Mr. Paul Wood reports

KINROSS ENCOUNTERS GOLD AND COPPER IN RECENT DRILL HOLES WITH GOLD VALUES UP TO 6 G/T, KINROSS DRILLING TO CONTINUE ON DIXIE HALO

BTU Metals Corp. has released highlights of Kinross Gold Corp.'s 2026 phase 1 drilling on BTU's optioned Dixie Halo properties in Red Lake. Furthermore, Kinross has indicated it will restart drilling operations this year.

To meet the requirements of the Kinross option agreement allowing it to earn a 70-per-cent interest in the BTU Dixie Halo project, Kinross has completed historic drill core relogging, airborne geophysics, outcrop mapping and a 2025 diamond drilling program comprised of 8,204.7 metres. A 6,000- to 8,000-metre diamond drill program was originally planned for 2026. Kinross expects to recommence drilling operations later in the year to complete its 2026 program.

Highlights of Kinross phase 1, 2026 drill program at BTU's optioned Dixie Halo, Red Lake, Ont.

• Completed eight drill holes comprising a total of 4,528.5 metres;
• Gold mineralization was encountered in every hole that ranged from less than one gram per tonne Au up to as high as six g/t Au;
• Drilling focused on the eastern part of the BTU Dixie Halo property referred to as the TNT area;
• Drilling encountered copper mineralization in addition to the gold mineralization with values from trace to as high as 0.530 per cent copper and 8.22 g/t silver over a drilled interval of 16 metres that included individual high copper values of 8.41 per cent copper and 116 g/t silver over 0.4 metre and 3.9 per cent copper and 71.8 g/t silver in hole BTU-26-15, which also intersected a 24.55 m drilled interval grading 0.626 per cent copper and 12.61 g/t silver.

Kinross to complete phase 2 drilling

• Kinross has indicated it will begin phase 2 of the 2026 drill program later in the year once equipment and technical personnel are available.
• Phase 2 targets are currently being developed as remaining assay data from the drilling completed to date becomes available. Drill targets to be tested in the next program are expected to focus on the Dixie Halo TNT area where Kinross continues to find significant broad intervals of copper-silver mineralization.

Paul Wood, chief executive officer, commented: "We're pleased to see Kinross continue to find gold mineralization in their drilling as they continue to evaluate the TNT area of the Dixie Halo project. Additionally, the intersections of copper mineralization of several types is encouraging and requires additional drill testing to search for additional areas of disseminated to massive and stringer chalcopyrite."

BTU announces drill program on the Hubcap and Centennial areas, Wawa, Ont.

• BTU has sourced a drill contractor for an approximately 1,200-metre program and expects to mobilize and commence drilling operations in September.
• The property covers numerous surface gold occurrences and shear zones that exhibit strong carbonate sericite alteration that host quartz carbonate zones.
• The area has been sporadically explored since early in the 1900s but is now consolidated by BTU.

Paul Wood, chief executive officer, commented: "The Hubcap/Centennial areas have been consolidated into a single package for the first time ever. BTU has been able to map, prospect and analyze this expanded, more comprehensive land package, and is now in a position to carry out its initial drill testing of the regional and specific targets our geological team has developed."

Qualified person

Bruce Durham, PGeo, vice-president, exploration, of the company, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release.

About BTU Metals Corp.

BTU Metals is a junior mining exploration company. BTU's primary assets are the Dixie Halo project located in Red Lake, Ont. (optioned to Kinross), immediately adjacent to the Kinross Great Bear project and its gold and critical minerals properties in the active Wawa gold district. The company has assembled a significant land package called Dixie East, East of the Great Bear project and the company's Dixie Halo project. The company continues to look to acquire high-quality exploration projects to add to its portfolio for the benefit of its stakeholders. The company has no debt and minimal property obligations.

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