Highlights:

• An additional $2.0 million, 6,000-m definition drilling program has been budgeted for late summer or fall. Planning for the expanded program will commence upon completion of the Phase 1 program and receipt of the remaining assay results.

• Drilling to date has shown good depth and strike continuity of the Roger porphyry Cu-Au system as well as extensions to the interpreted VMS horizon.

• A second drill has been mobilized to the property to fast track the current program and to test the SW continuation of the Roger porphyry Cu-Au resource above the 500 m vertical level and to test the continuity of the VMS horizon.

• Strong assays of 1.55 g/t Au, 41.2 g/t Ag, 0.18% Cu over 4.2 m and 1.64 g/t Au, 11.7 g/t Ag, 0.29% Cu and 0.11 % Zn over 4.0 m were returned from the VMS intersections so far.

• Multiple gold intersections have so far been returned from the porphyry zone, the best of which returned 4.01 g/t Au over 2.8 m including 5.39 g/t over 1.5 m, 32.6 g/t Au over 1.2 m and 12.2 g/t over 1.1 m.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 16, 2026) - Auriginal Mining Corp. (TSXV: AUME) ("Auriginal" or the "Company") is pleased to report that a second drill has been mobilized to the Roger project to fast track our Phase 1 drill program and prepare for definition drilling of the newly expanded porphyry Cu-Au mineralized system and to better define VMS mineralization intersected to date. Planning for the $2.0 million, Phase 2 program will commence upon receipt of all assay results from the current program and is anticipated to start in late summer or early fall.

"Drilling to date has supported our view of an expanded porphyry Cu-Au resource at Roger below the deepest historical drilling on the property and has confirmed the presence of an overlying gold-rich VMS horizon," said Peter Cashin, Auriginal's CEO. "Our work has shown good porphyry-style mineralization characteristic of the historical Cu-Au resource in all holes, which remains open below and to the southwest of the previous limits of Roger zone. Given success of our Phase 1 drilling at Roger, an additional $2.0 million has been allocated to undertake definition drilling to expand the historical resource on the property to the Inferred category. In addition, we intend to reassess the historical resource estimate published in 2018 in consideration of the significant increases we have seen in commodity prices. The expanded Phase 2 program will start later this summer or early fall upon receipt and compilation all data from this summer's work. The Auriginal Team firmly believes that the best part of the Roger story is yet to come."

Figure 1 - Outline of the Phase 2 Drilling Program Plans, Looking South

Drill Program Rationale and Results

The Roger deposit has long been viewed as a porphyry-style Au-Cu system. Auriginal's reinterpretation, based on relogging, resampling, geochemistry, and age dating, suggested that the historical gold-copper deposit sits below an overlying gold-rich VMS system - an interpretation the current drill program has now confirmed. To date, drilling has also confirmed continuity of the Roger porphyry along strike to the southwest by at least 750 m and down to a vertical depth of 525 m.

Summary of best assay results from drilling received to date:

A continuous, sulphide-bearing marker horizon had previously been defined for at least 1.5 km, hosted in altered felsic to intermediate volcanic rocks typical of VMS environments. Geochemical and geological signatures show strong similarities to Agnico Eagle's LaRonde 20N massive sulphide deposit, reinforcing the potential for a second, high-grade base-metal deposit at above and to the south of the Roger Cu-Au zone. Digital modeling of the Roger Zone shows the historical resource to be open at depth and along strike and has, thus far, been confirmed by the drilling program.

Expanded Phase 2 Definition Drilling Program

The Company intends to update the historical mineral resource estimate on the Roger Zone to reflect the significantly higher commodity prices since the 2018 estimate and to incorporate the depth and strike extensions of the porphyry zone defined by 2026 drilling (see Figure 1). At the same time, Auriginal will continue to test for further economic zones and vector towards the core of the VMS system. Once the current program is complete and all results have been compiled and integrated, the Company will return to Roger later this summer or fall with a fully funded follow-up program backed by an additional $2.0 million in budget.

About Auriginal Mining Corp.

Auriginal is a Quebec-focused copper and gold company with one of the province's largest and most diversified exploration portfolios. Its 100%-owned flagship Roger Project, located in the Chibougamau district, hosts a known gold-copper deposit with strong potential to host volcanic-hosted polymetallic massive sulphide deposits. With a diversified pipeline of greenfield projects across Quebec's best-known mining regions and backed by the Ore Group's proven exploration and capital markets team Auriginal has a clear focus on discovery and growth for copper, zinc and gold. The company is well-positioned to immediately execute an aggressive exploration and acquisition strategy and attract broader market attention. Further details on Auriginal are available on the company website at https://auriginal.ca/.

Qualified Person Statement

The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by André Liboiron, géo.(617), an Independent Consultant to Auriginal Mining Corp. and a Qualified ‎Person as defined in "NI 43-101".

Cautionary Statement

Certain information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements or information ("forward-looking statements)", including details about the business of Auriginal Mining. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Auriginal Mining expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond the Auriginal Mining's control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, currency fluctuations, environmental risks, operational risks, competition from other industry participants, stock market volatility. Although the Company believes that the expectations in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, its forward-looking statements have been based on factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, as no assurance can be provided as to future results, levels of activity or achievements. Risks, uncertainties, material assumptions and other factors that could affect actual results are discussed in Auriginal Mining's public disclosure documents available at www.sedarplus.ca. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date of this document and, except as required by applicable law, Auriginal Mining does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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