Mr. Victor Feng reports

AURO INTERSECTS 572M GRADING 0.60 G/T GOLD AND 0.1% COPPER AT THE SANTA BARBARA GOLD-COPPER PROJECT, ECUADOR

Auro Metals Inc. has released the assay results of the final five drill holes from the 2026 phase I drill program at the Santa Barbara gold-copper project, located in the Zamora-Chinchipe province in southeastern Ecuador. This is the sixth batch from phase I, which comprised 22 drill holes (DSB-54 to DSB-75) totalling 11,047 metres.

The 20,000-metre phase II drill program is already under way with four drill rigs. The first four holes (DSB-76 to DSB-79) totalling 3,104 m, have been completed and assays are pending. Phase II will increase stepout drilling and drilling designed to fill in the gaps between known zones of the deposit, including DSB-79, a 400-metre stepout northeast of DSB-74. An additional three drill rigs are currently being mobilized to site.

The company has also hired China Railway Construction Company to construct a new 50-person permanent camp and core shack. These facilities are expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Summary of drill results

The five holes were drilled at the north portion of the southern area of the known mineralization (Santa Barbara South), which is currently believed to be the core area of the known porphyry mineralized system. Drill holes DSB-71, DSB-72 and DSB-75 are infill/stepout holes, returning higher-grade and confirming continuity of gold-copper mineralization. Drill holes DSB-73 and DSB-74 are stepout holes, which have extended the previously drilled DSB-63 by almost 200 m to the east. Highlights are as follows:

Infill/stepout holes:

• Drill hole DSB-71 intersected 301.4 m grading 0.78 gram per tonne gold and 0.10 per cent copper from 123.1 m to 424.5 m, including 89.5 m grading 1.20 g/t Au and 0.15 per cent Cu from 333.0 m to 422.5 m.
• Drill hole DSB-72 intersected 32.0 m grading 0.53 g/t Au and 0.06 per cent Cu from 9.0 m to 41.0 m and 311 m grading 0.58 g/t Au and 0.11 per cent Cu from 88.5 m to 399.5 m at the end of hole.
• Drill hole DSB-75 intersected 322.46 m grading 0.56 g/t Au and 0.10 per cent Cu from 10.54 m to 333.0 m, including 95.1 m grading 1.0 g/t Au and 0.12 per cent Cu from 13.7 m to 108.8 m.

Stepout holes:

• Drill hole DSB-73 intersected 394.4 m grading 0.73 g/t Au and 0.10 per cent Cu from 8.0 m to 402.4 m at the end of hole, including 51.0 m grading 1.0 g/t Au and 0.11 per cent Cu from 23.0 m to 74.0 m and 141.15 m grading 1.01 g/t Au and 0.11 per cent Cu from 138.7 m to 279.85 m.
• Drill hole DSB-74 intersected 572.47 m grading 0.60 g/t Au and 0.10 per cent Cu from 72.53 m to 645.0 m. The assay results for the remaining 211.95 m drill cores from 645.0 m to 856.95 m are pending.

Assay results for the five holes are listed in Table 1.

Description of holes

Hole DSB-71 was drilled in the central portion of Santa Barbara South to test the continuity of mineralization intersected in historical holes DSB-05, DSB-16 and DSB-19. The hole was completed at a depth of 745 m and intersected 301.4 m (from 123.1 m to 424.5 m) grading 0.78 g/t Au and 0.10 per cent Cu, including 89.5 m (from 333.0 m to 422.5 m) grading 1.2 g/t Au and 0.15 per cent Cu. Further down the hole, weaker mineralization continues intermittently until the end of hole. The results of this hole indicate that mineralization continues in the wide gap between the historical holes and is consistent with neighbouring drill results.

Lithology of the first 74.5 m in hole DSB-71 is postmineralization conglomerate which discordantly sits on volcanoclastic sediments with ferruginous staining and coating on fractures, likely close to paleosurface. From 84 m to 450 m, rock type is dominated by diorite porphyry intercalated with intervals of volcano sediments and basaltic andesite.

Hole DSB-72 is an infill hole between hole DSB-66 and hole DSB-69 and intersected 32.0m (from 9.0 m to 41.0 m) grading 0.53 g/t Au and 0.06 per cent Cu and 311.0 m (from 88.5 m to 399.5 m) grading 0.58 g/t Au and 0.11 per cent Cu. The hole was completed at a depth of 400.90 m and mineralization continues at the end of hole. The drill results from this hole demonstrate good continuity of mineralization at Santa Barbara.

Lithology in the hole is dominated by diorite porphyry with intercalated intervals of volcano sediments and basaltic andesite, which are likely xenolith blocks brought up from depth by the intrusion of diorite porphyry.

Hole DSB-73 is a 100-metre stepout from drill hole DSB-63 in the downdip direction. Hole DSB-73 reached a depth of 485.65 m intersecting 0.73 g/t Au and 0.10 per cent Cu over 394.4 m (from 8.0 m to 402.4 m). Rock types intersected in hole DSB-73 included diorite porphyry, hornblende diorite, basaltic andesite and volcano sediments, which are dominant near the end of hole.

Hole DSB-74 is an 80-metre stepout from DSB-73 intersecting 0.60 g/t Au and 0.10 per cent Cu over 572.47 m (from 72.53 m to 645.0 m) in the upper 645.0 m drill cores from surface. Assay results for cores from 645.0 m to 856.95 m (the end of hole) are pending. The drill results from DSB-63, DSB-73 and DSB-74 indicate good continuity of mineralization both on strike and downdip directions.

Quality assurance and quality control

All samples in respect of the exploration program at the project discussed in this news release were shipped in securely sealed bags by a chartered commercial truck, directly from the field to the sample preparation facilities of SGS in Guayaquil, Ecuador, for preparation, and to SGS in Lima, Peru, for geochemical analysis. SGS is a global leader in inspection, verification, testing and certification. It is an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory independent from Auro. All samples go through fire assay (SGS code FAA313) for gold and multiacid digestion ICP-AES multielement assay (SGS code ICP40B) for other elements. Certified reference materials, various types of blank samples and duplicate samples are inserted into normal drill core sample sequences prior to delivery to laboratory for preparation and analysis. The overall ratio of quality control samples in sample sequences is approximately 20 per cent.

Qualified person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Alex Zhang, PGeo, a director of the company, who is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The qualified person has verified the information disclosed herein, including the sampling, preparation, security and analytical procedures underlying such information, and is not aware of any significant risks and uncertainties that could be expected to affect reliability or confidence in the information discussed herein.

About Auro Metals Inc.

Auro Metals is a mineral exploration company that holds a 100-per-cent interest in the Santa Barbara gold-copper project in the Zamora copper-gold belt of southeastern Ecuador. The Santa Barbara project is a large-scale porphyry system comprising indicated resources of 29.8 million tonnes grading 0.73 g/t gold and 0.1 per cent copper containing 697,000 ounces gold and 68 million pounds copper and inferred resources of 205.7 million tonnes grading 0.52 g/t gold and 0.09 per cent copper containing 3,418,000 ounces gold and 426 million pounds copper. For more detail, see the company's mineral resource estimate prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 by SRK Consulting, effective March 23, 2026, which can be found on SEDAR+ and the company's website.

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