with nearly $10M on hand for 100%-owned property exploration and a robust partnership with Newmont.

  • Strengthened Leadership: New additions to the Board and Management bring aligned focus, driving Awalé’s strategic growth and long-term shareholder value.

  • District-Scale Potential: Awalé’s extensive land package is primed for discovery, supported by our iron oxide copper gold (IOCG) geological model, unlocking untapped opportunities across the region.

  • 2025 Exploration Plan: Robust and comprehensive plan to continue de-risking BBM and Charger targets, and expand exploration focus across a broader regional scale to unlock the full potential of the Odienné project.

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – January 13, 2025) – Awalé Resources Limited (TSXV: ARIC) (‘Awalé‘ or the ‘Company‘) is pleased to provide a review of its achievements in 2024 and share its outlook for the first half of 2025. This exciting phase includes commencing drilling on our 100%-owned Fremen property, continuing to de-risk the BBM and Charger targets, and expanding our exploration focus across a broader regional scale to unlock the full potential of the Odienné project. A follow-up update will be provided later in the year to review full-year progress and outline plans for the remainder of 2025.

‘On behalf of the Awalé team, I want to thank our investors for their support over the past year. With a solid balance sheet, a valued joint venture partner, and significant milestones achieved in 2024, we have established a strong foundation for an ambitious year ahead. Driven by a disciplined approach to exploration and discovery, we remain confident in our strategy and are steadfast in our commitment to unlocking the full potential of the Odienné project, delivering sustained value to our shareholders. Moreover, we take pride in fostering sustainable development and building meaningful partnerships in the communities where we operate, creating a lasting positive impact in the region,’ Commented Andrew Chubb, CEO of Awalé Resources.

View video of CEO Andrew Chubb and VP Exploration Andrew Smith discussing upcoming plans

2025 H1 Outlook

Awalé is committed to providing consistent and transparent updates throughout 2025. Our exploration efforts will prioritize key zones, leveraging innovative strategies to drive discovery and advance resource delineation, adding value to our shareholders and local stakeholders.

Key Zones and Targets

Fremen Target (100% Awalé)

  • Overview: A new 3.5km-long target, 4km on strike from BBM discovery.
  • Induced Polarisation (‘IP’) geophysics to commence in January 2025, with the aim to further delineate the BBM trend.
  • 2000m of maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling planned, with results expected from March 2025.

100% Awalé Permits

  • Overview: 1,693km2 untested ground, in the same geology as the four major Awalé discoveries.
  • Activities: 2025 will see initial drilling on the Fremen target along with systematic early-stage target generation with mapping and geochemistry surveys and with airborne programs, including magnetic and radiometric surveys.

BBM Zone

  • Overview: Drill, develop, and expand the higher-grade shoots within structurally controlled gold-copper mineralization. A broad IP survey to be completed over the BBM zone, targeting strike extents of the initial discovery zone.
  • Diamond Drilling Plan: 7000m planned for the BBM zone, including 3000m within the discovery area.
  • Timeframe: Diamond drilling started in Q4 2024 and is ongoing, with a regular flow of results expected from January 2025.

BBM Trend

  • Overview: Newly identified targets, Boba and Fett, highlight the strike potential of the BBM trend.
  • Activities: 150 line-km of IP geophysics is planned to cover over 10km of the BBM trend, followed by up to 7000m of RC drilling.
  • Timeframe: IP survey scheduled for completion in January 2025, with RC drilling to follow in February 2025.
  • Initial drill results are expected from April 2025.

Charger Zone

  • Overview: Following up on the spectacular 2024 gold results; diamond drilling is planned to further delineate and expand this promising zone.
  • Diamond Drilling Plan: 2000m planned to test the continuity of a new geology fold model and rapidly advance the volume potential of this target.
  • Timeframe: Initial drilling has commenced in early January 2025, with results expected from February 2025.
  • Drilling success will drive further diamond drilling in Q1.

Empire Zone

  • Overview: Awalé’s first and significant gold discovery. Infill diamond drilling is planned, with the aim to bring the target back online for further expansion drilling and development.
  • Drill results expected from March 2025.

Lando Target

  • Overview: System drilling aims to test the full potential of the largest copper-gold-in-soil anomaly in the joint venture permit.
  • Work Plan: Following an orientation pitting program in January 2025, a combination of reverse circulation and diamond drilling will commence in February 2025, with results expected from April 2025.

Odienné West Permit

  • Overview: Known mineralized trends and geology are modelled to extend into the Odienné West permit, with early phase greenfield work expected to unlock exploration potential in an underexplored area.
  • Activities: 2025 will see early-stage target generation, with mapping and geochemistry surveys along with airborne programs including magnetic, radiometric, and gravity gradient surveys. All exploration is fully funded by Newmont.

Technological and Operational Enhancements

  • Portable PPB Lab: On-site deployment to accelerate assay turnaround times and improve decision-making efficiency.
  • Geophysics: Comprehensive airborne and ground geophysical surveys to refine targeting across all key zones.

Other Initiatives

  • Educational Content: Rolling out materials to explain the geology of Odienné, our targeting methodology, and broader district context.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Maintaining first-mover advantage by building trust and showcasing Awale’s vision for the region.

2024 HIGHLIGHTS

2024 was a pivotal year for Awalé marked by key leadership changes that aligned the Company with its strategic vision, efforts to strengthen the balance sheet and ensure financial stability, and significant progress at the Odienné project. These achievements have positioned Awalé as a leader in district-scale exploration, with a clear path toward resource delineation and new discoveries. Key highlights include:

  • BBM Discovery – 4th discovery at Odienné announced in January. BBM was a significant new greenfield discovery for the Company with excellent scope for rapid expansion.

  • Highest-Grade Gold Intercepts in Africa – During the year, Charger delivered some of highest-grade intercepts in West Africa over the past 12 months, including 45.7 g/t Au over 32m in hole OEDD-83, 20 g/t Au over 29m in hole OEDD-88, and 14.7 g/t Au over 59m in OEDD-100. Ongoing drill program aims to test new hinge fold thesis, targeting extensions to both grade and volume.

  • BBM Growing and Remains Open – 6,808m in 28 holes have confirmed the system is open at depth with the higher-grade core growing to 600m and remaining open. The BBM trend has now been expanded to over 15km, from 100%-owned Fremen target in the south to the newly identified Boba and Fett targets in the north.

  • New Gold Footprint Discovery at 100%-Owned Fremen Target – In October, the Company announced that it uncovered a new and open 3.5km long > 37 parts per billion gold in termitaria footprint with a peak value of 1.3 g/t Au. The program was completed within Awalé’s 100%-owned Sienso permit next door to the BBM discovery, which lies 4km along strike to the northwest.

  • Financial Strength – The Company is well-funded with $10 million in cash, following an $11.5 million capital raise in April 2024, allocated to advance 100%-owned properties and partnership with Newmont, which is funding all exploration work on joint venture claims.

  • Strengthened Leadership Team – Additions of Anthony Moreau and Karl Akueson to the Board of Directors, along with the appointment of Stephen Stewart as Chairman, as part of a strategic leadership transition. The management team further bolstered with the additions of Andrew Smith as VP Exploration, Ardem Keshishian as VP Corporate Development, and John Scott as Principal Geologist. At the request of the TSXV, the Company is clarifying Ardem Keshishian’s role as VP Corporate Development and not VP Corporate Development and Investor Relations.

  • New Exploration Permit – In Q4, the Company was granted an exploration permit for PR-904 (‘Odienné West’), unlocking expanded opportunities within the emerging gold and copper district.

About Awalé Resources

Awalé is a diligent and systematic mineral exploration company focused on discovering large high-grade gold and copper-gold deposits. Exploration activities are currently underway in the underexplored regions of Côte d’Ivoire, where the Company is focused on the Odienné Copper-Gold Project (‘Odienné‘ or the ‘Project‘), covering 2,489 km2 across seven permits. This includes 796 km2 in two permits held under the Awalé-Newmont Joint Venture (‘OJV’). Awalé manages all exploration activities over the OJV, with funding provided by Newmont Joint Ventures Limited (‘Newmont‘).

Awalé has discovered four gold, gold-copper, and gold-copper-silver-molybdenum discoveries within the OJV and has recently commenced exploration on its 100%-owned properties following an $11.5 million capital raise in April 2024.

The Odienné project is underexplored and has multiple pipeline prospects with similar geochemical signatures to Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) and intrusive-related mineral systems with substantial upside potential. The Company benefits from a skilled and well seasoned technical team that allows it to continue exploring in a pro-mining jurisdiction that offers significant potential for district-scale discoveries.

Quality Control and Assurance

Analytical work for geochemistry samples is being carried out at the independent Intertek Laboratories in Ghana and Australia, an ISO 17025 (2017) Certified Laboratory. Samples are prepared and stored at the Company’s field camps and put into sealed bags until collected by Intertek from the Company’s secure Odienné office and transported by Intertek to their preparation laboratory in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, for preparation. Samples are logged in the tracking system, weighed, dried, and pulverized to greater than 85%, passing a 75-micron screen. Two pulps are prepared from each sample with one stream to Intertek Ghana for fire assay and a second to Australia where the sample is analyzed by 52 element ICP/MS with an Aqua Regia digest. Blanks, duplicates, and certified reference material (standards) are being used to monitor laboratory performance during the analysis.

Qualified Person

The technical and scientific information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved for release by Andrew Chubb, the Company’s Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Chubb is the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and holds an Economic Geology degree, is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), and is a Member of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). Mr. Chubb has over 25 years of experience in international mineral exploration and mining project evaluation.

AWALÉ Resources Limited
On behalf of the Board of Directors

‘Andrew Chubb’
Chief Executive Officer

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Andrew Chubb, CEO
(+356) 99139117
a.chubb@awaleresources.com

Ardem Keshishian, VP Corporate Development
+1 (416) 471-5463
a.keshishian@awaleresources.com

The Company’s public documents may be accessed at www.sedarplus.com. For further information on the Company, please visit our website at www.awaleresources.com.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (collectively ‘forward-looking statements’). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plans, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include but are not limited to statements regarding, the Company’s presence in Côte d’Ivoire and ability to achieve results, creation of value for Company shareholders, achievements under the Newmont JV, works on other properties, planned drilling, commencement of operations. Although the Company believes any forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis as filed under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) (‘Forum’ or the ‘Company’) announces assay results from the remaining eight drill holes for the Tatiggaq anomaly completed as part of the 2024 exploration program on its 100% owned Aberdeen property in Nunavut, Canada. These drill holes were designed to test sub-parallel structures within the Tatiggaq gravity anomaly at significant step out intervals, demonstrating the large- scale potential of the project with the identification of a potential new zone 300 metres north of the Main Tatiggaq deposit. Drillhole TAT24-021 intersected 0.79% U3O8 over 0.1 m in a strong alteration zone with significant geochemical pathfinder elements at a depth of 221 metres.

Rick Mazur, CEO said, ‘Forum has the most advanced exploration property in the Thelon Basin right next door to an economically viable uranium deposit. This year’s drill program successfully expanded the footprint of our two basement-hosted discoveries, Tatiggaq and Qavvik and initiated our search for large unconformity contact-type deposits with drilling at the Ned, Ayra and Loki targets. With continued drilling of our numerous blue sky target areas and further resource delineation on the Aberdeen Project, we believe that a generational uranium mining district is unfolding.’

Dr. Rebecca Hunter, Forum’s VP, Exploration stated, ‘The objectives we had for the 2024 drilling at Tatiggaq were to expand within the proximal footprint but also to step out at significant intervals to identify potential new uranium zones. With this last series of holes, we intersected uranium mineralization outside of the current Tatiggaq deposit area. While the uranium intercept is small, this is significant as results from the other holes in the series included elevated levels of uranium and boron, an important pathfinder element for uranium mineralization in the Thelon Basin. We are encouraged for the potential of the area to host more zones of uranium mineralization to build the scale of the Tatiggaq deposit given half of the anomaly remains untested.’

ABERDEEN PROJECT – THELON BASIN – NUNAVUT

The Aberdeen Project consists of 950 square kilometres (2,460 square miles) of mineral claims in the Thelon Basin, located approximately 100 km west of Baker Lake, adjacent to the 127 million pound Kiggavik Project held by Orano/Denison/UEC*. The property was staked in 2021 by Forum and includes two preliminary discoveries: Tatiggaq and Qavvik which were made by Cameco, the previous operator. The previous operator drilled 135 holes totalling 36,100 metres, including 38 that were drilled into the Tatiggaq anomaly. Forum’s 2024 exploration program consisted of 30 diamond drill holes covering 6,962 meters. Figure 1 shows the 2024 drill hole locations and the main east-northeast structures (Thelon and Judge Sissons faults) as well as the numerous, sub-parallel subsidiary faults.

TATIGGAQ PROGRAM – TESTING SUB-PARALLEL STRUCTURES

Forum completed eight drill holes testing along the Tatiggaq Fault and subsidiary ENE-trending faults (A-F) to determine if there are additional mineralized zones or evidence of potential zones (Drill holes: TAT24-016 to TAT24-023). All eight drill holes intersected clay alteration and fault structures as well as elevated Boron, which is an important pathfinder element for uranium mineralization in the Thelon Basin. Maximum boron total digestion values of 967 ppm (TAT24-021), 792 ppm (TAT24-022), and 1,160 ppm (TAT24-023) were intersected. TAT24-021 also intersected elevated partial digestion values for Ag (23 ppm); As (151 ppm), Mo (4,200 ppm), and Zn (1,400 ppm), which are elements largely found very proximal to uranium mineralization in this area. Uranium mineralization was intersected in TAT24-021 and the intercept is as follows:

  • TAT24-021 intersected 0.38% U3O8 over 0.3 m from 220.8 to 221.1 m including:
    • 0.79% U3O8 over 0.1 m (221.0 – 221.1 m)

TAT24-021 intersected strong clay alteration, as well as numerous fractures and breccias with abundant sooty sulphide and elevated radioactivity indicative of being potentially proximal to a mineralized zone. Elevated uranium was intersected in TAT24-017 (74 ppm); TAT24-019 (76 ppm); TAT24-020 (112 ppm) and TAT24-023 (87 ppm). These intersections coincided with increased fracturing, bleaching, sooty sulphide and clay alteration. TAT24-023 was attempting to follow-up on uranium mineralization intersected at TAT24-021 but was lost in strong clay alteration and will need to be retested. The northern part of the Tatiggaq anomaly has shown that it is highly anomalous in both uranium and boron and the entire northeast part of the anomaly was not tested in 2024. Future testing along of these fertile structures to the northeast, in particular the Tatiggaq Fault and the D Fault, could be prospective for additional zones. Figure 2 is a plan map showing the 2024 step out drill hole locations and the fault zones.

TATIGGAQ 2024 DRILL PROGRAM SUMMARY

Cameco drilled 38 holes on the Tatiggaq Main and West zones prior to Forum’s acquisition of the project by staking in 2021. Forum’s 2023 and 2024 drill programs were formulated to infill and extend areas within the inferred mineralization to commence development of a preliminary maiden resource. In total, Forum’s 2024 Tatiggaq exploration program consisted of 19 drill holes of which 11 were focused on the Main and West deposits and were designed to expand, infill and understand the resource within the proximal footprint of the existing discoveries. Eight drillholes tested sub-parallel structures at significant step out intervals and successfully identified a potential new zone 300 metres north of the Tatiggaq Main and West deposits.

Highlights of the program were:

  • Tatiggaq Main – Another parallel lense of high-grade uranium was intersected extending the width to 35 metres and remains open to a greater thickness.
  • Tatiggaq West – Drilling demonstrated lateral continuity and thickness to the west and remains open along strike and at depth.
  • Tatiggaq North – A potential new zone 300 metres north of the Main Tatiggaq deposit with an intersection of 0.79% U3O8 over 0.1 m at 221 m depth. The northern part of the Tatiggaq anomaly has shown that it is highly anomalous in both uranium and boron. The entire northeast part of the anomaly is prospective along the fertile structures to the northeast, in particular the Tatiggaq Fault and the D Fault.
  • Tatiggaq West Resampling – Forum resampled six historical uranium mineralized drill holes from the Tatiggaq West zone as these drill results were not filed publicly by the previous operator. These results now provide Forum with a complete mineralized assay database of the Tatiggaq West zone, and in concert with the public historical drill data and the drilling data from Forum’s 2023 and 2024 exploration programs, form the foundation for the development of an in-house resource at Tatiggaq.

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Figure 1 Property map with the locations of the 2024 diamond drilling program on the Aberdeen Project. The drilling reported is within the Tatiggaq area.

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Figure 2 The location of the 2024 Tatiggaq reconnaissance drilling with the main fault traces including the main Tatiggaq Fault and the subsidiary ENE-trending faults denoted A to F. Drill holes with elevated uranium and boron are shown.

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QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL (QA/QC)

Forum implemented a robust QA/QC program for its 2024 drill program, expanding upon the program used in 2023. This sampling program was used in the resampling program as well. The 2024 QA/QC program utilized control samples comprising certified reference materials (CRMs), duplicates, and blank samples. CRMs were used to monitor laboratory accuracy in the analysis of mineralized and non-mineralized samples, duplicate samples were used to monitor analytical precision and repeatability at the preparation and analytical stages, and blank samples were used to monitor for cross contamination during preparation and analytical stages.

Control samples were inserted every 10th sample, alternating between blank, duplicate, and uranium CRM. Duplicate samples alternated between field, coarse, and pulp duplicates. Three low grade uranium CRMs were alternated between: BL-4a (0.1248% U), DH-1a (0.2629% U), and BL-2a (0.426% U). A high-grade uranium CRM (BL-5; 7.09% U) was inserted into the sample sequence when counts exceeded 10,000 cps. Blanks and duplicates were inserted at a rate of 1-in-20 in non-mineralized holes. For mineralized holes, blanks, duplicates, and uranium CRMs were inserted at a rate of 1-in-30.

In addition to Forum’s QA/QC program, SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (SRC) conducted an independent QA/QC program, and its laboratory repeats, non-radioactive laboratory standards (BSL18, BSM, BSH, DCB01), and radioactive lab standards (BL2A, BL4A, BL5, and SRCU02) were monitored and tracked by Forum staff.

For the resampling program the original sample intervals were identified from markers that still were present on the core boxes and quarter split samples were obtained from the remaining half split core that remained in the core boxes. The core was weathered and broken down in places due to the strong clay content in much of the mineralized intervals but it did not appear that any core was missing and it was in otherwise good condition.

ASSAYING AND ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES

Composite, Spot, and Assay samples were shipped to the ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 accredited SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories in Saskatoon for sample preparation and analysis.

Non-mineralized systematic and spot samples are dried, crushed, and pulverized for analysis by the ICP-MS Exploration Package for sandstone and basement (codes ICP-MS1 and ICP-MS2 respectively). This analytical package consists of three separate analyses of inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) on the partial and total digestions of an aliquot of sample pulp material. Partial digestion is completed via nitric and hydrochloric acids and total digestion is completed via hydrofluoric, nitric, and perchloric acids. The SRC implements several instrumental and analytical quality control procedures for this analytical package. Instrumental checks comprise two calibration checks and two calibration standards. Analytical quality control consists of one blank, two reference materials, and one pulp replicate (duplicate) in each group of 40 samples.

Samples with radioactivity over 500 CPS and indicated as assay samples were analysed using the ICP-MS Exploration Package (ICP-MS), ICP-OES (ICP1), and U3O8 Assay (U3O8 wt% Assay). The sample preparation procedures for ICP-MS and ICP1 are the same, and the U3O8 wt% assay uses an aliquot of sample pulp digested in hydrochloric and nitric acid followed by ICP-OES finish. This method is capable of detecting as low as 0.001 weight percent (wt%) U3O8. All Assay samples were also analysed for gold by fire assay using aqua regia with ICP-OES finish.

Boron analysis was conducted on all sample types and is completed by fusing an aliquot of sample pulp in a mixture of Na2O2 and NaCO3, followed by ICP-OES. The SRC inserts a blank, an in-house reference material, and a replicate sample with each batch for analytical quality control and uses a 1000 ppm B commercial certified solution for equipment calibration.

Downhole Radiometric Probing Method

Of the 30 holes completed in 2024,18 were successfully radiometrically logged using a 2GHF-1000 Triple Gamma downhole probe sourced from Terraplus in Ontario, Canada. The probe measures natural gamma radiation every 10 cm along the length of the drill hole. The total count NaI, which reports in count per second, may not be directly or uniformly related to uranium grades and are only an indication of the presence of radioactive minerals.

*Source: The Kiggavik deposit is held by Orano (66.2%), Denison (16.9%) and Uranium Energy Corp. (16.9%). Kiggavik mineral resources are 127.3 million pounds Indicated mineral resource grading 0.55% U3O8 and 5.4 million pounds Inferred mineral resource grading 0.33% U3O8 as reported on the Denison Mines Ltd. Corporate Presentation dated November 2024, p. 23 on their website and the Orano 2023 Activities Report converted from tonnes U to pounds U3O8 and from %U to %U3O8. Cut-off grades and other assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate resources are unknown. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves and the issuer is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves.

Rebecca Hunter, Ph.D., P.Geo., Forum’s Vice President of Exploration and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

ABOUT Forum Energy Metals

Forum Energy Metals Corp.(TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) is focused on the discovery of high-grade unconformity-related uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan and the Thelon Basin, Nunavut. In addition, Forum holds a diversified energy metal portfolio of copper, nickel, and cobalt projects in Saskatchewan and Idaho. For further information: https://www.forumenergymetals.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Forum’s actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: uncertainties related to the historical data, the work expenditure commitments; the ability to raise sufficient capital to fund future exploration or development programs; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; changes commodity prices, litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties or an inability to obtain permits required in connection with maintaining or advancing its exploration projects.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard J. Mazur, P.Geo.
President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information contact:

Rick Mazur, P.Geo., President & CEO
mazur@forumenergymetals.com
Tel: 604-630-1585

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Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (‘Westport’) (TSX:WPRT Nasdaq:WPRT), announces that Brenda Eprile has retired from Westport’s Board of Directors (the ‘Board’), effective January 6, 2025. The Board is currently evaluating alternatives with respect to the appointment of an independent director to fill the vacancy.

‘On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to Brenda for her exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication throughout her 11 year tenure,’ said Dan Hancock, Westport Fuel Systems Board Chair. ‘Brenda has been an invaluable part of our team, and we wish her well in her next chapter.’

About Westport Fuel Systems

At Westport Fuel Systems, we are driving innovation to power a cleaner tomorrow. We are a leading supplier of advanced fuel delivery components and systems for clean, low-carbon fuels such as natural gas, renewable natural gas, propane, and hydrogen to the global transportation industry. Our technology delivers the performance and fuel efficiency required by transportation applications and the environmental benefits that address climate change and urban air quality challenges. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with operations in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, we serve our customers in more than 70 countries with leading global transportation brands. At Westport Fuel Systems, we think ahead. For more information, visit www.wfsinc.com.

Investor Inquiries:
Investor Relations
T: +1 604-718-2046
E: invest@wfsinc.com

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Saga Metals Corp. (‘SAGA’ or the ‘Company’) (TSXV: SAGA) (OTCQB: SAGMF) (FSE: 20H) a North American exploration company focused on critical mineral discovery, is pleased to announce the completion of an initial petrographic petrological analysis and geophysical analysis, improving the geological understanding of the drill ready Radar Titanium-Vanadium (Ti-V) project in Labrador, Canada.

Michael Garagan, CGO & Director of Saga Metals Corp. comments: ‘This data couldn’t have come at a better time as we head into the mobilization of our maiden drill program at the Radar project. These magnetic inverse sections are going to help enormously in our drill targeting throughout the 2025 program. As you can see in Figure 3 below, the main anomalous zone is between 200-400 meters depth, but we can still see the high- grade potential in this model at 600+ meters below the surface. Ultimately the model is most accurate in the first 200 meters where the magnetics are still strong enough to give a robust signature. We know this system is vertical, so I would like to see the system remaining robust as we increase in depth. The projection of the model below 200-400 meters is encouraging because it’s based off the presence of magnetite, which we have picked up in our surveys. This interpretation suggests impressive width throughout the structure and our drill program will start to better define the nature of this zone. We now have a much better understanding of this Vanadium titanomagnetite structure and we are excited to build upon this knowledge as we continue our metallurgical analysis throughout drilling, keeping the economic viability of our projects at the forefront to ensure value creation for our shareholders.’

Radar Titanium & Vanadium Project – Labrador, Canada

The Radar Ti-V Property is located 10km south of Cartwright in Labrador, Canada. The project spans 17,250 hectares and benefits from road access, supporting efficient exploration and development.

Regional map of the Radar Ti-V project highlighting the Hawkeye, Trapper and third transitional zone and the projects proximity to the town of Cartwright, Labrador

Figure 1: Regional map of the Radar Ti-V project highlighting the Hawkeye, Trapper and third transitional zone and the projects proximity to the town of Cartwright, Labrador

The Hawkeye zone is the most prospective target on the property. Detailed geophysics and surface samples are suggestive of a complex and multi-phased layered mafic intrusion that may be upwards of 1km wide and 4km long. The geophysics completed show very detailed correlation to the rock samples and observed phase changes with the potential for multiple parallel systems.

Geophysics Completed with Inverse Interpretation:

Saga Metals has successfully completed a detailed magnetic and electromagnetic (EM) survey over the northwest section of the Hawkeye Zone at the Radar Project. Utilizing ground-based equipment on a tightly spaced grid, with 25 meters between stations and 50-meter line spacing, the survey delivered high-resolution magnetic and conductivity data. This effort has proven highly effective in mapping magnetite-rich zones within the Gabbro Norite host rock, a key indicator of titanium (TiO₂) and vanadium (V₂O₅) mineralization.

The magnetic survey was so successful that the high-resolution imagery combined with sample assays and field observations can be used to map some of the most distinguishing features of the system throughout this zone.

SAGA continued to update its geophysics with the magnetic inversions of the Hawkeye zone. Completed by Chris and David Mark of Geotronics, the magnetic inversions can project, with a high degree of certainty up to 400 meters in depth, what the mineralized magnetic body looks like beneath the surface.

Magnetic inversion of the Hawkeye zone looking north-northeast. Range of

Figure 2:   Magnetic inversion of the Hawkeye zone looking north-northeast. Range of > 0.02 susceptibility cut off.

Same magnetic inversion of the Hawkeye zone looking east at profile cross section with

Figure 3:   Same magnetic inversion of the Hawkeye zone looking east at profile cross section with > 0.02 susceptibility cut off.

Petrographic Analysis at the Radar Ti-V Project:

Recent petrographic work completed by Dr. Al Miller on rock samples from the Hawkeye zone have increased our understanding of the mineralogical host of Titanium and Vanadium mineralization at the Radar project. This sets the foundation for the metallurgical work the team hopes to be able to build on during the 2025 drill programs.

First look at the petrography of the Hawkeye zone reveals more than one composition of magnetite; evidence which contributes to the hypothesis of multiphase mineralization events. Additionally, petrographic evidence reveals that much of the titanium and vanadium mineralization occurs within magnetite with a lack of ilmenite in many of the layers. This is key to understanding how these elements are locked up together and ultimately how they’ll separate during extraction. These layers have assayed high TiO2% and V2O5% leading to the use of Vanadium Titanomagnetite (VTM) classification of several mineralized layers of the Hawkeye zone. Ilmenite with exsolution lamellae of the magnetite was observed but only in a few cases. This has contributed to what can be called differential compositional layering and multiple mineralization magmatic layering events.

Michael Garagan, CGO & Director of Saga Metals Corp. stated: ‘The results of the work completed to date suggests that there were several pulses of magma and multiple phases of deposition. Magnetite was the dominant mineral in the identified layers but differs slightly, representing a different genesis. The observed differences show multiple phases of titanium and vanadium locked up in the magnetite. One phase shows magnetite with minor amounts of ilmenite, which likely formed at its own chemical expense and likely taking Ti and V to form that mineral. The second phase has no ilmenite present and can be called Titanomagnetite. These different magnetite phases can be found in very different layers from each other. This suggests a mineralizing system that was active for a long period of time and the possibility of more mineralization over a broader area.’

Petrography of Hawkeye zone shows significant magnetite (Mt) mineralization with a Hornblende (Hb), Diopside/ Orthopyroxene (Di) and Plagioclase groundmass

Figure 4 : Petrography of Hawkeye zone shows significant magnetite (Mt) mineralization with a Hornblende (Hb), Diopside/ Orthopyroxene (Di) and Plagioclase groundmass.

VTM’s are a mineralization style that has not received much attention in North America but is a pivotal piece of China’s iron, titanium and vanadium mining and production industry.

‘Vanadium titanomagnetite (VTM), which contains valuable elements such as iron, vanadium, and titanium, has an extremely high potential value. VTM resources in the PanXi regions of China are estimated at up to 10 Gt (billion tons), and account for 93% and 63% of the country’s titanium and vanadium resources respectively. The exploitation of VTMs has thus received much attention.

Traditionally VTM have been considered difficult to treat and separate metallurgically but due to their importance within countries like China, new research and separation methods are proving that this is no longer the case. Recent efforts of VTM recovery methods succeeded in achieving: Recoveries of up to 80.08% for titanium, 95.07% for iron, and 71.60% for vanadium were achieved.’ (Barksdale, 1966; Chen et al., 2011)

Michael Garagan, CGO & Director of Saga Metals Corp. comments : ‘These results are very promising for the future of the Radar project. To expedite the economic viability of multiple projects within our portfolio we felt it necessary to begin this mineralogical and early metallurgical work. Encouragingly, these results are exactly what we hoped to see from the rock as they highlight a favourable mineralogical genesis for a competitive Vanadium Titanomagnetite deposit.’

Petrography of Hawkeye zone shows significant magnetite (Mt) mineralization with weathered Pyrrhotite (Po) crystals

Figure 5:   Petrography of Hawkeye zone shows significant magnetite (Mt) mineralization with weathered Pyrrhotite (Po) crystals

Petrographic work and analysis completed by Dr. Al Miller:

With an Honours B.Sc. and Ph.D., Dr. Miller brings over 25 years of consultancy experience in mineral deposits and previously worked for 25 years with the Geological Survey of Canada, where he specialized in large-scale mapping and deposit evaluation. His expertise covers a wide range of minerals, including uranium, gold, nickel-copper-platinum group elements (Ni-Cu-PGE), and copper-gold porphyry. He has also contributed to global exploration efforts across Canada, the Americas, China, and Russia. With numerous publications to his name, his extensive industry experience includes roles as a Director, Chief Geologist, VP of Exploration, and Head of Technical Teams for several exploration companies.

Market opportunity for Titanium and Vanadium:

‘As of June 2023, the market value of titanium was projected to grow to nearly 31 billion U.S. dollars. The titanium market size is forecast to grow over the coming years, to nearly 52 billion U.S. dollars in 2030.’ ( M. Jaganmohan , 2025).

‘The global vanadium market size was valued at USD 4.28 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow from USD 3.46 billion in 2024 to USD 4.89 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.4% during the forecast period. Asia Pacific dominated the vanadium market with a market share of 72.9% in 2023.’ ( Fortune Business , 2024)

Drilling Upcoming at the Radar Titanium & Vanadium Project:

The Company has received drill permits from the Newfoundland & Labrador government to commence drilling at Radar Titanium-Vanadium (Ti-V) project.

Highlights heading into the drilling programs include:

  • Maiden Drill Programs: Drilling is scheduled to commence in Q1 2025 with a minimum 1,500m program at the Radar Ti-V Project.
  • Radar Ti-V Drilling Location: The Hawkeye zone is the most advanced zone with both surface samples and detailed geophysics creating clear drill targets.
  • Radar’s Hawkeye Zone Potential: Assays have returned consistent values between 2.5 – 11.1% TiO2 and 0.2 – 0.66% V2O5 , confirming the presence of high-grade titanium & vanadium across a potential 1km wide and 4km long and through recent geophysics the system is suggestive of being open at depth beyond 600m.

About Saga Metals Corp.

Saga Metals Corp. is a North American mining company focused on the exploration and discovery of critical minerals that support the global transition to green energy. The company’s flagship asset, the Double Mer Uranium Project, is located in Labrador, Canada, covering 25,600 hectares. This project features uranium radiometrics that highlight an 18-kilometer east-west trend, with a confirmed 14-kilometer section producing samples as high as 0.4281% U 3 O 8 and spectrometer readings of 22,000cps.

In addition to its uranium focus, SAGA owns the Legacy Lithium Property in Quebec’s Eeyou Istchee James Bay region. This project, developed in partnership with Rio Tinto, has been expanded through the acquisition of the Amirault Lithium Project. Together, these properties cover 65,849 hectares and share significant geological continuity with other major players in the area, including Rio Tinto, Winsome Resources, Azimut Exploration, and Loyal Lithium.

SAGA also holds secondary exploration assets in Labrador, where the company is focused on the discovery of titanium, vanadium, and iron ore. With a portfolio that spans key minerals crucial to the green energy transition, SAGA is strategically positioned to play an essential role in the clean energy future.

For more information, contact:
Saga Metals Corp.
Investor Relations
Tel: +1 (778) 930-1321
Email: info@sagametals.com
www.sagametals.com

Qualified Person

Peter Webster P.Geo. CEO of Mercator Geological Services Limited is an Independent Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information related to the Radar Ti-V Project disclosed in this news release.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Disclaimer

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as ‘will’, ‘may’, ‘should’, ‘anticipates’, ‘expects’, ‘believes’, and similar expressions or the negative of these words or other comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the Company’s petrographic and geophysics results as well as plans and objectives in respect of the planned drill programs. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, environmental risks, limitations on insurance coverage, risks and uncertainties involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and the risks detailed in the Company’s final prospectus in Manitoba and amended and restated final prospectus for British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario dated August 30, 2024, filed under its SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca, and in the continuous disclosure filings made by the Company with securities regulations from time to time. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements only as expressly required by applicable law.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/54dc438a-fb0e-4339-94fc-d248afe5cabe

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6bdf78ca-308d-4d20-9949-5e047fec4841

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Overview

Mining in Ontario is big business. In 2021, Ontario’s mining industry produced roughly C$11.1 billion worth of minerals, accounting for 20 percent of Canada’s total production value. The importance of the mining industry has helped create a mining-friendly jurisdiction that understands the value of capitalizing on its natural resources. That’s why the Fraser Institute has ranked Ontario among the top 15 jurisdictions worldwide for investment attractiveness.

Additionally, the Canadian government is making a significant push to ramp up the production of critical minerals, including copper, lithium and aluminum. This push has resulted in more than 31 critical mineral projects in advanced exploration stages in Ontario,e paving the way for the development of a domestic supply chain for the country.

Heritage Mining (CSE:HML) is an exploration and development mining company with district-scale assets targeting gold and copper mineralizations within Ontario. The company’s flagship Drayton-Black Lake project is a strategically assembled district-scale project with encouraging bulk samples, high-grade gold intercepts and robust existing infrastructure. An experienced management team leads Heritage Mining with more than 100 years of combined experience working within the natural resources sector.

Heritage Mining project

The Drayton-Black Lake project is a district-scale asset with a rich history, but a single company has never operated the entire area. Instead, it was split up among different operators and has never received systematic exploration to determine its mineralizations’ actual width and depth.

As a result, Heritage Mining is launching the first systematic exploration program that will identify promising deposits throughout the entire area of this historic region from a low-grade, high-tonnage perspective.

The company entered a definitive asset purchase agreement with Bounty Gold Corp. to acquire 50 mining claims in the Split Lake zone adjacent to Heritage’s flagship Drayton-Black Lake project. Heritage will acquire a 100 percent interest in the Split Lake property in exchange for issuing Bounty 100,000 common shares.

“Relative to other projects in the area, we are very close to infrastructure. There is a paved highway through the property, all-weather logging roads, and well-maintained ATV roads. So it’s quite a bit different than other projects in Northern Ontario: there are no ice roads and we don’t have to fly in to do work,” CEO Peter Schloo stated in an interview.

The company also operates the Contact Bay project containing high-grade copper-nickel mineralizations. The 4,700-hectare land package is within an active mining area and has known gold, nickel and platinum-palladium mineralizations. While the Drayton-Black Lake project is the main focus, Contact Bay will expose the company to critical minerals.

Heritage Mining’s management team has a proven track record in the mining industry and has overseen transactions exceeding C$15 billion. In addition, the team has experience in corporate finance, administration and geology.

Company Highlights

  • Heritage Mining is an exploration and development mining company with district-scale opportunities in Ontario, Canada, targeting gold and copper.
  • The company’s flagship project, the Drayton-Black Lake project, has strong historical results but has never been systematically explored from a low-grade, high-tonnage perspective. Heritage is the first company to own the entire area and will conduct a thorough exploration program to identify promising mineralizations.
  • Drayton-Black Lake project has existing infrastructure that provides year-round highway access to the property, a significant advantage over other regional projects.
  • Samples from the company’s 2022 field program showed multiple high-grade gold vein system channels.
  • Heritage Mining’s Contact Bay project contains high-grade copper-gold mineralizations and exposes the company to the critical minerals market that is rapidly growing within Ontario.
  • A veteran management team leads the company with a combined 100 years of experience in the mining sector.

Key Projects

Drayton-Black Lake Project

Heritage Mining

The 14,229-hectare project has undergone significant historical exploration, including more than 176 holes drilled, with high-grade gold and copper discoveries. The project is located in a mature mining district in Ontario, a jurisdiction known for its low geopolitical risk and mining-friendly government.

Project Highlights:

  • Priority Zones Identified: Heritage Mining has identified four priority gold zones with multiple historic high-grade intersections that will guide future exploration programs. These zones are:
    • Moretti Zone – Samples up to 1,212 g/t gold
    • Split Lake Zone – 0.7 meters at 14.8 g/t gold
    • Shaft Zone – 2 meters at 14.5 g/t gold
    • West Zone – Up to 150.86 g/t gold
  • Over 100 Years of Historical Data: Exploration data from the past century is being compiled to create a greater understanding of the area that will rapidly advance the project by guiding future exploration decisions.

The Alcona Area has been approved for Phase II Drill Program to define its deposit potential.

Contact Bay Copper-Gold Project

Heritage Mining

The project covers 4,700 hectares and contains multiple high-grade copper-nickel and gold occurrences. Contact Bay is also located in Ontario andt is in the exploration phase, with targets identified for exploratory drilling.

Project Highlights:

  • Promising Mineralization Styles: The asset contains a diverse range of mineralizations, including:
    • Northeast – Rock sample assayed 0.40 g/t gold and 0.7 percent copper, sheared and altered gabbro
    • Northeast – A 1.2-meter chip channel assayed 4.2 g/t Au
    • Platinum and Palladium values up to 0.28g/t
  • Priority Targets Identified: Heritage Minerals has three priority drill targets, each with high-grade historic drill intersections that warrant additional follow-up.
  • Impressive Geophysical Interpretation: Exciting highlights from exploration work include the interpretation defining two substantial mafic-ultramafic intrusive bodies with multiple nickel-copper-PGE (platinum group elements) target areas:
    • Nabish Lake Area: ~ 5 kilometers long, up to 1 kilometer wide, over 1 kilometer in depth)
    • North Nabish Lake Area: ~ 2 kilometers long, 1 kilometer wide, over 1 kilometer in depth

Geophysical interpretation of the Contact Bay area along with findings from the 2023 prospecting program, suggest geological similarities to other Archean nickell-copper-PGE occurrences and deposits.

Management Team

Peter Schloo – President, CEO and Director

Peter Schloo holds the CPA, CA and CFA designations with over eight years of progressive experience in capital markets, operations and assurance. He has held senior executive and director positions in a number of private companies, a majority in the precious metals sector including CFO of Spirit Banner Capital and VP of corporate development and interim CFO for Ion Energy. Schloo is also currently a director of Pacific Empire Minerals. (PEMC). His past successes include over C$80 million in associated capital raising opportunities involving public and private companies.

Patrick Mohan – Chairman and Director

Patrick Mohan is a 35-year investor relations veteran and is the founder, president and chief executive officer of Mohan Group. Mohan is also on the board of Metals Creek Resources Corp. Previously, he occupied the position of president, CEO, director and head of investor relations at Kitrinor Metals. Mohan’s past successes include the development of the Cote Gold Project and the sale of Trelawney Mining & Exploration to IAMGOLD for C$585 million (US$595 million) in cash In 2012.

Wray Carvelas – Director and Chair of Compensation Committee

Wray Carvelas has provided 25 years of visionary leadership, developing and implementing ambitious strategic plans. As a senior executive at DRA Global he was responsible for the growth and development of the business in both North and South America. The mandate was to grow business in the Americas, both organically and inorganically without any significant capital base. Carvelas also held positions at KBR, ELB, and De Beers, involving management of development, production, and metallurgical (R&D and capital management) responsibilities.

Thomas Reid – Director

Thomas Reid has a 30 year career with Sun Life Financial as CFO Canada and head of corporate development. Since joining Sun Life Financial in 1994, Reid has held increasingly senior positions throughout Sun Life in finance, corporate development, public relations and investor relations. From 2009 to 2020, Reid led the group retirement services business at Sun Life, growing the assets under management from $30 billion to $130 billion. For the last four years, Reid was responsible for the strategy and growth team for Sun Life in Canada, where his team led strategic planning for the Canadian businesses and explored how Sun Life could invest in new businesses to accelerate the company’s growth in Canada. Reid also holds the CPA and CA designations.

Rachel Chae – CFO

Rachel Chae, with over eight years of experience, has served as CFO for various publicly traded companies, including several Canadian junior mineral exploration companies. She holds the chartered professional accountant designation working at Cross Davis & Company LLP, a chartered professional accountant firm providing accounting services to publicly listed entities, primarily in the mining sector.

Patrick Sullivan – Corporate Secretary

Patrick Sullivan is a mining, M&A and securities lawyer at a national law firm with a decade of experience in the junior mineral exploration sector. He has acted on several significant global mining transactions including South32 Limited’s $2.1 billion acquisition of Arizona Mining, Washington Companies’ $1.2 billion acquisition of Dominion Diamond, and Hudbay Minerals’ $555 million acquisition of Augusta Resource Corporation. Sullivan also has significant experience advising on mineral stream and royalty finance transactions.

Rick Horne – Geologist

Rick Horne has over 40 years of experience as an economic geologist. His experience includes senior roles with Acadian Mining (Atlantic Gold) as chief geologist and with Dufferin Gold Mine (Resource Capital Gold) as chief geologist and mine manager. Horne is an expert in lode gold systems, structural geology and geological mapping spending 22 years with NS Energy and Mines focussing on Bedrock mapping.

Mitchel Lavery, – Advisor

Mitchel Lavery has over 45 years’ experience in the exploration and development of mining projects with several junior and major mining companies. Lavery was instrumental in the discovery of the Bell Creek Gold Mine in Timmins, ON; the development and operation of the Joubie Gold Mine, Val-d’Or, QC; and the acquisition and development of the Quebec Lithium property, Lacorne, QC. He is the president and a director of Seahawk Gold. and is a qualified person under NI-43-101 regulations.

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Sarama Resources Ltd. (“Sarama” or the “Company”) (ASX:SRR, TSX- V:SWA) is pleased to advise that it has executed a non-binding Heads of Agreement (the “HoA”) with Orbminco Limited (“Orbminco”) (ASX: OB1), an arm’s length third party, to acquire a majority(1) and controlling interest(1) in the under- explored, belt-scale 420km² Mt Venn Project (the “Project”)(2), located in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.

This follows Sarama’s recent acquisition of a majority interest in the 580km² Cosmo Project, approximately 45km to the west of the Mt Venn Project. Both projects are well-positioned and underexplored, presenting an exciting opportunity for Sarama in the Laverton Gold District which is known for its prolific gold endowment (refer Figure 1).

Highlights

  • Non-binding Heads of Agreement executed for acquisition of 80% interest in belt-scale Mt Venn Project
  • Located in the prolific Laverton Gold District, 35km from the producing Gruyere Gold Mine and less than 20km from Gold Road’s Golden Highway Deposit
  • Project covers 420km² and features a favourable litho-structural setting, primarily in greenstone rocks
  • Includes regional shear zone of ~50km strike length and 1-3km width extending full length of greenstone belt
  • Advanced gold targets generated through historical exploration, including broad drill-defined gold mineralisation
  • Highly complementary to Sarama’s recently acquired, underexplored and prospective Cosmo Project
  • Creates 1,000km² exploration position in the Laverton Gold District, capturing 100km of strike length
  • Land access agreement with Traditional Owners in place for exploration
  • 100% scrip consideration with initial exploration funded by the November 2024 equity raise of A$2M

Sarama’s President, Executive Chairman, Andrew Dinning commented:

“We are very pleased to have reached agreement to acquire the Mt Venn Project and when completed, this acquisition will significantly consolidate our position in the prolific Laverton Gold District of Western Australia. The addition of this project creates a major 1,000km2 area-play which significantly enhances the probability of making the next big discovery in a region that continues to deliver new deposits in previously unexplored areas, including the regionally- significant Gruyere Deposit just 35km east of the Mt Venn Project. We look forward to working towards completing the transaction and will provide updates in due course.”

Mt Venn Project

The Project is comprised of 3 contiguous exploration tenements covering approximately 420km² in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, approximately 110km north-east of Laverton and 35km west of the regionally- significant Gruyere Gold Mine(3). The Project is readily accessible via the Great Central Road which services the regional area east of Laverton.

The Project captures the majority of the underexplored Jutson Rocks Greenstone Belt over a strike length of ~50km. Rocks within the belt feature a diverse sequence of volcanic lithologies of varying composition, together with pyroclastics and metasediments. Several internal intrusive units have been identified throughout the Project and are commonly associated with local structural features. A regionally extensive shear zone, spanning 1-3km in width, extends the entire length of the belt with subordinate splays interpreted in the southern area of the Project which provides a favourable structural setting for mineralisation.

Gold mineralisation was first discovered in the 1920’s with sampling returning very high grades and prompting the commencement of small-scale mining operations in the mid 1920’s. Multiple gold occurrences have since been identified throughout the Project, demonstrating the prospectivity of the system. Despite the identification of several km-scale gold-in-soil anomalies by soil geochemistry and auger drilling, many of these targets are yet to be properly tested. Encouragingly, drilling by Cazaly Resources Limited (“Cazaly”) (ASX: CAZ) at the Project intersected broad, gold mineralisation over several fences in weathered and fresh rock at the Three Bears Prospect, presenting a priority target for exploration (Cazaly news release 27 February 2017: “Widespread Gold & Zinc Mineralisation Defined”).

In addition to the attractiveness of the Project for gold, it is considered prospective for base metals and platinum group elements. Historical exploration work including auger geochemistry and geophysical surveys identified several targets for copper, nickel and zinc mineralisation. Several of these targets remain untested due to historical funding and land access constraints. Exploration in the belt to the immediate south of the Project area is noted to have intersected copper mineralisation of significant grade over a significant strike length(4).

In summary, the Project is located within a prolific gold district and has a favourable lithological and structural setting. A solid database of base-level historical exploration work by previous operators, including generation of drill-ready targets, provides a good platform for Sarama to advance the Project in conjunction with its activities at the Cosmo Project. The size and prospectivity of the landholding that Sarama will have in the Laverton Gold District upon completion of this transaction significantly enhances the chances of making an economic discovery, particularly given the infrastructure and proliferation of mines in the region which will have a favourable impact on the size threshold for finding something of economic value.

Click here for the full ASX Release

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Global markets were turbulent this week on speculation about US President-elect Donald Trump’s trade policies.

Initial gains on Monday (January 6), driven by rumors of less aggressive tariffs, were followed by a mixed performance as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicked off in Las Vegas, Nevada, and investors awaited key economic data.

1. AI takes center stage at CES

Unsurprisingly, CES underscored the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) across the tech landscape, with AI chips for PCs, new electric vehicles and the imminent influence of robotics on the workforce taking center stage.

AI was prominent, featured in everything from appliances to pets. Following substantial investment, companies are under pressure to demonstrate the value and justify the cost of AI integration in their products.

As mentioned, tech stocks rose on Monday as the event began, with chipmakers like NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO), Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) (NASDAQ:AMD) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM) leading the surge.

NVIDIA, whose CEO Jensen Huang gave the keynote address at CES, was a key focus.

Following the company’s weaker-than-expected revenue outlook in November, investment interest in AI has been dispersing to include companies such as Broadcom and Marvell (NASDAQ:MRVL), whose share prices increased in the fourth quarter of 2024 while NVIDIA’s remained relatively flat.

Broadcom, NVIDIA and Marvell Technologies performance, Q4 2024.

Broadcom, NVIDIA and Marvell Technologies performance, Q4 2024.

Chart via Google Finance.

After a product reveal, NVIDIA saw its share price fall 8.5 percent to US$140.01 on Tuesday (January 7), its largest intraday drop since October 15. Chief among the AI bellwether’s long list of new products are the new GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs, built on the Blackwell architecture. The flagship RTX 5090 for demanding workloads will be available this month for US$1,999, while the RTX 5070, a more budget-friendly version, will arrive in February for US$549.

NVIDIA also unveiled Project Digits, a desktop PC designed to empower AI researchers, data scientists and students with the ability to run very large AI models on their laptops. Developed in collaboration with Taiwan’s MediaTek (TPE:2454), the model is equipped with a Grace Blackwell Superchip and runs a version of the Linux operating system. Project Digits essentially puts an AI-powered personal supercomputer within reach for US$3,000 starting in May.

NVIDIA performance, January 6 to 10, 2025.

NVIDIA performance, January 6 to 10, 2025.

Chart via Google Finance.

NVIDIA’s move highlights a broader trend at CES this year: the rise of AI PCs. AMD, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) and Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) all introduced chips designed to bring AI to everyday computing. AMD’s high-powered Ryzen CPUs, which will power Dell’s (NYSE:DELL) corporate PCs, reportedly outperform Macs and offer a longer battery life.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm is broadening its business beyond mobile phone chips with the Snapdragon X Platform, an affordable chip for laptops and PCs that will run Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Copilot+ software. The company will also soon release a small desktop computer built with the chip. PC makers including Dell — which announced a rebranding of its PC line — will reportedly offer laptops based on the new product in early 2025.

AMD, Qualcomm and Dell saw share price increases of between 2 and 3.5 percent between Monday and Tuesday. However, Intel’s new processors featuring built-in AI acceleration and a dedicated neural processing unit in select models weren’t enough to impress investors, and its share price was little changed over the same period.

2. Autonomous vehicles have their moment

While AI PCs generated excitement at CES, another trend emerged: the rise of generative physical AI.

During his keynote, Huang emphasized how the forthcoming shift will revolutionize factory and warehouse automation, a rising subsector he described as ‘a multi-trillion dollar opportunity.’

This sentiment is seemingly shared by OpenAI founder Sam Altman, who wrote in a weekend blog post of a near future where “AI agents join the workforce and materially change the output of companies.’

To accelerate this transition, Huang unveiled NVIDIA Cosmos, an open-source platform designed to simulate real-world environments and accelerate the training of physical AI models like robots and cars. Within Cosmos, AI agents can be trained using Nemotron, a new family of large language models optimized for agentic AI. Based on Meta’s (NASDAQ:META) Llama models, Nemotron leverages NVIDIA’s CUDA and AI acceleration technologies.

“Cosmos will dramatically accelerate the time to train intelligent robots and advanced self-driving cars,” Rev Lebaredian, vice president of omniverse and simulation technology at NVIDIA, said at a press conference on Monday.

Later, news broke of a partnership between NVIDIA and Toyota (NYSE:TM) that will see the carmaker use NVIDIA’s autonomous driving chips and software to advance its self-driving cars. NVIDIA also announced a partnership with Uber (NYSE:UBER) to use its drive logs for AI model training.

“After so many years, with Waymo and Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) success, it’s very clear (autonomous vehicles) have finally arrived,” said Huang on Monday. Later, during an interview with Yahoo Finance’s Dan Howley, he disclosed that NVIDIA’s technology for autonomous driving is projected to generate US$5 billion in annual sales.

3. Crypto market struggles to find footing

The Bitcoin price rose above US$102,000 early on Monday, following a weekend in which the cryptocurrency regained its 50 day simple moving average, an indicator often described as crucial for a continued bull market.

Adding to the momentum was strong speculation that MicroStrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) was preparing to increase its holdings further after CEO Michael Saylor hinted at a potential acquisition over the weekend. The company ultimately purchased 1,070 Bitcoins for a total price of US$101 million.

Adding to bullish sentiment was a research report from JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM); it indicates that Bitcoin miners’ revenue increased for the second consecutive month in December. The positivity extended to altcoins as Solana’s DEX trading volume exceeded that of Ethereum and Base; the price action prompted analysts to set a US$15 target for XRP.

However, as conflicting US jobs and inflation data rolled in, traders’ hopes of an interest rate cut by March diminished. Yields for 10 year treasuries touched 4.73 percent, resulting in a broad selloff affecting cryptocurrencies and other risk-on assets like tech stocks. The top cryptocurrencies dropped between 4 and 9 percent in early trading on Tuesday.

Bitcoin performance, January 6 to 10, 2025.

Bitcoin performance, January 6 to 10, 2025.

Chart via CoinGecko.

US Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw near-record outflows of US$582 million on Wednesday (January 8), as the downward trajectory continued. Ether ETFs also saw substantial outflows totaling US$159.3 million on Wednesday, their largest on record since July. By Thursday (January 9), US$655 million in Bitcoin futures contracts had been liquidated.

Adding to the uncertainty, the US Department of Justice has reportedly been cleared to sell US$6.5 billion worth of Bitcoin seized from Silk Road, which could put downward pressure on Bitcoin’s price.

Altcoins saw greater losses, with XRP being the sole exception.

Ripple’s native cryptocurrency saw periods of recovery on Wednesday after it was reported that CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty met with Trump for dinner. Analysts at Cointelegraph project XRP could surge 40 percent if prices can break out of the current “descending triangle” pattern.

Friday’s (January 10) US jobs data release coincided with a 2.24 percent drop in Bitcoin’s price to below US$92,000 before the markets opened, followed by a rise to US$95,000 midday. Bitcoin’s latest downtrend has led market analysts to believe that the coin’s price may retest areas around US$90,000 as traders contend with uncertainty regarding tariffs and their effects on the US economy, stoking concerns about the possibility of renewed inflation.

According to Santiment analyst Brianq, Bitcoin’s performance can also be partly attributed to decreased purchasing activity by wallets holding between 100 and 1,000 Bitcoin, which drove Bitcoin’s most recent bull cycle.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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