Mr. Paul Olmsted reports

NORTHWEST REPORTS SIGNIFICANT ORE SORTING RESULTS AT KWANIKA

Northwest Copper Corp. has released positive results from follow-up sorting testwork at its Kwanika project. The program evaluated the use of sorting technology to reject barren material ahead of a processing plant. Incorporating sorting ahead of a processing plant will improve mill feed grades, remove or defer processing of lower-grade material, and could result in a reduction in the plant size needed to achieve a similar metal production profile. These results will be considered as part of the new preliminary economic assessment (PEA) targeted for mid 2026.

Paul Olmsted, chief executive officer of Northwest, commented: "The sorting results are encouraging and demonstrate the opportunity to improve mill feed grade at Kwanika early in the mine life, enhancing overall project economics. Incorporating sorting may allow for a reduction in mill size and lower upfront capital costs while maintaining similar copper and gold production rates. Sensor-based sorting technology has advanced significantly in recent years, and we will assess its impact as part of our objective to deliver a more economically compelling project in a new PEA relative to the 2023 PEA."

Testwork highlights

• Significant increase in sorted metal grades of approximately 19 per cent;
• High sorter metal recoveries of approximately 89 per cent in only 75 per cent of the original mass;
• Creation of low-grade stockpile for processing later in mine life.

Geoff Chinn, vice-president of business development and exploration, added: "Results from the sorting tests are positive and support the potential to remove barren dike material and other dilution from mined rock, potentially working in concert with low-cost bulk underground mining methods. Sorting could also enable us to reduce the overall environmental footprint of the project, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, process water, chemicals and energy requirements."

Sorting test program

Northwest engaged Canenco Consulting Corp. and Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) in late 2025 to complete sorting tests using X-ray transmission (XRT) technology. Five holes from different areas of the deposit were sampled to produce a representative composite sample weighting approximately 312 kilograms of mineralized plus waste material.

The samples were shipped to SRC in Saskatoon, Sask., where testing was conducted under the supervision of Canenco. After screening to remove the fine particles (negative 10.0 millimetres), approximately 241 kg of sample was tested at SRC's test facility through the TOMRA's XRT machine.

This is the first dynamic sorting test program conducted by Northwest for Kwanika. Previous scoping and desktop tests were undertaken at both the B.C. Mining Research Ltd. facility and the Tomra sorting facility in Wedel, Germany, which were encouraging.

Test program results

• Testwork was based on operating an XRT sorting machine, processing the rock size fraction of plus 10.0 mm to 30 mm grading approximately 0.83 per cent Cu (copper), 1.57 g/t (grams per tonne) Au (gold), 2.47 g/t Ag (silver), to concentrate the sulphide-rich mineralization while rejecting the dilution taken during the mining process. The negative 10 mm material bypasses the sorting process.
• Over all, copper, gold and silver results on feed material, recombining the fines fraction, resulted in a final mill feed grading approximately 1.0 per cent Cu, 1.85 g/t Au, 3.25 g/t Ag in only 75.0 per cent of the mass, with recoveries of approximately 90.2 per cent Cu, 88.3 per cent Au and 90.0 per cent Ag.
• Dilution or low-grade rejects from the sorting process represented 25 per cent of the overall feed with a grade of 0.33 per cent Cu, 0.75 g/t Au, 1.13 g/t Ag. This low-grade material would be stockpiled and processed at the end of the mine life.

Operating and environmental benefits by including sorting

Sorting, using an X-ray sensor and compressed air, is an innovative method of rejecting mine dilution and low-grade mineralized material, often below cut-off, from the mined rock and plant feed. This concentrates the grade of mineralization feeding the plant, displacing the gangue material and preferentially retaining metal bearing rock.

Deposits such as Kwanika, with minerals of value associated with sulphides often respond very well to XRT sorting. The technology has many operational, economic and environmental benefits, which are sustained over the life the project, from operations through to mine closure.

Removing dilution from the mill feed and the requirement to grind this waste rock provides a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with power consumption. In addition, reducing the volume of material processed lowers water requirements, reduces process reagents, decreases the volume of tailings requiring long-term storage, thereby decreasing associated footprint impacts and water treatment requirements.

Technical aspects of this news release have been reviewed, verified and approved by Geoff Chinn, PGeo, vice-president of business development and exploration for Northwest, and Stacy Freudigmann, PEng, FAusIMM, chief executive officer of Canenco who are qualified persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101 -- Standards of Disclosure for Minerals Projects.

About Northwest Copper Corp.

Northwest is a copper-gold exploration and development company with a pipeline of advanced and early stage projects in British Columbia, including Kwanika-Stardust, Lorraine-Top Cat and East Niv. With a robust portfolio in an established mining jurisdiction, Northwest is well positioned to participate fully in strengthening global copper and gold markets. The company is committed to responsible mineral exploration, working collaboratively with first nations to help ensure future development incorporates stewardship best practices and respects traditional land use.

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