Mr. Chris Morrison reports

ANTEROS METALS COMMENCES DRILLING AT SEAGULL CRITICAL MINERALS PROJECT, ONTARIO

Drilling has commenced at Anteros Metals Inc.'s Seagull critical minerals project, located approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, Ont.

Further to the company's Dec. 8, 2025, news release, drill crews have mobilized to site, casing has been cemented and drilling is now under way. The January, 2026, drill program is fully financed and fully permitted, and is designed to evaluate a previously untested deep target identified beneath the Seagull mafic-ultramafic intrusion.

Rift Minerals Inc., as operator, has commenced drilling on this exploration-stage property, which is being evaluated for platinum group elements (PGEs), nickel, copper and associated naturally occurring gases, including hydrogen and helium. The company's phase 1 program is planned as an approximately 1,350-metre-deep diamond drill hole designed to test a low-velocity anomaly identified by Rift's ambient noise tomography (ANT) survey. A specialized gas-handling team is scheduled to arrive later this month to support drilling activities as the program advances. Gas sampling is investigatory in nature and does not imply the presence of commercial gas resources.

The drill hole is designed to test a subsurface zone of interest that has not previously been drill tested. The company expects to provide additional updates as drilling progresses and results become available.

About the Seagull project

The project is located approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, Ont., and covers the interpreted mafic-ultramafic Seagull intrusion within the Nipigon basin. Historical exploration between 1998 and 2012 included airborne geophysical surveys and approximately 20,000 metres of diamond drilling, which reported disseminated to semi-massive sulphide mineralization containing nickel, copper and platinum group elements along parts of the intrusion's basal contact. These results are historical in nature and have not been independently verified by Anteros.

In 2024, Rift completed an ANT survey to refine the internal geometry of the Seagull intrusion and to help define a deeper subsurface target. The survey outlined contrasting velocity domains interpreted to reflect lithological and alteration variations. These interpretations have not been tested by drilling and remain unverified by Anteros. The current phase 1 drill program is intended to provide the first subsurface evaluation of the deeper ANT anomaly.

Qualified person

The scientific and technical information in this news release relating to the Seagull project was prepared by Rift Minerals, and has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Geoff Heggie, PGeo (Ontario), a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101. This information has not been independently verified by Anteros Metals and is provided for geological context only.

About Anteros Metals Inc.

Anteros Metals is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing a pipeline of critical-minerals projects across Newfoundland and Labrador and select Canadian jurisdictions. The company targets copper, nickel, zinc and emerging strategic commodities that support the global energy transition. Immediate plans for its flagship Knob Lake property include bringing the historical Fe-Mn (iron-manganese) mineral resource estimate into current status and commencing baseline environmental and feasibility studies.

About Rift Minerals Inc.

Rift Minerals is a private corporation based in Thunder Bay, Ont., founded in 2024 by Steven Stares, Michael Stares, Cliff Hickman and Abraham Drost, MSc, PGeo (Ontario). Rift has completed early-stage exploration work on the Seagull project, including an ANT survey completed by Sisprobe, France. The resulting assessment report has been filed with the Ontario Ministry of Energy and Mines for assessment credit. Additional information about Rift Minerals is available through publicly accessible sources.

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