Categories
Base Metals Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals

Minaurum Drills High-Grade Silver in 250 m Step-Out at Alamos Silver Project: 12.35 m of 408 g/t AgEq, including 3.20 m of 1,277 g/t AgEq

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – February 10, 2026) – Minaurum Silver Inc. (TSXV: MGG) (OTCQX: MMRGF) (“Minaurum”) is pleased to report results from the first holes of its Phase 2, 50,000-meter resource-expansion drill program at the Alamos Silver Project (“Alamos”) in Sonora, Mexico. The program is targeting the Europa, Promontorio, and Travesia vein zones and has returned multiple high-grade silver intersections (Table 1, Figures 1-4).

Highlights include:

  • 12.35 m of 408 g/t silver equivalent (“AgEq”), including 3.20 m of 1,277 g/t AgEq (Hole AL25-163)
  • 2.35 m of 374 g/t AgEq (Hole AL25-153)

“Hole AL25-163 confirms the continuity of high-grade silver mineralization well beyond the current inferred resource in the Europa Vein Zone,” said Darrell Rader, President and CEO of Minaurum Silver. “Stepping out 250 metres and intersecting strong grades and widths demonstrates the scale of the system. With the mineralization remaining open both down dip and along strike, these results support our strategy to significantly expand the Alamos resource with continued drilling.”

Europa Vein Zone

The defined resource of the Europa vein zone occupies about 1 km of its surface-traced 3-km strike length. Recent assay results extend high-grade mineralization along strike, particularly the 1 km extension to the south at Europa. Hole AL25-163 intersected a significant wide interval of 12.35 m zone averaging 408 g/t AgEq, including 3.20 m of 1,277 g/t AgEq (1,032 g/t Ag, 0.278 g/t Au, 0.692% Cu, 5.477% Pb, 2.379% Zn). Hole AL25-154 returned 1.05 m of 231 g/t AgEq, including 0.25 m of 700 g/t AgEq (355 g/t Ag, 1.86 g/t Au, 1.45% Cu, 0.77% Pb, 1.89% Zn) (See Table 1, Figures 2 and 3).

Figure 1. Plan view showing locations of Travesia, Quintera, Promontorio, and Europa vein zones. Click to enlarge.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/283231_figure%201%20-%20plan%20view%20vein%20zones.png

Figure 2. Longitudinal section of Europa vein zone, showing locations of highlighted mineralized intersections. Click to enlarge.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/283231_96b44d1b04e0a91d_004full.jpg

Figure 3. Cross section of Europa and Nueva Europa vein zones, showing hole AL25-163. EV=volcanic rocks, CZ=marble and skarn, GR=granodiorite. Click to enlarge.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/283231_figure%203%20-%20cross%20section%20europa.png

Table 1. Assay Highlights for Europa Vein Zone – Europe Sur, Europa and Europa Norte. Hole locations are shown in Figure 2 and 3.

Weight-averaged silver-equivalent grades are based on 1) October 1, 2025 Long-term CIBC Global Mining Group Analyst Consensus Commodity Price Forecast: Ag $29.73/tr oz, Au $2,646/tr oz, Cu $4.34/lb, Pb $0.92/lb, Zn $1.21/lb; 2) Metallurgical recovery assumptions:88.3% for Ag, 88.5% for Au, 75.5% for Cu, 83% for Pb, and 75% for Zn; and 3) Refinery payable assumptions: 95% for Ag, 95% for Au, 96.5% for Cu, 95% for Pb, and 85% for Zn.

EUROPA SUR
HoleFrom
(m)
To
(m)
Interval
(m)
Ag
g/t
Au
g/t
Cu
%
Pb
%
Zn
%
AgEq
g/t
AL25-15499.50100.651.15950.010.190.321.11143
131.55131.750.203490.050.310.481.58425
220.20221.251.051320.450.440.250.69231
including
220.20220.450.253551.861.450.671.89700
263.70265.201.5040.870.010.020.2089
AL25-155174.25175.351.10570.090.120.741.59125
AL25-156440.30441.000.70350.000.090.401.1375
AL25-157245.10248.453.35430.020.110.300.9080
including
247.15248.100.951070.070.160.892.22193
AL25-15845.7547.301.55410.000.020.120.1149
AL25-163280.20292.5512.353180.090.351.600.90408
including
280.20287.207.005230.140.442.781.36659
which includes
280.20283.403.2010320.270.695.472.371277
and
285.80287.201.401490.050.380.900.68220
and
289.80292.552.75850.020.390.050.42132
AL25-164121.45123.001.5541.20.000.020.080.0346
AL25-166255.35255.700.3546.40.000.230.471.19102
280.30281.351.051100.050.850.140.36199
including
281.00281.350.351550.122.410.310.92402
AL25-167289.40289.750.35640.020.180.100.75101
298.35298.850.502360.050.270.781.77318
EUROPA
HoleFrom
(m)
To
(m)
Interval
(m)
Ag
g/t
Au
g/t
Cu
%
Pb
%
Zn
%
AgEq
g/t
AL25-150368370.252.251070.020.201.611.55193
including
368.5369.050.552720.030.264.721.84432
AL25-152161.5166.14.6770.070.320.391.15144
including
164.5165.450.95900.110.630.491.74202
AL25-153129.05131.42.352400.060.701.761.46374
including
130.85131.40.554870.160.954.252.09714
AL25-164121.45123.001.5541.20.000.020.080.0346
EUROPA NORTE
HoleIDFrom
(m)
To
(m)
Interval
(m)
Ag
g/t
Au
g/t
Cu
%
Pb
%
Zn
%
AgEq
g/t
AL25-162450.00450.400.40480.010.170.470.6888

Promontorio Vein Zone

The 1 km-long Promontorio vein zone consists of multiple veins including the Veta Grande and Veta Las Guijas veins. Drilling to date at Promontorio and Promontorio Sur has intersected mineralization in epithermal vein-hosted cutting volcanic and intrusive rocks in addition to skarn/carbonate-replacement (CRD) mineralization hosted by limestone in the footwall of the vein zones. Hole AL25-159 continued mineralization and intersected 4.40 m of 154 g/t AgEq including 1.35 m of 189 g/t AgEq in an epithermal vein (Table 2, Figure 4).

Travesia – La Quintera Vein Zones

The Travesia vein zone lies to the north of the Promontorio zone and continues north in the hanging wall of the La Quintera vein zone. Hole AL25-165 aimed at the Travesia and La Quintera vein zones in the northern part of the Travesia-Quintera zone, and intersected narrow but encouraging mineralization of 0.95 m of 148 g/t AgEq, including 0.40 m of 221 g/t AgEq in the extension of the Travesia vein.



Figure 4. Longitudinal section of Travesia-Promontorio vein zones, showing locations of highlighted mineralized intersections. Click to enlarge.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/283231_figure%204%20-%20traves%C3%ADa-promontorio%20long%20section.png

Table 2. Assay Highlights for Travesia-Promontorio Vein Zone. Hole locations are shown in Figure 4.

Weight-averaged silver-equivalent grades are based on October 1, 2025 Long-term CIBC Global Mining Group Analyst Consensus Commodity Price Forecast: Ag $29.73/tr oz, Au $2,646/tr oz, Cu $4.34/lb, Pb $0.92/lb, Zn $1.21/lb. Metallurgical recovery assumptions applied are 88.3% for Ag, 88.5% for Au, 75.5% for Cu, 83% for Pb, and 75% for Zn. Refinery payable assumptions applied are 95% for Ag, 95% for Au, 96.5% for Cu, 95% for Pb, and 85% for Zn.

PROMONTORIO
HoleFrom
(m)
To
(m)
Interval
(m)
Ag
g/t
Au
g/t
Cu
%
Pb
%
Zn
%
AgEq
g/t
AL25-151390.85391.350.5320.000.030.230.0240
AL25-159102.35106.754.40280.040.321.033.43154
including
104.60105.951.35350.030.371.014.62189
AL25-161182.30182.800.5096.30.160.180.220.63145
AL25-162450.00450.400.40480.010.170.470.6888
TRAVESIA
HoleFrom
(m)
To
(m)
Interval
(m)
Ag
g/t
Au
g/t
Cu
%
Pb
%
Zn
%
AgEq
g/t
AL25-16572.8073.750.951050.000.370.230.24148

Share Issuance Update

The Company wishes to clarify its news release filed on December 11, 2025 and material change report filed on December 18, 2025. The aggregate number of units issued pursuant to the Company’s brokered private placement which closed on December 11, 2025 was understated by one unit and the Company now wishes to correct this disclosure to reference a total of 69,444,443 units (previously disclosed as 69,444,442 units). In addition, insider participation was understated by one unit and should be corrected to a total of 191,223 units (previously disclosed as 191,222 units). Please refer to the Company’s December 11, 2025 news release for additional details relating to the private placement.

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Minaurum Silver Inc. (TSXV: MGG) (OTCQX: MMRGF) (FSE: 78M) is focused on advancing and expanding its high-grade, 100% owned, production-permitted Alamos Silver Project in southern Sonora, Mexico. The Alamos Project hosts a National Instrument 43-101-compliant inferred mineral resource of 55 million ounces of silver equivalent, grading 320 g/t AgEq. Led by a team of proven silver-mine builders with a track record of advancing projects from discovery through development, Minaurum has assembled a strong pipeline of exploration and development assets across Mexico and the United States.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Darrell A. Rader

Darrell A. Rader
President and CEO

For more information, please contact:
Sunny Pannu – Investor Relations and Corporate Development Manager
(778) 330 0994 or via email at pannu@minaurum.com

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

1570– 200 Burrard Street 
Vancouver, BC V6C 3L6    

Telephone: 1 778 330-0994
www.minaurum.com    
info@minaurum.com

Data review and verification: Stephen R. Maynard, Vice President of Exploration of Minaurum and a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101, reviewed and verified the assay data, and has approved the disclosure in this News Release. Verification was done by visual inspection of core samples and comparison to assay results. Assay results have not been checked by re-analysis. No factors were identified that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data presented in this news release.

Analytical Procedures and Quality Assurance/Quality Control: Preparation and assaying of drilling samples from Minaurum’s Alamos project are done with strict adherence to a Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) protocol. Core samples are sawed in half and then bagged in a secure facility near the site and then shipped either by a licensed courieror by Company personnel to ALS Minerals’ preparation facility in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. ALS prepares the samples, crushing them to 70% less than 2mm, splitting off 250g, and pulverizing the split to more than 85% passing 75 microns. The resulting sample pulps are prepared in Hermosillo, and then shipped to Vancouver for chemical analysis by ALS Minerals. In Vancouver, the pulps are analyzed for gold by fire assay and ICP/AES on a 30-gram charge. In addition, analyses are done for silver, copper, lead, and zinc using 4-acid digestion and ICP analysis. Samples with silver values greater than 100 g/t; and copper, lead, or zinc values greater than 10,000 ppm (1%) are re-analyzed using 4-acid digestion and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS).

Quality-control (QC) samples are inserted in the sample stream every 20 samples on average, and thus represent 5% of the total samples. QC samples include standards, blanks, and duplicate samples. Standards are pulps that have been prepared by a third-party laboratory; they have gold, silver, and base-metal values that are established by an extensive analytical process in which several commercial labs (including ALS Minerals) participate. Standards test the calibration of the analytical equipment. Blanks are rock material known from prior sampling to contain less than 0.005 ppm gold; they test the sample preparation procedure for cross-sample contamination. In the case of duplicates, the sample interval is cut in half and then quartered. The first quarter is the original sample, the second becomes the duplicate. Duplicate samples provide a test of the reproducibility of assays in the same drilled interval. When final assays are received, QC sample results are inspected for deviation from accepted values. To date, QC sample analytical results have fallen in acceptable ranges on the Alamos project.

When final assays are received, QC sample results are inspected for deviation from accepted values by the QP. To date, QC sample analytical results have fallen in acceptable ranges on the Alamos project.

ALS Minerals is independent of Minaurum Silver and is independent of the Qualified Person.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. “Forward-looking information” includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved” or the negative connotation thereof.

In making the forward-looking information in this release, Minaurum has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on Minaurum’s current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Minaurum. Although Minaurum considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Minaurum does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/283231

Categories
Base Metals Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals

Grizzly Mobilizes IP Crew to the Sappho Critical Minerals Target Greenwood, British Columbia Precious and Battery Metals Project

Edmonton, Alberta–(Newsfile Corp. – February 4, 2026) – Grizzly Discoveries Inc. (TSXV: GZD) (FSE: G6H) (OTCQB: GZDIF) (“Grizzly” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that a crew from Peter E. Walcott and Associates has mobilized to Greenwood to commence an Induced Polarization (IP) program in early 2026 to follow up excellent prior results from both surface sampling and historical drilling at the Sappho Critical Minerals Target (Figure 1). In light of the current escalating metal prices for critical minerals/metals including copper (Cu), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), gold (Au) and silver (Ag), the Sappho Skarn/Porphyry Target warrants follow-up exploration including drilling. Three lines of IP are planned prior to the commencement of drilling. The drilling is slated to begin approximately mid-February.

Highlights

  • The Geological Setting is the East Fault Contact of the Toroda Graben with numerous pyroxenite-monzonite-diorite (older) and younger QFP-diorite (Tertiary) intrusions into intermediate-mafic volcanics along with a complex magnetic feature at the Sappho CG area (Figure 1).
  • The East and West Faults of the Toroda Graben likely played a role in controlling the Au-Ag mineralization for the Buckhorn Skarn and Mine to the southwest and the Cu-Au-Ag mineralization for the Motherlode/Greyhound skarns to the north (Figure 2).
  • Skarn and porphyry style alteration and mineralization along with Cu-PGE’s-Au-Ag are observed in outcrop and drill core along with a complex magnetic signature in the Main Sappho CG area.
  • Five (5) new sulphide showings were discovered during 2022 field work, with 4 of the 5 showings yielding rock grab samples with >1% copper (Cu) up to as high as 7.25% Cu (Figure 1 and see Grizzly news release dated November 3rd, 2022).
  • A total of 17 rock grab samples returned values >1% Cu up to 9.06% Cu, many also with anomalous gold (Au), silver (Ag), platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd).
  • A total of 11 samples have yielded >500 parts per billion (ppb) Pt and Pd up to 4.64 grams per tonne (g/t) Pt and up to 2.28 g/t Pd.

The Sappho area is being targeted for copper-gold skarn and porphyry type targets associated with a Jurassic alkalic intrusive complex and several younger diorite intrusions (Figure 1). A total of five new showings of copper oxide mineralization were found during the 2022 program (Figure 1). Previous surface sampling and drilling by Grizzly has yielded significant anomalous copper, gold, silver along with platinum and palladium. Numerous historical and new rock grab samples have yielded greater than 1% Cu, 1 g/t Au, 1 g/t Ag, 1 g/t Pt and 1 g/t Pd (Figure 1).

Historical 2010 drilling by the Company (4 core holes) yielded up to 0.31% Cu, 0.75 g/t Au, 0.34 g/t Pt, 0.39 g/t Pd and 6.57 g/t Ag over 6.5 m core length in skarn at Sappho (in hole 10SP03), including a 1 m core length intersections of 3.82 g/t Au and 199 g/t Ag, and in a separate sample 1.83 g/t Pt and 2.09 g/t Pd across 1 m – these results all are associated with >1% Cu in those samples. These higher grade zones were contained within a 63.5 m core length zone logged as a pyroxene – sulphide skarn with a grade approaching 0.7% copper equivalent derived from current metal prices for Cu, Au, Ag, Pt and Pd. Drillhole 10SP03 targeted a magnetic anomaly and had no indications of surface mineralization at the time of drilling. One of the new 2022 showings has been found proximal to drillhole 10SP03 and the targeted magnetic anomaly.

Figure 1: Sappho Rock Sampling Summary 2026 and Planned IP and Drillhole Locations.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4488/282613_843ca3c1c4fdaa19_002full.jpg

Brian “Griz” Testo, President & CEO of Grizzly Discoveries, states, “New results are providing significant targets indicated by high-grade copper samples at surface. Anomalous ground magnetics has also outlined multiple new targets across the Sappho Project. I am excited to see what IP might indicate – Grizzly will continue to refine these targets to the drill ready stage for anticipated drilling in the next month and potentially identifying some new discoveries.”

The Company is continuing with surface exploration in the Greenwood area. Crews from APEX Geoscience Ltd. completed soil and rock sampling in August through to October and the exploration work is ongoing. Work including prospecting, rock and soil sampling has been conducted at targets in the Rock Creek area, the Midway area, the Copper Mountain area, the Overlander-Attwood area and the Sappho area to date (Figure 2). Additional groundwork including ground geophysical surveys are being planned and will comprise IP, magnetics and Loupe electromagnetics (EM) for the Sappho, the Midway and Motherlode areas (Figure 2).

Rock (>200 samples) and soil sampling results from the 2025 fieldwork are pending and will be released as they are received.

Figure 2: Exploration Targets 2026.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4488/282613_843ca3c1c4fdaa19_003full.jpg

ABOUT GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC.

Grizzly is a diversified Canadian mineral exploration company with its primary listing on the TSX Venture Exchange focused on developing its approximately 72,700 ha (approximately 180,000 acres) of precious and base metals properties in southeastern British Columbia. Grizzly is run by a highly experienced junior resource sector management team, who have a track record of advancing exploration projects from early exploration stage through to feasibility stage.

QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENT

The technical content of this news release and the Company’s technical disclosure has been reviewed and approved by Michael B. Dufresne, M. Sc., P. Geol., P.Geo., who is a non-independent Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

On behalf of the Board,

GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC.
Brian Testo, CEO, President

Suite 363-9768 170 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5T 5L4

For further information, please visit our website at www.grizzlydiscoveries.com or contact:

Nancy Massicotte
Corporate Development
Tel: 604-507-3377
Email: nancy@grizzlydiscoveries.com

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.

Caution concerning forward-looking information

This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information and statements address future activities, events, plans, developments and projections. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information and statements are frequently identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend” and similar terminology, and reflect assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management of Grizzly in light of its experience, current conditions, expectations of future developments and other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking information and statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Grizzly’s actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements and accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed thereon.

Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary include but are not limited to the availability of financing; fluctuations in commodity prices; changes to and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and obtaining requisite permits; political, economic and other risks; as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management’s Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by us with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedarplus.ca. Grizzly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements except as may be required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282613

Categories
Base Metals Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals

Apollo Silver Accepted into U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium

Vancouver, British Columbia, February 02, 2026 – Apollo Silver Corp. (“Apollo Silver” or the “Company”) (TSX.V:APGO, OTCQB:APGOF, Frankfurt:6ZF) is pleased to announce that it has received acceptance into the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium (“DIBC”), a U.S. Department of Defense-supported initiative designed to support collaboration across industry, academia, and government in advancing solutions relevant to U.S. defense and national security priorities.

The DIBC focuses on strategic and critical materials and technologies essential to U.S. national security, including initiatives to improve the resilience and security of domestic critical mineral supply chains that support defense and industrial applications[1].

Apollo Silver’s U.S.-based Calico Project hosts significant silver mineralization alongside barite and zinc, which are classified as critical minerals on the USGS List of Critical Minerals and play important roles in industrial, infrastructure, and defense-related applications.

As a member of the DIBC, Apollo Silver joins a network of traditional and non-traditional defense contractors, research institutions, and federal agencies working to advance innovation at speed. Membership provides the Company with opportunities to engage in federally sponsored initiatives related to critical materials supply chains, including the mining and processing of silver, zinc, and barite.

“Apollo Silver’s acceptance into the DIBC reflects the growing strategic importance of U.S.-based critical mineral assets, including silver, following its inclusion on the USGS List of Critical Minerals in November 2025,” said Ross McElroy, President and CEO of Apollo Silver. “With one of the largest undeveloped primary silver assets in the United States and meaningful exposure to industrial critical minerals such as barite and zinc, we believe Apollo Silver is well positioned to align with U.S. priorities focused on supply-chain security, industrial resilience, and national defense.”

About Apollo Silver Corp.

Apollo Silver is advancing the second largest undeveloped primary silver projects in the US. The Calico Project hosts a large, bulk minable silver deposit with significant barite and zinc credits – recognized as critical minerals essential to the U.S. energy, industrial and medical sectors. The Company also holds an option on the Cinco de Mayo Project in Chihuahua, Mexico, which is host to a major carbonate replacement (CRD) deposit that is both high-grade and large tonnage. Led by an experienced and award-winning management team, Apollo is well positioned to advance the assets and deliver value through exploration and development.

Please visit www.apollosilver.com for further information.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ross McElroy

President and CEO

For further information, please contact:

Email: info@apollosilver.com

Telephone: +1 (604) 428-6128

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.

Cautionary Statement Regarding “Forward-Looking” Information

This news release includes “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements with respect to the expected benefits of the Company’s acceptance into the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium (“DIBC”), the Company’s ability to maintain its membership in the DIBC and pursue opportunities arising therefrom, and the advancement and development potential of the Company’s projects, including the Calico Project and the Cinco de Mayo Project. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “plan”, “estimate”, “expect”, “potential”, “target”, “budget” and “intend” and statements that an event or result “may”, “will”, “should”, “could” or “might” occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof.

Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of the management of the Company made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company as at the date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may have caused actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: risks associated with the Company’s ability to maintain DIBC membership and realize anticipated benefits therefrom; changes in government priorities, programs, funding or procurement processes; the risk that membership in the DIBC does not result in any specific contracts, funding, or other opportunities; risks associated with mineral exploration and development; metal and mineral prices; availability of capital; accuracy of the Company’s projections and estimates; realization of mineral resource estimates, interest and exchange rates; competition; stock price fluctuations; availability of drilling equipment and access; actual results of current exploration activities; government regulation; political or economic developments; environmental risks; insurance risks; capital expenditures; operating or technical difficulties in connection with development activities; personnel relations; and changes in Project parameters as plans continue to be refined. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the price of silver, gold and barite; the demand for silver, gold and barite; the ability to carry on exploration and development activities; the timely receipt of any required approvals; the ability to obtain qualified personnel, equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the ability to operate in a safe, efficient and effective matter; and the regulatory framework regarding environmental matters, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company’s expected financial and operational performance and the Company’s plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

[1] https://www.dibconsortium.org/

Categories
Base Metals Energy Exclusive Interviews Junior Mining Precious Metals

Apollo Silver Raises $27.5M | Eric Sprott, Jupiter Back a U.S. Silver & Critical Minerals Powerhouse

Apollo Silver: Capitalized, Strategically Backed, and Positioned for the Next Silver Cycle

In a recent episode of Proven and Probable, host Maurice Jackson spoke with Ross McElroy President and CEO of Apollo Silver, to discuss the company’s latest financing, strategic shareholder support, and its growth strategy amid a strengthening silver market.

Apollo Silver recently completed a $27.5 million financing, increasing its treasury to nearly $60 million. The raise was led primarily by strategic investors and insiders, most notably Eric Sprott and Jupiter Asset Management, Apollo Silver’s two largest shareholders. Their continued participation and increased ownership underscore strong institutional confidence in the company’s assets, leadership, and execution capability.

The majority of the capital will be deployed at Apollo Silver’s Calico Project in San Bernardino County, California, one of the largest primary silver deposits in the United States. Calico hosts an updated mineral resource totaling approximately 125 million ounces of silver in the Measured and Indicated category, with an additional 58 million ounces inferred. Planned work includes advanced metallurgical testing, geotechnical studies, recovery optimization, mine planning, and exploration across an expanded land package.

Mr. McElroy addressed investor concerns regarding California as a mining jurisdiction, emphasizing that San Bernardino County is mining-friendly, with a long history of active mining operations and strong local support for responsible resource development.

In addition to Calico, Apollo Silver controls the Cinco de Mayo Project in Chihuahua, Mexico, a high-grade carbonate replacement deposit originally discovered by MAG Silver. The project hosts a substantial historic resource and significant expansion potential. Should Apollo Silver secure a long-term access agreement with the local community, Cinco de Mayo has the potential to become a company-making flagship asset, given its scale, grade, and jurisdiction.

The conversation also explored silver’s evolving role as both a precious and industrial metal, particularly following its designation as a U.S. critical mineral. With rising demand from solar energy, electronics, defense applications, and persistent global supply deficits, Apollo Silver is positioning itself to benefit from favorable long-term market fundamentals.

With a strong balance sheet, top-tier shareholders, two world-class silver assets in stable jurisdictions, and an experienced management team, Apollo Silver enters the coming year with multiple catalysts and a clear path forward.


Company Information

Apollo Silver Corp.
🌐 https://apollosilver.com
📊 TSX-V: APGO | OTCQB: APGOF

Categories
Base Metals Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals

This Hong Kong billionaire invests 25% of his wealth in gold: ‘If you have the physical gold … nobody owes you anything’

Hong Kong billionaire Cheah Cheng Hye has quietly turned a quarter of his fortune into gold, betting that in an era of sanctions, seizures, and geopolitical shocks, nothing beats metal you can touch.

“If you have the physical gold in the warehouse or in your bank safe, nobody owes you anything,” he told Bloomberg News last week.

While he didn’t confirm his family office’s performance and holdings, a source told Bloomberg that precious metals make up about 25% of the $1.4 billion portfolio.

The 71-year-old Cheah, who built Value Partners Group into a multibillion-dollar Hong Kong asset manager, is an outlier in the world of ultrahigh-net-worth investing, with the UBS Global Family Office Report 2025 putting the average allocation to gold and other precious metals at just 2% in 2024. Nevertheless, the billionaire urged investors to rethink their mix altogether, advocating a portfolio split of 60% equities, 20% bonds, and 20% precious metals, led by gold.​

Cheah’s interview with Bloomberg took place after the gold boom of 2025, when a series of geopolitical shocks encouraged investors to seek safety in the yellow bars, but before gold set another new record, rocketing past $5,000 per ounce for the first time ever on Jan. 24.

As Fortune’s Jim Edwards noted shortly before this new milestone, the Trump “TACO trade” has been driving up the price of gold as central banks hoard bullion to hedge against the dollar. JPMorgan analysts wrote in mid-2025 that more gold increases could be coming if—and when—foreign investors continue shifting away from Treasury bonds.

cheah
Hong Kong billionaire Cheah Cheng Hye

‘Vault flight’ and distrust of the West

Behind the gold rush is Cheah’s conviction that global finance has entered what he calls a period of massive “vault flight.” The freezing of Russian assets after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and more recent tensions involving Venezuela and Iran, have convinced him that politically exposed money is safer closer to home. Wealthy Asian families, he argued, are increasingly repatriating funds to insulate themselves from U.S. sanctions or potential asset seizures.​

For those investors, he said, physical bullion is the preferred refuge. Cheah’s holdings are backed by gold stored in a Hong Kong government warehouse at the city’s airport, and he insists Asia‑based wealth should favor metal in vaults over “paper gold” such as purely synthetic products. His mantra—that nobody owes you anything if you hold the metal yourself—captures both skepticism about Western financial plumbing and a deeply conservative instinct about security.​

Cheah’s gold pivot is also institutional. Frustrated by Western vault arrangements after he began buying in 2008, he helped launch the Value Gold ETF in 2010, designed to store physical bullion at Hong Kong’s airport facility. He remains the fund’s largest holder, with a stake worth about 1.3 billion Hong Kong dollars, or roughly $167 million, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.​

Cheah’s bullish stance has been buttressed by markets. Entering 2026, gold, silver, copper, and tin have all hit record highs, buoyed by expectations of Federal Reserve easing, political pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration, and persistent geopolitical tensions. Silver, which he also favors, has roughly tripled over the past year, far outpacing even gold’s gains.​

While Cheah may be an outlier among ultrahigh-net-worth investors, more big names in finance are coming around to his viewpoint as well. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, for instance, told Fortune in November that it was “semi-rational” for the first time in his life to have gold in one’s portfolio. That same month, “bond king” Jeffrey Gundlach said that gold had become a “real asset class” that was no longer limited to “survivalists” or “crazy speculators.” Instead, he said, people were allocating “real money because it’s real value.” Gundlach suggested maintaining an allocation, perhaps around 15% of a portfolio, because it was consolidating somewhat.

Cheah began his career as a financial journalist with the Asian Wall Street Journal and Far Eastern Economic Review, before establishing the Hong Kong/China equities research department at Morgan Grenfell Group in Hong Kong, where he was also head of research and a proprietary trader.

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/hong-kong-billionaire-invests-25-185023322.html

Categories
Base Metals Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals

Minaurum Announces Initial Resource Estimate at Alamos Silver Project of 55 Million Ounces AgEq Grading 320 g/t AgEq

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – January 28, 2026) – Minaurum Silver Inc. (TSXV: MGG) (OTCQX: MMRGF) (“Minaurum” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the completion of an Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (“Resource Estimate”) at its 100%-owned Alamos Silver Project (“Alamos”) located in Sonora, Mexico.

Highlights:

  • High Grade Inferred Mineral Resource: Resource Estimate of 5.37 million tonnes (Mt) grading 202 g/t silver0.21 g/t gold0.43% copper0.97% lead, and 2.01% zinc, or 320 g/t silver equivalent (“AgEq“) and containing 34.8 million ounces (“Moz”) of silver; 35,640 ounces of gold; 51.0 million pounds of copper; 115 million pounds of lead; and 238 million pounds of zinc; or 55.2 Moz AgEq (Table 1).
  • Conservative Assumptions Showcase Robust Mineralization: Calculations include smelter and processing deductions typically associated with more advanced resource estimates. Sensitivity analysis further indicates that the resource remains resilient at higher cut-off grades than 150 g/t AgEq, emphasizing the high-grade nature of the mineralization. (Table 2).
  • Growth Potential: The Resource Estimate encompasses portions of the Promontorio, Travesia, and Europa vein zones-three of the twenty-six vein zones identified at Alamos. The resource is open along strike and at depth, offering significant potential for expansion through the ongoing Phase II 50,000 m resource expansion drill program.
  • The Resource Estimate, completed by Independent Mining Consultants, Inc., is based on a total database of 104 drill holes, totaling 35,888.15 metres and 10,194 samples. The Resource Estimate is classified as an Inferred Mineral Resource in accordance with CIM Definition Standards, with an effective date of January 8, 2026.

“Our inferred resource estimate of 55 million ounces of AgEq, defined across portions of just three of the 26 identified vein zones at Alamos, represents a major milestone for Minaurum,” stated Darrell Rader, President and CEO of Minaurum Silver. “The estimate establishes Alamos as a high-grade silver district with a rare combination of grade and width, with each of the vein zones included remaining open for expansion. Our next step is to aggressively grow the resource through the ongoing Phase II 50,000-metre resource expansion drilling program. I would like to thank the entire Minaurum team, along with our contractors and local communities, for their contributions to this achievement.”

Table 1. Alamos Silver Project – Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate Summary (150 g/t AgEq cut-off)

Inferred Mineral 
Resource:
Average GradeMetal Content
MassAgEqAgAuCuPbZnAgEqAgAuCuPbZn
Ktonnes(g/t)(g/t)(g/t)(%)(%)(%)(koz)(koz)(koz)(klbs)(klbs)(klbs)
Vein
Promontorio/
Veta Grande1,8352811380.310.401.112.8016,6028,14217.9916,06044,904113,272
Veta Guijas124202920.170.450.891.828063650.671,2302,4334,975
Vela El Cien5612991360.490.421.692.345,3882,4488.775,18220,90228,941
Vela El Cien HW1522831590.070.321.362.981,3817770.331,0594,5579,986
Veta Oeste1863792180.450.231.473.372,2661,3022.709556,02813,819
Travesia3731871250.120.360.520.492,2471,4991.392,9444,2764,029
Total3,2312761400.310.391.172.4628,69114,53231.8627,43183,100175,023
Europa/
Europa1,4264023060.060.540.751.4118,43514,0062.5716,88223,57844,327
Europa HW4093512740.070.480.381.034,6213,6040.874,3553,4269,287
Europa HW2512421670.020.410.721.103962740.034628101,237
Europa HW3453082440.010.370.640.884463530.01370635873
Europa HW4326675020.020.262.054.696865170.021841,4463,309
Nuevas Europa534283580.030.390.620.987296110.054567241,145
Nuevas Europa HW1193002380.060.320.400.991,1499090.248451,0492,597
Total2,1353862950.060.500.671.3326,46320,2743.7823,55431,66962,775
Grand Total5,3663202020.210.430.972.0155,15434,80635.6450,985114,769237,798

Notes:

  1. The Resource Estimate conforms with the requirements of NI 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) and the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (2014). The Resource Estimate is entirely classified as Inferred Mineral Resources. Inferred Mineral Resources have been estimated from geological evidence and limited sampling and have a lower level of confidence than Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources and must not be converted to Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that Inferred Mineral Resources will be converted to Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources.
  2. Weight-averaged silver-equivalent (“AgEq”) grades are based on the October 1, 2025 long-term CIBC Global Mining Group Analyst Consensus Commodity Price Forecast, using metal prices of US$29.73/oz Ag, US$2,646/oz Au, US$4.34/lb Cu, US$0.92/lb Pb, and US$1.21/lb Zn. Metal recovery assumptions, based on comparable projects, are 88.3% Ag, 75.0% Au, 75.5% Cu, 83.1% Pb, and 75.5% Zn. Assumed refinery payables are 95% Ag, 95% Au, 96.5% Cu, 95% Pb, and 85% Zn.
  3. The Resource Estimate is reported at a cut-off grade of 150 g/t AgEq.
  4. Unit cost assumptions are $50/t mining, $30.22/t for processing and G&A, and $19.50/t for smelting and refining.
  5. Bulk density values applied are 2.72 t/m³ for the Promontorio and Travesía zone veins and 2.63 t/m³ for the Europa zone veins.
  6. The Resource Estimate is reported on a 100% project basis and reflects reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction.
  7. The effective date of the Resource Estimate is January 8, 2026.
  8. There are no known legal, political, environmental, or other risks that, to the knowledge of the Qualified Persons, could materially affect the potential development of the Mineral Resources.
  9. All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the Resource Estimate. Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.

Table 2. Alamos Silver Project – Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate Sensitivity Table

 Average GradeMetal Content
 MassAgEqAgAuCuPbZnAgEqAgAuCuPbZn
 Resource CaseKtonnes(g/t)(g/t)(g/t)(%)(%)(%)(koz)(koz)(koz)(klbs)(klbs)(klbs)
    
Case 1. 115 g/t Equivalent Silver Cutoff
 Promontorio4,6082331180.260.330.942.0734,45017,48738.3933,35295,877210,519
 Europa2,4593532690.050.470.621.2427,88921,2953.9225,29533,37567,030
 Total7,0672741710.190.380.831.7862,33938,78242.3158,647129,252277,549
 
Case 2. 125 g/t Equivalent Silver Cutoff
 Promontorio4,0312491260.280.351.022.2032,20416,29036.2731,41490,843195,348
 Europa2,4183572730.050.470.621.2527,72121,1823.8825,09933,09166,607
 Total6,4492891810.190.400.871.8459,92537,47240.1656,513123,933261,955
               
Case 3. 140 g/t Equivalent Silver Cutoff      
 Promontorio3,5202661340.300.371.112.3630,04315,19133.5729,00786,480183,041
 Europa2,2483732860.050.490.651.2926,98820,6883.8024,07932,16463,718
 Total5,7683081940.200.420.931.9457,03135,87937.3853,087118,644246,759
   
Case 4. 150 g/t Equivalent Silver Cutoff
 Promontorio3,2312761400.310.391.172.4628,69114,53231.8627,43183,100175,023
 Europa2,1353862950.060.500.671.3326,46320,2743.7823,55431,66962,775
 Total5,3663202020.210.430.972.0155,15434,80635.6450,985114,769237,798
   
Case 5. 165 g/t Equivalent Silver Cutoff
 Promontorio2,7442971520.330.411.252.6026,23813,42028.8924,94975,663157,356
 Europa2,0353973040.060.510.691.3625,95919,9103.7123,02431,12861,127
 Total4,7793402170.210.461.012.0752,19733,33032.6047,973106,791218,483
  
Case 6. 175 g/t Equivalent Silver Cutoff
 Promontorio2,5183091580.340.431.302.7124,99312,79127.4823,64372,378150,307
 Europa1,9824033090.060.520.701.3825,66219,6933.6822,73130,66160,331
 Total4,5003502250.220.471.042.1250,65632,48431.1646,375103,039210,638

The Resource Estimate lies in portions of the 3 veins of the 26 identified veins in the Alamos district, roughly 2 kilometres of approximately 30 known kilometres of cumulative vein strike length (Figures 1-3).

Figure 1. Alamos Silver Project Vein Zones – 55.2 Moz AgEq grading 320 g/t AgEq lies on Promontorio, Travesia, and Europa vein zones located within the black boxed outlines.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/281507_image1.jpg

Drill hole spacing within the modeled vein domains averages approximately 80 metres, with locally tighter spacing in higher-grade portions of the Promontorio vein zone. Most of the resource occurs in unmined zones, with partially mined-out areas in the Promontorio vein zone. Interpreted void volumes associated with historical mining have been deducted from the Resource Estimate based on interpretations of historical longitudinal sections, mine maps, and drill hole data. The resource remains open in along strike and down dip on both the Promontorio and Europa vein zones. Multiple other veins in the district have high-grade intercepts that await potential resource definition.

Figure 2. Travesia-Promontorio vein zone longitudinal section. Dotted line indicates the outline of the geological model used in calculating resources. This vein zone comprises 28.7 Moz AgEq grading 276 g/t AgEq. Click to enlarge.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/281507_image2.jpg

Figure 3. Europa vein zone longitudinal section. Dotted line indicates the outline of the geological model used in calculating resources. This vein zone comprises 26.5 Moz AgEq grading 386 g/t AgEq. Click to enlarge.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/281507_image3.jpg

The Alamos Project Resource Estimate is based on the following key assumptions and parameters: specific gravity values of 2.72 for the Promontorio and Travesia veins and 2.63 for the Europa vein, derived from Minaurum’s test work based on 151 wax-coated density measurements; vein domains were modelled to reflect the interpreted vein geology, including vein continuity, thickness, and structural controls; all assays were composited to 1 metre, and grade capping was applied on a vein-by-vein basis, with silver grades capped at up to 3,000 g/t; a 5 m along strike × 1 m across strike × 2.5 m high block size was selected based on geological constraints and potential future mining methods; and block grades for gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc were estimated using inverse distance squared interpolation; mineral resources were classified as Inferred in accordance with CIM Definition Standards, based on geological confidence, drill hole spacing, sample support, and search criteria. Additional details of the estimation methodology and classification criteria will be provided in the supporting technical report to be filed on the Company’s profile on SEDAR+.

A technical report prepared by IMC in accordance with NI 43-101 will be filed on the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca within 45 days of the date of this press release.

Phase II – Resource Expansion Drill Program
Minaurum is currently conducting a 50,000-metre core drilling program aimed at expanding the resource at Europa and Promontorio-Travesia, while also completing step-out and in-fill drilling to further evaluate high-grade intercepts in additional vein zones across the Alamos district, including at San Jose, Quintera, Promontorio Sur, Pulpito-Cotera, and Minas Nuevas.

Minaurum intends to provide an updated resource estimate in the second half of 2026. There is no certainty that the Inferred Mineral Resources will be converted to the Measured and Indicated categories through further drilling.

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure
Qualified Assurance Program and Quality Control Measures (“QA/QC”)

Minaurum has implemented QA/QC protocols including insertion of duplicate, blank and standard samples in all drill holes and underground sampling. Ninety-two percent of drill samples were submitted directly to the ALS Chemex in Hermosillo, Mexico, for preparation and sent to ALS Chemex in North Vancouver, BC, Canada, for analysis. During 2024, the Company sent drill samples to ActLabs’ facility in Zacatecas, Mexico, for preparation and analysis there, amounting to 8% of the total drill samples. Additional duplicate test work has been conducted on mineralized samples to assess variability of coarse reject and pulp samples. An IMC independent qualified person visited the Alamos project on 2 occasions, the 3-5th of September 2024, and the 18th of November 2025. IMC has reviewed the QA/QC work completed by Minaurum and believes the database is reliable for estimating Mineral Resources.

Qualified Person
The Mineral Resources for the Alamos Project disclosed in this news release have been estimated by Michael G. Hester, FAusIMMVice President of Independent Mining Consultants, Inc. and independent of Minaurum. Mr. Hester is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. The Mineral Resources have been classified in accordance with CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by CIM council, as amended. Mr. Hester has read and approved the contents of this press release as it pertains to the disclosed mineral resource estimate.

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Minaurum Silver Inc. (TSXV: MGG) (OTCQX: MMRGF) (FSE: 78M) is an Americas-focused explorer concentrating on the high-grade 100% owned, production-permitted Alamos silver project in southern Sonora, Mexico and the Lone Mountain CRD Project in Nevada, USA. Minaurum is managed by one of the strongest technical and finance teams and will continue its founders’ legacy of creating shareholder value by acquiring and developing a pipeline of Tier-One precious-and base metal projects.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Darrell A. Rader

Darrell A. Rader
President and CEO

For more information, please contact:
Sunny Pannu – Investor Relations and Corporate Development Manager
(778) 330 0994 or via email at pannu@minaurum.com

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Data review and verification: Stephen R. Maynard, Vice President of Exploration of Minaurum and a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101, reviewed and verified the assay data, and has approved the disclosure in this news release. Verification was done by visual inspection of core samples and comparison to assay results. Assay results have not been checked by re-analysis. No factors were identified that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data presented in this news release.

Analytical Procedures and Quality Assurance/Quality Control: Preparation and assaying of drilling samples from Minaurum’s Alamos project are done with strict adherence to a Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) protocol. Core samples are sawed in half and then bagged in a secure facility near the site and then shipped either by a licensed courior by Company personnel to ALS Minerals’ preparation facility in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. ALS prepares the samples, crushing them to 70% less than 2mm, splitting off 250g, and pulverizing the split to more than 85% passing 75 microns. The resulting sample pulps are prepared in Hermosillo and then shipped to Vancouver for chemical analysis by ALS Minerals. In Vancouver, the pulps are analyzed for gold by fire assay and ICP/AES on a 30-gram charge. In addition, analyses are done for silver, copper, lead, and zinc using 4-acid digestion and ICP analysis. Samples with silver values greater than 100 g/t; and copper, lead, or zinc values greater than 10,000 ppm (1%) are re-analyzed using 4-acid digestion and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS).

Quality-control (QC) samples are inserted in the sample stream every 20 samples on average, and thus represent 5% of the total samples. QC samples include standards, blanks, and duplicate samples. Standards are pulps that have been prepared by a third-party laboratory; they have gold, silver, and base-metal values that are established by an extensive analytical process in which several commercial labs (including ALS Minerals) participate. Standards test the calibration of the analytical equipment. Blanks are rock material known from prior sampling to contain less than 0.005 ppm gold; they test the sample preparation procedure for cross-sample contamination. In the case of duplicates, the sample interval is cut in half and then quartered. The first quarter is the original sample, the second becomes the duplicate. Duplicate samples provide a test of the reproducibility of assays in the same drilled interval. When final assays are received, QC sample results are inspected for deviation from accepted values. To date, QC sample analytical results have fallen in acceptable ranges on the Alamos project.

When final assays are received, QC sample results are inspected for deviation from accepted values by the QP. To date, QC sample analytical results have fallen in acceptable ranges on the Alamos project.

ALS Minerals is independent of Minaurum Silver and is independent of the Qualified Person.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information: This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. “Forward-looking information” includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the Resource Estimate; the ongoing Phase II 50,000 m resource expansion drill program; and the completion of an updated resource estimate in the second half of 2026. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved” or the negative connotation thereof.

In making the forward-looking information in this release, Minaurum has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on Minaurum’s current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Minaurum, including that Minaurum will be able to obtain all necessary permits and approvals for planned exploration and drilling activities; that Minaurum’s planned drilling and exploration activities will be completed on the expected timeline, or at all; that the results of the drilling and exploration activities will be as expected; that Minaurum will be able to complete the updated mineral resource estimate on the timelines expected, or at all; and that Minaurum will have the financial resources to complete its ongoing drill program and anticipated updated mineral resource estimate. Although Minaurum considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information.

In making the forward-looking information in this release, Minaurum has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on Minaurum’s current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Minaurum. Although Minaurum considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information, including risks relating to the actual results of drilling or exploration activities, fluctuating silver prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, drilling or exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes and timeliness of government or regulatory approvals.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Minaurum does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/281507

Categories
Base Metals Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals

Apollo Silver Closes Second and Final Tranche of $27.5 Million Private Placement Offering, with a $12.5 Million Investment from Jupiter Asset Management

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Silver Corp. (“Apollo Silver” or the “Company”) (TSX.V:APGO, OTCQB:APGOF, Frankfurt:6ZF0) is pleased to announce that it has closed the second and final tranche of its previously announced upsized non-brokered private placement (the “Offering”), previously announced on January 21, 2026. Pursuant to the closing of the second and final tranche of the Offering, the Company issued an aggregate of 2,500,000 units (the “Units”) at a price of $5.00 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $12,500,000. With the completion of this tranche, the Offering is now fully subscribed for total gross proceeds of $27,500,000.

A fund managed by Jupiter Asset Management (the “Jupiter Fund”) subscribed for all of the Units under the second and final tranche of the Offering.

As a result of closing the second and final tranche of the Offering, the Jupiter Fund now beneficially owns and controls 7,452,456 common shares and 3,807,200 common share purchase warrants of the Company, representing approximately 11.9% of the Company’s outstanding common shares on a non-diluted basis and approximately 16.9% on a partially diluted basis, assuming exercise of such warrants.

“We welcome and appreciate the continued participation of Jupiter Fund, as a key shareholder of Apollo Silver,” said Ross McElroy, President and CEO of Apollo Silver. “Jupiter Fund’s commitment is a strong statement of support as we continue to advance our large scale, high quality silver assets in stable jurisdictions.”

Each Unit issued pursuant to the Offering consists of one common share (a “Share”) in the capital of the Company and one common Share purchase warrant (a “Warrant”). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Share at an exercise price of $7.00 for a period of 24 months from the closing date of the Offering.

Closing of the Offering remains subject to final acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

In connection with subscriptions received in the second and final tranche of the Offering, the Company paid aggregate finder’s fees totaling $312,500 to BMO Capital Markets.

The securities issued under the second and final tranche of the Offering are subject to a four-month hold period from the date of closing. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to continue advancing the Calico Silver Project in San Bernardino, California; support community relations initiatives at the Cinco de Mayo Silver Project in Chihuahua, Mexico; cover ongoing property maintenance costs at both projects; and for general corporate purposes.

The Shares have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable state securities laws or compliance with the requirements of an applicable exemption therefrom. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Apollo Silver Corp.

Apollo Silver is advancing one of the largest undeveloped primary silver projects in the US. The Calico project hosts a large, bulk minable silver deposit with significant barite and zinc credits – recognized as critical minerals essential to the US energy and medical sectors. The Company also holds an option on the Cinco de Mayo Project in Chihuahua, Mexico, which is host to a major carbonate replacement (CRD) deposit that is both high-grade and large tonnage. Led by an experienced and award-winning management team, Apollo Silver is well positioned to advance the assets and deliver value through exploration and development.

Please visit www.apollosilver.com for further information.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ross McElroy
President and CEO

For further information, please contact:

Email: info@apollosilver.com

Telephone: +1 (604) 428-6128

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.

Cautionary Statement Regarding “Forward-Looking” Information

This news release includes “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements with respect to the final acceptance of the Offering by the TSXV, and the intended use of proceeds from the Offering. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “plan”, “estimate”, “expect”, “potential”, “target”, “budget” and “intend” and statements that an event or result “may”, “will”, “should”, “could” or “might” occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof.

Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of the management of the Company made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company as at the date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may have caused actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: risks associated with mineral exploration and development; metal and mineral prices; availability of capital; accuracy of the Company’s projections and estimates; realization of mineral resource estimates, interest and exchange rates; competition; stock price fluctuations; availability of drilling equipment and access; actual results of current exploration activities; government regulation; political or economic developments; environmental risks; insurance risks; capital expenditures; operating or technical difficulties in connection with development activities; personnel relations; and changes in Project parameters as plans continue to be refined. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the price of silver, gold and barite; the demand for silver, gold and barite; the ability to carry on exploration and development activities; the timely receipt of any required approvals; the ability to obtain qualified personnel, equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the ability to operate in a safe, efficient and effective matter; and the regulatory framework regarding environmental matters, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company’s expected financial and operational performance and the Company’s plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Categories
Base Metals Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals

Copper’s Momentum: Key Catalysts to Watch in 2026

Key Takeaways

  • Record Copper Prices: Copper hit all-time highs as supply disruptions and structural deficits drove strong repricing.
  • Tight Inventories: Regional stockpiling and policy uncertainty are tightening supply outside the U.S.
  • Supply Shocks: Major mine outages and collapsing treatment charges signal severe upstream stress.
  • Strategic Demand: AI, defense and grid modernization are making copper demand more durable.
  • Key Catalysts: Section 232 tariff risk and rising M&A activity support a constructive 2026 outlook.

Performance as of December 31, 2025

 Metric1 MO*3 MO*1 YR3 YR5 YR
Copper Spot Price110.86%21.79%43.93%14.19%9.95%
Copper Mining Equities (Nasdaq Sprott Copper Miners Index TR)216.49%26.28%74.59%28.53%18.76%
Copper Junior Mining Equities (Nasdaq Sprott Junior Copper Miners Index TR)316.17%34.77%132.42%43.42%26.45%
Broad Commodities (BCOM Index)4-0.65%4.84%11.07%-0.93%7.04%
U.S. Equities (S&P 500 TR Index)50.06%2.65%17.88%22.98%14.42%

*Performance for periods under one year is not annualized.
Source: Bloomberg as of 12/31/2025. You cannot invest directly in an index. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Performance Overview: Copper Price Hits All-Time Highs

Copper is in a powerful breakout, coming off a blockbuster 2025 and pushing deeper into record territory as tight supply and trade-driven dislocation keep the market on a scarcity footing.

Copper rose 43.93% in 2025, capping a strong year that reshaped market expectations for both price and the supply-demand balance. Copper’s strength has carried into early 2026, with the copper price continuing to attain all-time highs, reaching $13,273.81 per metric ton as of this writing. Notably, this is not a typical cyclical upswing. Copper is being repriced amid tightening fundamentals. Major supply disruptions have pushed the market into a deficit sooner than expected, while long-term demand growth continues to outstrip supply, increasing the likelihood of deeper shortages ahead. Copper’s momentum has been further reinforced by the broader strength of hard assets, as deglobalization and de-dollarization are increasing the strategic premium investors assign to essential critical materials like copper.

Copper is breaking records, driven by tight supply, structural market shifts and surging demand.

Copper’s strength is also being reinforced by a structural shift in the mobility of copper inventories. In a more open system, before 2025, exchange stocks and arbitrage help move metal to where it is most needed, smoothing regional imbalances. Today, that mechanism is increasingly constrained by trade frictions and policy uncertainty, which are encouraging stockpiling behavior and redirecting deliverable inventory to specific jurisdictions. This has left U.S. inventories elevated, while availability outside the U.S. is tighter than global headline inventories imply, providing support for the copper market. The result is a copper market where location, deliverability and policy risk can heighten the impact of the traditional supply-demand balance, particularly when the supply chain is already strained, and deficits are developing earlier than many expected. In effect, copper’s inventory buffer is behaving more like a set of regional pools than a single global reservoir, which helps explain why tightness can persist even when headline inventories do not look extreme.

Copper miners were the primary beneficiaries of rising copper prices in 2025. Copper miners gained 74.59% and junior copper miners rose 132.42%, underscoring how copper mining equities can deliver operating leverage to a higher copper price. For junior copper miners, the outperformance also reflects a rising probability that projects move from optionality to execution as higher prices improve economics and financing viability. That dynamic has been especially important for U.S.-linked projects, where government actions have increased confidence that domestic copper supply can be accelerated through faster permitting and broader support mechanisms, such as a direct equity stake in one junior developer.

Looking at longer-term performance, copper and copper miners have meaningfully outpaced equities and broader commodity benchmarks, respectively, over the past five years (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Physical Copper and Copper Stocks Have Outperformed Other Asset Classes Over the Past Five Years (12/31/2020-12/31/2025)

Physical Copper and Copper Stocks Have Outperformed Other Asset Classes Over the Past Five Years
Source: Bloomberg and Sprott Asset Management. Data as of 12/31/2025. Copper Miners are measured by the Nasdaq Sprott Copper Miners™ Index (NSCOPPT index); Junior Copper Miners are measured by the Nasdaq Sprott Junior Copper Miners™ Index (NSCOPJT index); U.S. Equities are measured by the S&P 500 TR Index; the Copper Spot Price is measured by LMCADY Comdty; and Commodities are measured by the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM). Definitions of the indices are provided in the footnotes. You cannot invest directly in an index. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Market DriversEmpty heading

Supply Disruptions Force Market Tightness

Copper’s rally has been driven by an abrupt shift into a supply deficit after a cluster of major disruptions forced the market to reprice faster than expected. The most significant was the September shutdown at Grasberg, where an estimated 800,000 metric tons of mud flooded the mine. Lost output through December 2026 is expected to exceed Collahuasi’s entire annual production, effectively removing the world’s third-largest mine from the market and tightening conditions overnight. The disruption was compounded by a string of setbacks across the industry. The Kamoa-Kakula complex faced flooding-related output cuts estimated at roughly 300 thousand metric tons, Teck revised guidance lower by about 60,000 metric tons across multiple operations, Codelco’s El Teniente reduced expected output by 33 thousand metric tons after an accident, and the ongoing shutdown of Cobre Panama continues to represent a loss of over 300 thousand metric tons of supply.

Major disruptions forced the copper market to reprice faster than expected.

The market impact of these disruptions is amplified by a broader truth about copper: supply reliability has always been fragile. Historically, unplanned outages average about 5% of global supply. In prior years, this could have been absorbed more easily. Today, however, it comes at a time when inventories are fragmented, and the market has less flexibility to balance regional tightness, raising the odds that even incremental disruptions push prices higher. This is why industry-wide constraints matter so much in 2026. Years of underinvestment, long development timelines and declining ore grades have slowed the industry’s ability to respond, leaving the market increasingly exposed when disruptions occur. As a result, the market is more likely to reprice the forward deficit path rather than dismiss disruptions as short-term noise. With demand growing faster than expected and supply relatively flat, the outlook now points to larger deficits ahead (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Copper Supply and Demand Imbalance May Likely Grow

Copper Supply and Demand Imbalance May Likely Grow
Source: BloombergNEF Transition Metals Outlook 2025. The line represents demand and the shaded area

Treatment Charges Flash Red

One of the clearest signs of stress in copper right now is the concentrate market, where smelters are increasingly competing for the mined feedstock that becomes refined copper. That competition shows up directly in treatment costs (TCs), the fee smelters earn for processing copper concentrate. There are two prices to watch. The annual TC benchmark is the reference level that anchors many long-term contracts for the year. It reset to $0 for 2026, down from $21.25 in 2025, which was already considered exceptionally low versus historical norms that were often in the $80s.6 The spot TCs are the day-to-day marginal price for concentrate and it has been even more extreme, falling deeper into negative territory and pushing to fresh all-time lows (Figure 3).

These TCs matter because they signal extreme stress and scarcity in mined copper. When TCs collapse, it means concentrate is in short supply relative to processing demand, and the whole chain becomes more vulnerable. In a market already tightening, that kind of upstream stress can ultimately pressure the price of refined copper higher, because the system has less flexibility to absorb disruptions or delays. It can also boost copper miners’ earnings power, as sustained tightness in concentrate typically reflects strong demand for mined copper.

Figure 3. Treatment Costs Are the Canary in Copper’s Supply Chain (2021-2025)

Treatment Costs Are the Canary in Copper’s Supply Chain
Source: Bloomberg. Data as of 12/31/2025. Includes inventories on the LME, SHFE, and COMEX. Included for illustrative purposes only.

Section 232 Copper Tariff Risk Remains

The July 30, 2025, Section 2327 copper proclamation imposed universal 50% tariffs on semi‑finished copper products and copper‑intensive derivative products, effective August 1, 2025. Contrary to Trump’s initial messaging and the market expectations that followed, it did not result in a tariff on refined copper. That swing, from an almost 50% tariff being priced into refined copper to 0%, created a premium for U.S. copper over the rest of the world that the market had never seen before, and participants raced to ship copper into the U.S. When refined copper was ultimately exempted, that premium fell back toward normal levels. Even so, inventories have remained concentrated in the U.S. (Figure 4), and the administration outlined a clear pathway for introducing refined copper tariffs later. The outcome could have just as profound implications for the copper spot price in 2026.

Section 232 keeps U.S. copper markets on edge, with tariff risk still unresolved.

By June 30, 2026, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce will provide President Trump with an update on domestic copper markets, so that he can determine whether imposing a phased universal import duty on refined copper is warranted. The duty path contemplated is 15% starting January 1, 2027, increasing to 30% starting January 1, 2028.

While the U.S. chose in January 2026 to forgo proposing tariffs on most critical minerals in favor of negotiating critical mineral agreements, copper remains a notable outlier given its separate treatment. Moreover, the legal environment prevents this risk from fading; if the Supreme Court constrains broader tariff strategies, the Trump administration is likely to lean more heavily on Section 232 tariffs. The practical takeaway is that Section 232 risk remains unresolved. It is evolving, and it continues to fragment inventory systems in a copper market already tightened by supply disruptions and concentrate constraints.

Figure 4. Trapped Copper in the U.S. (COMEX) (2015-2025)

Trapped Copper in the U.S. (COMEX)
Source: Bloomberg. Data as of 12/31/2025. Includes inventories on the LME, SHFE, and COMEX. Included for illustrative purposes only.

De-Dollarization Buoys Critical Materials and Precious Metals

Copper is increasingly traded as a critical material rather than an economic gauge, as markets place greater weight on policy credibility and de-dollarization. Headlines about a criminal investigation involving Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the rising political pressure on the Federal Reserve have sharpened concerns about Fed independence, reinforcing de-dollarization dynamics and supporting the broader metals complex. That same backdrop helped underpin broad strength across metals in 2025 (Figure 5), and it remains a credible tailwind into 2026, particularly for critical materials like copper that sit at the intersection of electrification, industrial security and strategic supply-chain priorities.

De-dollarization is supporting copper and critical materials performance. 

Rate expectations add another layer. Markets have been focused on the likelihood of lower rates over time, including the potential for a more dovish policy stance as President Trump appoints a successor at the Fed. A lower-rate trajectory is typically supportive for commodities through both financing conditions and currency dynamics, and it can reinforce investor demand for critical materials assets. When that tailwind converges with a market already contending with multiple others, it can keep copper well supported and raise the probability that the upside pressure extends through 2026.

Figure 5. Metals Post Strong Returns in 2025

Metals Post Strong Returns in 2025
Source: Bloomberg. Data as of 12/31/2025. Gold is measured by the Gold Spot Price; Silver is measured by the Silver Spot Price; Platinum is measured by the Platinum Spot Price; Palladium is measured by the Palladium Spot Price; Copper is measured by the LME Copper Spot Price; Lithium is measured by the China Lithium Carbonate 99.5%; Nickel is measured by the LME Nickel Spot Price; the U3O8 uranium spot price is measured by a proprietary composite of U3O8 spot prices from TradeTech, UxC, S&P Platts and Numerco; the S&P 500 TR is measured by the S&P 500 Total Return Index; Bonds are measured by the Bloomberg Barclays US Agg Total Return Value Unhedged USD (LBUSTRUU Index).

Copper Demand Is Shifting Toward Strategic, Less Price‑Sensitive End Uses

Copper is increasingly being pulled by structural, strategic demand that is less price-sensitive, tied to the buildout of critical infrastructure rather than the traditional industrial cycle. Copper still faces exposure to cyclical segments, including construction-related demand, which can be influenced by China’s property downturn and uneven global growth. The difference today is that the marginal demand driver is steadily shifting toward the world’s most critical sectors, helping copper stay well supported even as parts of the conventional growth picture appear mixed.

This shift was visible in 2025. Despite China’s property slowdown and persistent concerns around global growth, copper still delivered its strongest performance in 16 years, reinforcing that the market is increasingly pricing copper on critical end uses and constrained supply responsiveness rather than on the traditional economic cycle alone. Finally, copper has further evidenced this by decisively outperforming and breaking free of its correlation with Chinese equities since 2021 (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Copper Breaks Away from Chinese Equities (2015-2025)

Source: Bloomberg as of 12/31/2025. Chinese equities measured by the MXCN Index. Copper measured by LMCADY Comdty.
Source: Bloomberg as of 12/31/2025. Chinese equities measured by the MXCN Index. Copper measured by LMCADY Comdty.

Copper’s break from its historical correlation with Chinese equities is clearest in three demand segments that are expanding simultaneously. First, AI and data-center deployments are driving a step-change in electricity consumption, along with the copper-heavy power systems, cooling capacity, and connectivity networks required to support that load. Second, defense spending is building a more persistent layer of demand that is less sensitive to economic cycles and more aligned with national-security priorities. Third, the electricity grid is entering a long-duration modernization cycle, driven by accelerating load growth, aging infrastructure, and heightened reliability concerns.

These shifts have meaningfully reshaped copper’s demand profile. Electrical infrastructure surpassed construction as copper’s leading demand source, rising from 24% of total usage in 2020 to 30% in 2025, with further gains expected (Figure 7). A similar pattern is visible within China itself: construction-linked demand has weakened with the property downturn, yet investment in electrical infrastructure continues to more than offset this, sustaining overall demand growth. Together, these trends are linking copper more directly to strategic procurement across critical industries, supporting a constructive outlook for 2026 and amplifying upward pressure amid tight supply conditions.

Figure 7. Electrical Infrastructure Takes Over Global Copper Demand (2020-2030E)

Electrical Infrastructure Takes Over Global Copper Demand
Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, December 2025.

Looking Ahead: Copper’s Critical Catalysts

The copper market enters 2026 with several high-impact catalysts that should keep the outlook constructive. The most significant scheduled milestone is policy-related: under the Section 232 framework, the next key decision date is June 30, 2026, when the U.S. Commerce Secretary is expected to deliver an updated assessment of domestic copper markets.

Constrained supply and essential demand underpin copper’s strength.

Beyond policy, the market remains anchored by a supply chain that has shown how quickly it can tighten when disruptions hit and how slowly it can normalize when baseline supply growth is constrained. The key takeaway for 2026 is that the system continues to operate with limited flexibility, which supports a higher critical premium when participants compete for reliable units.

Copper demand continues to look increasingly durable because the marginal driver is shifting toward critical end uses that are harder to defer. The global push to expand and modernize electricity grids, the buildout of AI-related power infrastructure, and strategic industrial priorities are reinforcing copper’s role in essential systems. That demand mix is supportive in its own right, and it becomes even more powerful when paired with constrained supply responsiveness.

A final catalyst to watch is capital allocation across the mining industry. Mergers and acquisitions have increasingly reflected a strategic pivot toward copper, and the market is now openly entertaining transactions that could rival or exceed prior landmark deals (i.e., confirmed Rio Tinto and Glencore merger talks that would surpass the multibillion-dollar Anglo-Teck merger of 2025). Increased M&A reinforces the premium being placed on long-duration copper exposure and signals that the largest miners are likely to keep orienting portfolios toward copper, which tends to support sentiment across the copper complex.

Taken together, these catalysts leave copper’s move to all-time highs looking well grounded (Figure 8). With policy risk still active, supply responsiveness constrained, strategic demand tailwinds strengthening, and major miners continuing to reorient toward copper, the copper price can remain well supported near record territory through 2026.

Figure 8. Copper Hits All-Time Highs (2000-2025)

Copper Hits All-Time Highs
Source: Bloomberg as of 12/31/2025. Copper is measured by LMCADY Comdty. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Footnotes

1The copper spot price is measured by the LME Copper Cash ($), Bloomberg ticker LMCADY.
2The Nasdaq Sprott Copper Miners™ Index (NSCOPP™) is designed to track the performance of a selection of global securities in the copper industry; the Index was co-developed by Nasdaq® and Sprott Asset Management LP.
3Nasdaq Sprott Junior Copper Miners™ Index (NSCOPJ™) is designed to track the performance of mid-, small- and micro-cap companies in copper-mining related businesses; the Index was co-developed by Nasdaq® and Sprott Asset Management LP.
4The Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) is a broadly diversified commodity price index that tracks prices of futures contracts on physical commodities and is designed to minimize concentration in any one commodity or sector. It currently has 23 commodity futures in six sectors.
5The S&P 500 or Standard & Poor’s 500 Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of the 500 largest U.S. publicly traded companies.
6Source: Benchmark, Chinese smelter reportedly agrees to record low copper concentrate TC/RCs.
7Section 232 refers to a provision in the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 that allows the U.S. President to impose tariffs or other trade restrictions on imported goods if the Secretary of Commerce finds they threaten national security, initiating investigations into product imports.

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Investment Risks and Important Disclosure

Relative to other sectors, precious metals and natural resources investments have higher headline risk and are more sensitive to changes in economic data, political or regulatory events, and underlying commodity price fluctuations. Risks related to extraction, storage and liquidity should also be considered.

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Categories
Base Metals Junior Mining Precious Metals

Metalsource Mining Inc. Provides Drilling Update at Silver Hill Project

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – January 22, 2026) – Metalsource Mining Inc. (CSE: MSM) (OTCQB: SFRIF) (FSE: E9Z) is pleased to provide an update on its ongoing diamond drilling program at the Silver Hill Project, which is located approximately 15km south of Lexington, NC.

Two recently completed drill holes, SH26-07 and SH26-08 (currently in progress), have intersected multiple intervals of sulphide mineralization at depth, located proximal to historic underground workings but within areas that have not been previously drill tested. Mineralization is hosted in tuffaceous argilites and rhyolitic volcaniclastics and massive flows.

Hole SH26-07 intersected a broad zone of mineralization between approximately 129.85m and 155.45m downhole, comprising multiple discrete intervals of semi-massive to massive sulphides with associated quartz veining, silicification, and sulphide mineralization comprised of sphalerite, galena, and pyrite.

Drilling of hole SH26-08 has now intersected sulphide mineralization beginning at approximately 185m to 191m, for an apparent thickness of 6m and an estimated true thickness of 4m. This interval occurs at depth, south of the termination of historic underground workings, within a zone that has not previously been drilled.

Drill Hole IDEasting mENorthing mNElevation mAzimuthDipTotal Depth m
SH25-015724083951597224110-65108.81
SH25-025724083951597224110-87101.19
SH25-035724103951751236100-45304.71
SH25-045724103951751236100-9099.67
SH25-055722803951624262135-75199.03
SH26-065722803951624262135-50108.81
SH26-075722803951624262135-90199.64
SH25-085722803951624262195-78In progress

The Company notes that visual identification of sulphide mineralization intervals do not indicate metal grades or economic significance. Core processing is ongoing with logging, sampling, and submittal for labratory analysis underway.

The current drilling continues to test down-dip and along-strike extensions of the Silver Hill mineralized system, with step-out drilling planned to evaluate continuity and scale.

The exploration results described herein are preliminary in nature and are insufficient to define a mineral resource. Further drilling is required to determine the continuity, geometry, and grade distribution of the mineralization. At the time of this release, analytical results are still pending, the reported intervals are based on geological logging only.

Qualified Person

All scientific and technical information, has been reviewed and approved by Rory Kutluoglu, B.Sc., P.Geo., a “Qualified Person” as defined under NI 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Kutluoglu is an independent consultant of the company within the meaning of NI 43-101.

Silver Hill Project

Located in the Carolina Terrane, the property is underlain by volcaniclastic and volcano-sedimentary rocks predominantly of Neoproterozoic and Cambrian age. This terrane has been suggested to be an extension of the Avalon Terrane. The property is 1,128 acres located in Davidson County, North Carolina. As the first significant discovery and first silver-producing mine in America, there is an extensive drillhole database, underground mapping, historic dumps and underground chip samples which comprise the historic dataset. This mineralization is currently known to extend to 550m from surface, in a steeply trending series of lenses, which remain open in multiple directions. Bolstering these historic records, recent surface sampling contained results including SH25-003 containing 444g/t Ag, 17.7 g/t Au, 8.61% Pb and 0.507% Zn.

Byrd-Pilot Mountain Project

Located in central North Carolina, within the Carolina Terrane. Early USGS work in the 1980s flagged the area as possibly hosting a porphyry gold-copper system, subsequent work demonstrated broad gold mineralization in soils, trenches, and shallow RC drilling, coincident with strong self-potential anomalies. Geology shows intense quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration, high-sulfidation signatures, and high-alumina minerals (like Haile and Brewer deposits to the south), suggesting potential for a large epithermal or porphyry-related gold system. Geologic modelling indicates east-west trend to the identified mineralization, open in multiple directions, with oxidation noted down to a depth of 30m. No drilling has tested the Meridian discovery zone since those 1980s campaigns, leaving potential for significant resource expansion through work commitments of the agreement.

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Rory Kutluoglu, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”).

About Metalsource Mining Inc.

Metalsource Mining Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on advancing high-potential mineral assets through modern, systematic exploration and value-driven discovery.

For further information, please contact:
Joe Cullen CEO – Metalsource Mining Inc.
Tel: (778) 919-8615
Email: jcullen@metalsourcemining.com

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) that relate to the Company’s current expectations and views of future events. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as “will likely result”, “are expected to”, “expects”, “will continue”, “is anticipated”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimated”, “intends”, “plans”, “forecast”, “projection”, “strategy”, “objective” and “outlook”) are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this material change report should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date they are made.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this presentation are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/281223