Mr. Paul Wood reports

KINROSS TO INITIATE TWO PHASE 6,000-8,000 METRE DRILL PROGRAM ON BTU DIXIE HALO PROPERTY NEAR GREAT BEAR PROPERTY

Kinross is planning to initiate a two phase 2026 drill program this month on BTU Metals Corp.'s Dixie Halo property. Kinross has indicated it plans to complete sufficient work on the BTU Dixie Halo property to earn a 70-per-cent interest in the project this year.

Phase one -- scheduled to commence around Feb. 20, 2026

• Phase one of the 2026 program is designed to comprise approximately 3,000 to 4,000 metres in approximately eight drill holes.
• Focus of this phase of the drilling is on the TNT area first discovered and announced by the company in 2019 (press release dated Dec. 16, 2019) with planned drilling targeting strike extensions and dip/plunge extensions of gold and copper mineralization tested in prior programs by the company and also by Kinross.
  • Objective is to intersect and better understand controls on, and the extent of, anomalous gold and copper mineralization and alteration in the area.

Phase two -- to be completed after completion of phase one and a review of all results

• Follow up on phase one at TNT.
• Drill targets on the west side of the Dixie Halo property extending interpreted Limb/Arrow stratigraphy from the Great Bear property.
• Targeting to be in part based on magnetic lows and structural discontinuities.

BTU chief executive officer Paul Wood stated: "We are extremely pleased that Kinross will imminently restart drilling on our Dixie Halo property, commencing in the TNT area and expanding to other target areas. This program will kick off the first of three BTU properties where we expect to have drills turning in the first half of 2026."

Bruce Durham, PGeo, vice-president, exploration, of the company is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release.

About BTU Metals Corp.

BTU Metals is a junior mining exploration company. BTU's primary assets are the Dixie Halo project located in Red Lake, Ont. (optioned to Kinross), immediately adjacent to the Kinross Great Bear project, the Dixie East project, and its gold and critical minerals properties in the active Wawa gold district. The company continues to look to acquire high-quality exploration projects to add to its portfolio for the benefit of its stakeholders. The company has no debt and minimal property obligations.

We seek Safe Harbor.