Mr. Ryan Hrkac reports

NORTEC MINERALS COMMENCES PHASE 2 GROUND PROGRAM, INCLUDING BEDROCK TRENCHING AND EXPANDED SOIL SAMPLING OVER MAGNETIC ANOMALIES AT THE BARKER BAY GOLD PROJECT

Phase 2 of ground exploration has commenced at its 100-per-cent-owned Barker Bay gold project, located approximately 55 kilometres south of Dryden, Ont.

Phase 2 comprises mechanical bedrock trenching at the recently acquired Barker Bros. mine in addition to an expanded soil geochemical sampling program designed to further define the gold mineralized footprint.

Additionally, phase 2 builds on phase 1 results, including grab samples of up to 24.2 grams per tonne Au (good) at the historical Barker Bros. mine shaft and 4.59 g/t Au over 0.5 metre from the North trench (see news release dated Sept. 9, 2026).

Phase 2 objectives:

• Trenching and channel sampling at the newly consolidated Barker Bros. mine, where waste pile grab samples returned 24.2 g/t Au, 11.0 g/t Au and 10.7 g/t Au.
• Expand soil geochemical sampling along the Barker North and Petrie trends to identify additional mineralization beyond the existing 850 m by 200 m gold-in-soil anomaly, where channel sampling returned 4.59 g/t Au over 0.5 m within an 8.0 m composite averaging 0.42 g/t Au at the North trench.
• Build additional confidence in targets in preparation of a maiden diamond drill program by further establishing geological controls on gold mineralization near the Barker Bros. mine and assessing how they relate to the Barker North and Petrie deformation corridors.

Phase 2 program details

Phase 2 groundwork follows the phase 1 program, where mechanical bedrock trenching, channel sampling and systematic prospecting of trenches along the Barker Bros. mine trend established a northwest-trending deformation corridor containing shearing and alteration, where mineralized structures returned 4.59 g/t Au over 0.5 m within an 8.0 m composite averaging 0.42 g/t Au (see news release dated Sept. 9, 2026). Phase 1 results confirmed the presence of high-grade gold at the Barker Bros. mine, structurally controlled, anomalous mineralization at Barker North and anomalous Au-in-soil over 850-plus metres of strike.

Bedrock trenching at the Barker Bros. mine will target the immediate area of the historical workings, where phase 1 grab samples from the shaft waste pile returned values of up to 24.2 g/t Au from a mix of hornblende schist and quartz vein material. Mechanically excavated trenches will expose fresh bedrock in the vicinity of the shaft to allow for geological, structural mapping and channel sampling to better target gold-bearing structures in advance of drilling.

The expanded soil sampling program intends to build on the established 850 m by 200 m gold-in-soil anomaly along the Barker North deformation corridor, to identify additional bedrock targets for follow-up testing beyond the currently explored extent. A grid of B-horizon soil samples will be established utilizing data collected and processed from the company's drone magnetic and lidar (light detection and ranging) survey (see news release dated Aug. 13, 2026).

Geological context

The Barker Bay project is located within the Eagle-Wabigoon-Manitou greenstone belt of the Western Wabigoon subprovince, a gold-endowed Archean volcanic belt in Northwestern Ontario containing numerous historical gold occurrences, mines and active exploration projects. The belt has become increasingly recognized as a significant, emerging gold district. Kenorland Minerals Ltd. (TSX Venture Exchange: KLD), which holds the Western Wabigoon project under option with a subsidiary of Centerra Gold Inc. nearby, reported results from its maiden drill program at the W2 target, including 1.05 metres grading 204.34 g/t Au, and 37.75 m grading 0.30 g/t Au (Sept. 3, 2026, news release). Dryden Gold Corp. (TSX-V: DRY) is advancing exploration at its Gold Rock camp approximately 32 kilometres northeast of Barker Bay. The reported geological setting and controls on mineralization at these nearby projects shows similarities with the geology present on the Barker Bay project, and serves as regional examples of high-grade, structurally hosted gold within the greenstone belt and broader subprovince.

Gold occurrences at Barker Bay are interpreted to be structurally controlled and associated with steep shear zones, felsic intrusive units, quartz veining, sulphide-bearing wall rock, and favourable mafic-felsic lithological contacts. The high-grade results from the Barker Bros. mine waste rock pile, combined with anomalous grabs and channel sampling results within an anomalous good-in-soil footprint along 850 metres of strike, are interpreted to reflect a gold-bearing structural corridor.

Qualified person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Neil Pettigrew, MSc, PGeo, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, and a non independent consultant to Nortec.

About Nortec Minerals Corp.

Nortec is a mineral exploration company focused on identifying gold and copper properties with high discovery potential and advancing those projects to create outsized shareholder value. Property holdings comprise:

• Pearl gold project, located in Nevada, U.S., a past-producing high-grade gold mine, under option. Drilling at the Columbia zone has intersected mineralization, including 2.27 g/t gold over 38.1 m (hole YU21-02) and 11.96 g/t gold over 3.05 m (hole YU22-11).
• Barker Bay gold project, located in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, having historical (turn-of-the-century) mine workings. High-grade gold confirmed at the Barker Bros. mine shaft waste pile (up to 24.2 g/t Au); anomalous gold along 850 metres of strike.
• 100-per-cent interests in two exploration-stage critical mineral (zinc) projects: the Sturgeon Lake VMS (volcanogenic massive sulphide) and the Mattagami River zinc properties, both in Ontario, Canada. The company also holds a 16.4-per-cent interest in the Tammela gold project in southwest Finland.

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