Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 19, 2026) - NINE MILE METALS LTD. (CSE: NINE) (OTC Pink: VMSXF) (FSE: KQ9) (the "Company" or "Nine Mile"), is pleased to announce that Orbit Garant will mobilize a YS2000 Skid Mounted Drill Rig for the upcoming Wedge 10,000m drill program next week. The drill rig is being prepped in Moncton, New Brunswick and is anticipated to arrive onsite May 28^th. The Drill Program will commence at the Wedge Mine for Phase 3 Drilling, then continue to The TriBag and West Wedge Targets, (Targets #3 and #4 - Figure 1 below). We have the drill rig committed for the entire season through December.

Last fall's highly successful drill program concentrated on the southwest extension of the Wedge Mine, successfully uncovering new high-grade Copper-Gold-Silver lenses of the deposit. On the heels of the successful eastern expansion of the deposit, Phase 2 expanded the footprint of the deposit, supporting our geophysical technology, new interpretation, and modelling. This Phase 3 drill program focuses specifically on these newly discovered high-grade zones and will target the western flank of the deposit from the other side of the fault zone where we lost water last year as we entered a high-grade copper zone on drill hole WD-25-2B within Target #2, (Figure 1), the results summarized on (Table 1). We will also target the mine at depth. Apex Geoscience, Mike Dufresne, P.Geo. & Technical Advisor, and team will be onsite June 1^st for a complete site visit on all 4 projects, including Nine Mile Brook, a priority for the fall of 2026.

FIGURE #1: Western Portfolio VMS Trend Targets (Wedge Trend Drill Program)

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TABLE 1: WD-25-02B Overall ALS Global Lab Certified Assay Summary (Weighted Averages)*

 
* As reported in previous press release April 2, 2026

Gary Lohman, VP Exploration, Director stated, "We are looking forward to testing both the western extension and the depth of the deposit with drill holes designed by Mike Dufresne and the geophysical team at Apex Geoscience. With previous mining and exploration limited to the upper portions of the deposit, this series of drill holes will expand the mineralized footprint, as we accomplished in the east, adding to the resource. All drill holes will be capped on completion to facilitate downhole geophysics (BHEM) or revisit to extend the holes, which , along with the cross-section drill results, assists in resource 3D modeling and future exploration planning. We look forward to sharing our first results."

Figure 2: Orbit Garant Drilling is ECOLOGO accredited. Recognized for their Mineral Exploration Services Certified for Responsible Environmental and Social Best Practices.

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Headquartered in Val-d'Or, Quebec, Orbit Garant Drilling is one of Canada's largest drilling companies providing both underground and surface drilling services in Canada and internationally. With more than 200+ drill rigs and over 1000 specialized employees, Orbit Garant offers drilling services to major, intermediate and junior mining companies at every stage of mine exploration, development and production.

Figure 3: Wedge 2026 Drill Target Area with previous Drill Hole Locations

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Patrick J. Cruickshank, MBA, CEO & Director stated "We are thrilled to receive clearance from the NB Government to get heavy equipment on the BMC roads and mobilize the drill rigs to the Wedge. Our priority will be to test the deposit from the western side targeting the "New" High-Grade Cu - Ag - Au Lens identified in last fall's drill program. As previously stated, we will be able to drill the new lens from the other side of the fault that caused us to lose the water in the drill hole, just as we entered the High-Grade Copper Lens in Hole WD-25-2b. We will also test the depth of the deposit. We are pleased to have Mike Dufresne and entire Technical Team all on site for a complete portfolio site visit and analysis for the basis for an updated 43-101 on the Wedge Project and review of the Nine Mile Brook Project to determine new drill targets at the Lens. We look forward to updates from the drill site."

About Nine Mile Metals Ltd.:

Nine Mile Metals Ltd. is a Canadian public critical mineral exploration company focused on VMS (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag and Au) exploration in the world-famous Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick, Canada. The Company's primary business objective is to explore its four VMS Projects: Wedge VMS Project, Nine Mile Brook VMS Project, California Lake VMS Project, and the Canoe Landing Lake (East - West) VMS Project. The Company is focused on Critical Minerals Exploration (CME), positioning for the boom in EV and green technologies requiring Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc with a hedge with Gold.

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This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of Nine Mile. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of Nine Mile. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "will," "may," "would," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "could" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. . Forward-looking statements in this press release include that (a) prior to commencing the 2023 exploration drill program, the ground will be mapped at surface and representative samples analyzed to determine the base and precious metal assay values , (b) the Ag and Au values will be reported upon receipt of the certified assay results from ALS Global, and (c) our current financial raise will enable us to drill the Wedge Project (along with our Canoe Landing VMS Project and follow up exploration work on our California Lake VMS Project) this season as opposed to next year. Although Nine Mile believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because Nine Mile can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of the contents of this release.

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The Canadian Venture Building, 82 Richmond Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 1P1 (T) (506) 804-6117
www.ninemilemetals.com

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