Mr. Elmer Stewart reports

COPPER FOX HIGHLIGHTS SIGNIFICANT PORPHYRY COPPER-MOLYBDENUM EXPLORATION INDICATORS AT SOMBRERO BUTTE, ADVANCING PERMITTING PLANS FOR TESTING PORPHYRY TARGET

Copper Fox Metals Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary, Desert Fox Sombrero Butte Co., presents an updated exploration model for the 100-per-cent-owned Sombrero Butte project in Arizona, U.S. The updated model supports the interpretation that Sombrero Butte hosts a large, highly evolved porphyry copper-molybdenum system within the Laramide copper province of the southwestern United States.

The exploration model integrates the 2024 geophysical survey, recent mapping, high-resolution airborne magnetics, petrography, SWIR, whole-rock, trace-element and fertility geochemistry, fluid inclusion observations, and historical drilling results. Collectively, these data sets define a coherent porphyry-style footprint characterized by a large chargeability anomaly, Laramide intrusive phases, potassic alteration overprinted by intense phyllic and spheroidal sericite alteration, hypersaline fluid inclusions, copper-mineralized breccias, and evidence of multiple high-temperature hydrothermal events.

Elmer B. Stewart, president and chief executive officer of Copper Fox, stated: "The exploration results at Sombrero Butte bring together the principal geological, geophysical, mineralogical and alteration indicators expected in an Arizona Laramide-age porphyry copper-molybdenum system. The coincidence of hypersaline fluid inclusions, spheroidal sericite and relic potassic alteration, several hydrothermal events, and a large chargeability response strengthen the interpretation that the project hosts a large porphyry system. To drill test this high-quality target, Copper Fox has retained an Arizona-based consulting company to prepare the required surveys to accompany the submission of the geological field operations plan (GFOP) to the Arizona State Land Department."

Key porphyry copper-molybdenum indicators

The convergence of multiple independent porphyry indicators at the intersection of two prolific Laramide-age porphyry copper belts in Arizona that hosts the former San Manuel/Kalamazoo porphyry copper mine and the Copper Creek porphyry copper deposit are significant features of the Sombrero Butte porphyry copper target. The porphyry features identified at Sombrero Butte that are typically observed in porphyry copper systems are listed below:

• Strategic location: at the intersection of two prolific Laramide-age porphyry copper belts in Arizona;
• Structural control: located between the Blind Thrust and Holy Joe fault systems;
• Favourable geology: porphyritic and non-porphyritic phases of hornblende-biotite granodiorite, biotite granodiorite quartz diorite and quartz monzonite, and multiple late-stage dikes of the Copper Creek granodiorite intrusive;
• Geophysical signature: a 3,200-metre-long-by-1,300-metre-wide (m) chargeability anomaly (more than 25 mrad (milliradian) associated with a moderate (200 to 500 ohms) resistivity signature;
• Alteration: early-stage potassic (plus or minus tourmaline) and propylitic overprinted by phyllic (Spheroidal sericite and oxidized quartz-pyrite-sericite veinlets) alteration and lesser amounts of distal advanced argillic alteration;
• Evolved system: superimposed high-temperature hydrothermal events; i.e. sulphidization of magnetite, magnetite rimming pyrite and bornite rimming chalcopyrite (hypogene enrichment);
• Boiling: widespread hypersaline fluid inclusions with (liquid plus vapour plus daughter minerals) suggests the intrusive source achieved saturation and phase separation into a vapour-rich phase and a high-salinity brine phase;
• Mineralized breccias: multiple (120) mineralized (high-grade copper plus or minus molybdenum-gold-silver) and non-mineralized, leached, bleached, intensely clay altered magmatic hydrothermal breccia pipes within the phyllic halo (quartz-pyrite-sericite veins);
• Porphyry target: widespread contact metamorphism and granodiorite outcrops within the Glory Hole volcanics suggests relatively thin cover of Glory Hole volcanics overlying the porphyry target within the Copper Creek intrusive.

Strategic location

Sombrero Butte is in a favourable geological setting at the intersection of two prolific Laramide-age porphyry copper belts in Arizona, approximately nine kilometres (km) east of the former San Manuel/Kalamazoo porphyry copper mine and approximately three km south of the Copper Creek porphyry copper deposit. This regional position is important because Arizona's Laramide copper province is recognized as one of the world's most significant porphyry copper regions, where hypogene copper mineralization consists of chalcopyrite, bornite and molybdenite associated with potassic and sericitic alteration assemblages.

Structural control

Most of the Sombrero Butte porphyry target is located between the Holy Joe and the Blind thrust fault systems, both prominent structural components of the Copper Creek mining district. Movement on the Blind thrust (reactivation of the thrust resulting in west side down hangingwall during crustal extension) resulted in a vertical displacement of approximately plus or minus 300 to 400m of the western portion of the (more than 10 millivolts per volt (mV/V) (or 20 mrad)) chargeability anomaly and extends to the west in the Copper Creek granodiorite. At surface, the Blind thrust juxtaposes a weak sericitic altered biotite granodiorite in the hangingwall and in the footwall a 500 m by 800 m area of intense phyllic (spheroidal sericite) with relic potassic altered biotite granodiorite, quartz diorite and quartz monzonite that outcrops within an erosional window in the Glory Hole volcanics. On the eastern side of the project, the Holy Joe fault appears to truncate the upper chargeability anomaly related to a magnetite-rich layer of metamorphosed and hydrothermally altered Glory Hole volcanics.

Favourable geology

The geology of the Sombrero Butte project consists predominately of metamorphosed Laramide-age Glory Hole volcanics intruded by porphyritic and non-porphyritic phases of the biotite and hornblende-biotite granodiorite, quartz diorite, quartz monzonite, and late-stage porphyritic quartz latite, dacite, diabase and gabbro dikes of the Copper Creek granodiorite, a Laramide-age weakly Peraluminous to Metaluminous calc-alkaline intrusive. The Precambrian-age Pinal schist and Miocene-age Galiuro volcanics occur along southern, eastern and western sides of the project. The Glory Hole volcanics consists of porphyritic and aphanitic andesite with interlayered volcaniclastic units intruded by multiple outcrops of biotite granodiorite on the eastern side of the project. The contact between the Copper Creek intrusive and Glory Hole volcanics is marked by a layer of rubbly, light-brown, metamorphosed andesite with abundant fine grained disseminated secondary magnetite that transitions to dark green, dense, fresh andesite toward the eastern side of the project. Over 120 magmatic hydrothermal mineralized and non-mineralized breccias occur as limonitic, vertically dipping pipes exhibiting various degrees of leaching and weak to intense argillic alteration. The eastern portion of the project is masked by a thick blanket of talus debris derived from the Galiuro volcanics.

Geophysical signature

The 2024 geophysical survey (DCIP and resistivity) delineated a large positive changeability/low-resistivity anomaly that exhibits two distinct chargeability/low-resistivity signatures. The upper geophysical signature coincides with a shallow east-dipping (20 degrees) layer of secondary fine-grained disseminated magnetite resulting from contact metamorphism of the Glory Hole volcanics. This layer is interpreted to be truncated by the Holy Joe fault on the eastern side of the project.

The lower-chargeability (more than 10 mV/V (or 20 mrad)), low-resistivity (200 to 500 ohms) signature occurs on both sides of the Blind thrust fault hosted in porphyritic and non-porphyritic intrusive phases of the Copper Creek granodiorite underlying metamorphosed Glory Hole volcanics.

The size and continuity of anomalous geophysical signatures are significant features because chargeability responses in porphyry systems commonly reflect disseminated sulphide and disseminated magnetite-bearing alteration zones.

Alteration

All three alteration patterns expected in a porphyry copper system are exposed in outcrop within the Sombrero Butte project. The intrusive phases of the Copper Creek granodiorite in the footwall of the Blind thrust exhibit relic early potassic (K-spar-magnetite-anhydrite-shreddy biotite) overprinted by intense textural destructive phyllic sericite-chlorite (spheroidal sericite) alteration hosting widespread quartz-magnetite veins and fracture-controlled magnetite (plus or minus potassic halos). The biotite granodiorite in the hangingwall of the Blind thrust fault exhibit weak sericitic alteration.

The Glory Hole volcanics exhibits widespread propylitic (tremolite-actinolite, epidote and chlorite) alteration, vein and fracture-controlled quartz-sericite-pyrite (now limonite) and quartz-magnetite veins with sericitic, and in places potassic vein envelopes contained within a large zone of moderate to intense limonite staining (weathering/oxidization of quartz-pyrite-sericite veinlets). Apophyses of the Copper Creek intrusive into the Glory Hole volcanics exhibit spheroidal sericite alteration.

In a porphyry copper system, spheroidal sericite (illite or muscovite) commonly overprints the highest-grade porphyry mineralization and commonly occurs within the intensely altered margins (halos) surrounding mineralizing centres. This style of alteration indicates retrograde reactions where cooler, acidic, magmatic-hydrothermal fluids invade earlier, hotter potassium-silicate (K-feldspar/biotite) zones hosting copper sulfides like chalcopyrite and bornite commonly accompanied by pyrite.

Evolved system/boiling

Petrographic and fluid inclusion studies on samples from the Copper Creek granodiorite, the Glory Hole volcanics and core from historical drilling identified the following mineralogical, alteration and age relationships indicative of a porphyry copper system. Widespread potassic (K-spar) alteration. Quartz-chalcopyrite-bornite veins associated with the K-spar alteration. Hypogene enrichment evidenced by bornite rimming chalcopyrite.

Sulphide mineralization postdates quartz-magnetite veining and contact metamorphism of the Glory Hole volcanics. Superimposed high-temperature hydrothermal events evidenced by widespread sulphidization of magnetite to pyrite and a later more restricted magnetite rimming/replacing pyrite an unusual pattern, in that porphyry-related hydrothermal systems generally evolve from a low-oxidation, low-sulphidation state to high-oxidation, high-sulphidation states.

The fluid inclusion study identified three distinct types of fluid inclusions in igneous quartz and vein quartz across several rock types, including hypersaline inclusions (liquid plus vapour plus daughter minerals). Hypersaline fluid inclusions are concentrated in the area exhibiting spheroidal sericite alteration and over an area of approximately three km by one km area along the footwall of the Blind thrust fault. The presence of hypersaline fluid inclusions indicates the fluids in the intrusive source achieved saturation and phase separation (i.e. boiling) into a vapour-rich phase and a high-salinity brine phase. The significance of hypersaline fluid inclusions in porphyry copper deposits is indicative of epizonal intrusions, which are the most favourable parents for porphyry copper mineralization and provide direct information about the hydrothermal fluids that transport metals and form the deposit (E. Roedder, 1984: Fluid inclusions: Mineralogical Society of America, Reviews in Mineralogy, Volume 12, 644 pages).

Copper-molybdenum mineralization

Copper-molybdenum mineralization occurs in steeply dipping, northeast-trending quartz veinlets, fractures, limonitic, clay altered magmatic hydrothermal breccia pipes with lesser amounts of disseminated chalcopyrite in the Copper Creek intrusive and as quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite veins in the Glory Hole volcanics.

The breccia pipes in the northwest corner of the project occur within an 800 m by 800 m area intruding potassic and phyllic altered porphyritic and non-porphyritic hornblende-biotite granodiorite, biotite granodiorite, and Glory Hole volcanics. Several of these breccia pipes were tested by diamond drilling between 2006 and 2008. Selected weighted average grade for mineralized intervals from these breccias are shown in table 1, with the location, azimuth, dip and total depth (length) of the drill holes shown in table 2.

Porphyry target

The porphyry target is a combination of telescoped porphyry features that include a large positive geophysical anomaly, prospective (fertile) intrusive phases, early high-temperature and later lower temperature (spheroidal sericite) alteration, hypersaline fluid inclusions, widespread copper-molybdenum mineralization, and high-grade copper (plus or minus molybdenum-gold-silver) in magmatic hydrothermal breccias. These surface porphyry related features support the interpretation that the upper or marginal portions of a larger porphyry copper-molybdenum system occurs at depth.

Metamorphism of Glory Hole volcanics

Emplacement of the Copper Creek intrusive complex resulted in widespread contact metamorphism of the overlying Glory Hole volcanics that produced abundant, fine-grained, disseminated secondary magnetite due to the transition of hornblende to tremolite-actinolite and magnetite. The large areas of metamorphosed Glory Hole volcanics and outcrops of granodiorite within the Glory Hole volcanics suggests the Copper Creek intrusive extends a significant distance east of the Blind thrust fault covered by a relatively thin layer of andesite of the Glory Hole volcanics and recent talus.

Analytical procedures

Age dating (U/Pb (uranium/lead) zircon) was performed by the Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research, located in Vancouver, B.C. (CA-TIMS U-Pb isotopic data). Whole-rock and trace element sample preparation and analytical results were completed by ALS Canada Ltd. at its facilities in Vancouver, B.C. Sample analyses utilized ALS's codes ME-MS61L for trace elements, MS61L-REE for rare earth elements and ME-ICP for whole-rock element analyses. Historical analytical results from the 2006-2008 drilling preformed by Bell Copper were generated by Activation Laboratories using instrumental neutron activation analyses (INAA) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analytical techniques. Both Bell Copper and Activation Laboratories employed various standards and blanks in their respective QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control) programs. Vancouver Petrographics, located in Langley, B.C., prepared the thin sections, completed cobaltinitrite staining of cut block and provided petrographic descriptions of the thin sections.

Qualified person

Elmer B. Stewart, MSc, PGeol, president and chief executive officer of Copper Fox, is the company's non-independent, nominated qualified person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101, Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information disclosed in this news release.

About Copper Fox Metals Inc.

Copper Fox is a Canadian resource company focused on copper development and exploration in the United States and Canada. Copper Fox and its subsidiaries own 100 per cent of the Van Dyke ISCR (in situ chemical reduction) project, a development-stage, potential near-term, mid-size copper mine in Arizona, and a 25-per-cent interest in the Schaft Creek joint venture with Teck Resources Ltd. (75-per-cent interest and operator), which hosts the Schaft Creek copper-gold-molybdenum-silver project in British Columbia's Golden Triangle. In addition, Copper Fox owns 100 per cent of the resource-stage Eaglehead polymetallic porphyry copper project in northwestern British Columbia, and the Sombrero Butte and Mineral Mountain advanced-exploration-stage porphyry copper projects located in the prolific Laramide-age copper province in Arizona.

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