Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 7, 2026) - Critical One Energy Inc. (CSE: CRTL) (OTCQB: MMTLF) (FSE: 4EF) ("Critical One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that new assays have identified near-surface antimony (Sb) mineralization and confirmed visual extension of massive stibnite to the northeast at its flagship Howells Lake Antimony-Gold Project ("Howells Lake Project"), located approximately 120 kilometres west of the Ring of Fire access corridor in Ontario, Canada. Assays are reported for HWL-2026-001 (Hole 1), HWL-2026-002 (Hole 2), and HWL-2026-007 (Hole 7), along with visuals from HWL-2026-016 (Hole 16), all from the 2026 Howells Lake drill program.

Highlights:

• Hole 7 high-grade zone: 4.17 metres (m) of 27.35% Sb was intersected, including 1.1 m of 70.3% Sb down-dip of Hole 6
• Holes 1 and 2: Sb mineralization has been identified near surface with up to 3.1% Sb over 1.09 m in Hole 2, just 26 m downhole
• Hole 16: visual identification of massive stibnite present from 105.4 m to 159 m, zone remains open to the northeast
• Geological context: High-grade Sb mineralization crosscuts an intrusive porphyry and extends from near-surface to the northeast, dipping at ~55⁰. A lower Sb zone is concentrated within and near the contact of graphitic tuff horizons and the intrusive porphyry, which remains open to the west

Antimony mineralization in the form of massive, near-pure stibnite has now been identified in three holes at Howells Lake. This zone occurs within an intrusive chlorite-feldspar porphyry that sits along an extensive regional northeast structure. Holes 1 and 2 identified shallow mineralization near-surface within the porphyry. Hole 7 was drilled down-dip of Hole 6, previously reported on May 15, 2026, and intersected 4.17 m of 27.35% Sb, including 1.1 m of 70.3% Sb, indicating that near-pure stibnite can be traced beyond Hole 6. Visual observations from Hole 16 reported here identify massive stibnite approximately 70 m from Holes 6 and 7 and point to a northeast extension. High-grade Sb mineralization remains open within the porphyry to the northeast, while lower-grade antimony-gold-zinc (Sb-Au-Zn) mineralization reported on June 16, 2026, hosted within volcano-sedimentary units below the porphyry, remains open to the west. Future drilling is planned to expand the mineralized zone at depth, particularly to test the continuity of massive stibnite, which opens the opportunity for Direct Shipping Ore to North American military and industrial buyers, a supply route the West does not currently have.

"Early drilling results have delivered confirmation of high-grade, continuous antimony mineralization that extends significantly beyond the historical resource envelope. These intercepts demonstrate grade continuity and width, highlighting the substantial upside potential of the project," said Duane Parnham, Founder, Executive Chairman and CEO of Critical One.

Parnham continued, "We are grateful to Eabametoong First Nation (EFN) for its approval of the initial phase of our maiden drill program, which has allowed us to advance this work in a focused and responsible way. EFN's collaboration will continue to assist Critical One as we mutually evaluate the grade, scale and strategic relevance of Howells Lake to meet the requirements of antimony supply chains for energy security and national defence in the West."

Figure 1. Cross-section A-B, showing new assay intervals for Holes 1, 2, and 7. Also shown are previously reported assay intervals from Hole 6 and visual identifications of massive stibnite in Hole 16. Section is 100 m thick and north-looking.

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Figure 2. Hole 7 drill core from 77.77 m to 81.94 m downhole, which returned 4.17 m grading 27.35% Sb, including 1.1 m grading 70.3% Sb. NQ drill core shown; reported interval represents core length.

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Figure 3. Hole 16 drill core photos showing representative examples of massive stibnite from the 105.4 m to 159.0 m downhole interval. A: Representative 0.6 m sample interval of visually identified massive stibnite. B: 146.22 m to 159.15 m downhole section view showing visible stibnite within the larger interval. Visual observations are pending assay confirmation and do not guarantee grades.

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Table 1. Assay results from the current batch of drill holes. Note: Reported intervals represent core lengths; true widths have not been estimated due to insufficient geological information. All individual samples included in weighted intercept averages are >0.1% Sb and between 0.3 m and 1.0 m length.

QA/QC and Sampling Procedures

Samples of NQ diamond drill core were sawed at Critical One Energy's operations base in Thunder Bay, Ontario. One-half of the core was retained for reference, and one-half was added to sample bags. Blanks of crushed pure-quartz aggregate, antimony-gold standards, and duplicates were inserted every 20 samples. Laboratory "Barren Wash" was completed during crushing and pulverizing, and additional blanks were inserted after visible high-grade antimony and/or visible gold. Samples, standards, and blanks were bagged, tagged, and delivered to AGAT Laboratories in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where samples are crushed and prepared for analysis in Calgary, Alberta. Antimony and 30 additional elements were analyzed by sodium peroxide fusion and ICP-OES finish (201-079). Overlimit antimony analyses (>5% Sb) were reanalyzed by ALS Vancouver via sodium peroxide fusion XRF (ME-XRF15c). AGAT and ALS Laboratories are internationally accredited laboratories.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Matthew Trenkler, P. Geo., Chief Geological Officer of Critical One Energy Inc., a "Qualified Person", as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Verification included a review of laboratory assay certificates, drill logs, chain-of-custody records, blank/standard/duplicate statistics, and review of collar and down-hole survey data. No QA/QC failures were identified.

About Critical One Energy Inc.

Critical One Energy Inc. is a Canadian critical minerals and upstream energy company focused on metals essential to energy, technology and national defence supply chains. The Company is advancing the Howells Lake Antimony-Gold Project, which provides Critical One with direct exposure to antimony, a critical metal of increasing strategic importance to Western nations, as well as meaningful gold exploration potential across the property. Backed by seasoned management expertise, Critical One is positioned to advance high-value mineral projects aligned with the rising demand for secure critical minerals supply. The Company also holds uranium and copper assets in Namibia, providing additional exposure to critical minerals and energy metals.

Additional information about Critical One Energy Inc. can be found at criticaloneenergy.com and on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor CIRO accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking Statements

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However, forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected, or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to, risks relating to the mining industry in general, and other risks as described in the Company's continuous disclosure record on SEDAR+.

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