• Thick and Continuous Footwall Mineralization Intersected in HER-25-15, returning:

  • 420.62 m of 0.60% Cu, 6.0 g/t Ag, 65 ppm Mo

  • including 112.78 m grading 1.38% Cu, 14 g/t Ag, 40 ppm Mo

• Strong Hypogene Enrichment Intersected in HER-25-17, returning:

  • 46.03 m of 2.17% Cu, 16.0 g/t Ag, 44 ppm Mo

  • including 6.1 m of 12.52% Cu, 11.3 g/t Ag, 80 ppm Mo

  • within 585.22 m of 0.39% Cu, 2.1 g/t Ag, 49 ppm Mo

  • and ending in 70.1 m of 0.50% Cu and 117 ppm Mo
    with a final 12.19 m of 0.62% Cu and 142 ppm Mo

• Phase II MT Reveals Five Discrete Conductive Centers - A Phase II magnetotelluric and extremely low frequency electromagnetic ("MT+ELF") geophysical survey infilled a multi-kilometer conductivity anomaly outlined by the initial Phase I program. The higher-resolution data now delineates up to five discrete high-conductivity centers within the broader anomaly, which are planned for testing during the 2026 drill season.

• New Footwall MT Anomaly - One of the five conductive centers occurs at the northern end of Leviathan's Footwall Zone. HER-25-17 intersected the top of this Footwall MT Anomaly, where it terminated in increasing grades away from the lower porphyry contact, ending in 0.62% Cu from 895 m to 907 m (EOH). Nearby holes, including HER-23-08 and HER-24-12, also ended in increasing grades at depth. The Footwall Anomaly may represent a deep-seated early porphyry center that has not yet been tested by drilling.

• A 2026 drill contract has been signed with Dorado Drilling USA and plans are underway to re-commence drilling once final assays have been received for the 2025 drilling season and an updated 3D geological model has been completed.

• The Company is in discussions with a specialized Vancouver-based consulting firm and plans to initiate an order-of-magnitude study to assess any additional drilling requirements or dataset gaps, ahead of commencing an initial maiden resource estimate for both the near-surface silver mineralization and the Leviathan copper porphyry system.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 4, 2026) - Hercules Metals Corp. (TSXV: BIG) (OTCQB: BADEF) (FSE: C0X) ("Hercules" or the "Company") reports further results from its 2025 drilling campaign on the Leviathan porphyry copper discovery, at its Hercules Property in western Idaho (the "Property").

Table 1: Highlight Intervals

Dillon Hume, Vice President, Exploration of Hercules Metals, commented: "These latest results demonstrate continued expansion of the high-grade hypogene enrichment at Leviathan, while highlighting the broader potential for additional porphyry centers across the Hercules land package.

"HER-25-17 showed an increase in both copper and molybdenum grades upon entering what is now revealed to be a large MT conductor at depth, supporting the potential for expansion into new and previously untested zones of concealed copper mineralization.

"Given the scale of the mineral system that has been defined so far, and the multiple conductive centers that have been identified along trend, we estimate that drilling to date has tested less than 20% of the overall target area at Hercules."

Figure 1: Oblique cross-sectional view (±250 m) of HER-25-17 relative to the top of the Footwall MT anomaly (orange) and the intermineral porphyry dyke swarm (pink). Other drillholes which display increasing copper grades toward the MT anomaly include HER-24-12 and HER-23-08.

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https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9425/282639_hercules%20figure%201.jpg

Figure 2: Long section across the entire Hercules system, showing known mineralization at the Leviathan Porphyry, as well as all MT anomalies less than 100 ohm-m in magnitude. The MT anomalies are defined by zones of high conductivity relative to the background conductivity of the host rocks and display geometries which may be associated with intrusive centers. From north to south these anomalies include: the Hook; Footwall; Southern Flats; Pegasus; and Apollo.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9425/282639_hercules%20figure%202.jpg

Figure 3: Drill plan map. Grade bars for copper (orange) and molybdenum (blue). 300 m.a.s.l. depth-slice of MT conductivity is displayed in the background (hotter colours ate more conductive).

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9425/282639_39a41cf7e4de4880_004full.jpg

Figure 4: Cross-section B-B', showing drill hole HER-25-15 relative to previous drilling on the fence.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9425/282639_hercules%20figure%204.jpg

Table 2: Surveyed Drill Collar Locations

Sample Analysis and QAQC

All drill core samples were prepped and analyzed at MSA Labs in Elko, Nevada and/or Langley, British Columbia, an ISO 17025 and ISO 9001 certified laboratory. Samples were dried and crushed to 2 mm, from which a 250 g sub-sample split was then pulverized to 85% passing a 75 micron sieve. Following preparation, assays were determined by the IMS-230 method. A 0.25 g aliquot of the prepared pulp was digested in a 4-acid solution consisting of hydrochloric, nitric, perchloric and hydrofluoric acids. 4-acid is a near total digest and only the most highly resistant minerals are not dissolved. The resulting solution was analyzed via ICP-MS and ICP-ES for 48 elements and was corrected for inter-element spectral interferences. Lower detection limits for this procedure are 0.01 ppm for silver, 0.5 ppm for lead, 2 ppm for zinc, and 0.2 ppm for copper. Mercury is not reported due to volatilization in reaction with hydrofluoric acid and gold is not reported due to the small, 0.25 g aliquot size being insufficient to overcome the nugget effect.

Samples with initial results beyond the upper detection limit of the IMS-230 method were analyzed by procedures ICF-6Ag, ICF-6Cu, ICF-6Pb and ICF-6Zn. The thresholds are 100 ppm for silver, and >1% for copper, lead and zinc.

A 30-50 g split from the crushed and pulverized samples are composited into larger 300-500 g composite samples (consisting of ten continuous samples) and analyzed for gold utilizing CPA-Au1 photon assay method. Certain material gold results from the composite samples are then selected for re-analysis, by individual sample, as a 30 g fire assay (FAS-111 Method).

MSA Labs employs internal quality control standards, duplicates and blank samples at set frequencies.

Blind certified reference materials (CRMs) and blank samples were systematically inserted by the Company into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company's quality assurance/quality control protocol.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved for disclosure by Dillon Hume, P.Geo. and Vice President, Exploration for the Company. Mr. Hume is a "Qualified Person" for Hercules Metals within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Hercules Metals Corp.

Hercules Metals Corp. (TSXV: BIG) (OTCQB: BADEF) (FSE: C0X) is an exploration Company focused on developing America's newest porphyry copper district, in Idaho.

The 100% owned Hercules Project, located northwest of Cambridge, hosts the newly discovered Leviathan porphyry copper system, one of the most important new discoveries in the country to date. The Company is well positioned for growth through continued drilling, supported by a strategic investment from Barrick Mining Corporation.

With the potential for significant scale, the Company's management and board of directors aims to deliver value to shareholders through proven discovery success.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. Any securities referred to herein have not and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws of an exemption from such registration is available.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain information that may be deemed "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may include, without limitation, the expected execution of future exploration programs on the Property; assay results of future drill holes; results of operations, and the expected financial performance of the Company.

Although the Company believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by its nature, forward-looking information involves assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions; the Covid-19 pandemic; adverse industry events; the receipt of required regulatory approvals and the timing of such approvals; that the Company maintains good relationships with the communities in which it operates or proposes to operate, future legislative and regulatory developments in the mining sector; the Company's ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; mining industry and markets in Canada and generally; the ability of the Company to implement its business strategies; competition; the risk that any of the assumptions prove not to be valid or reliable, which could result in delays, or cessation in planned work, risks associated with the interpretation of data, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as other assumptions risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company, including as set forth in the Company's public disclosure documents filed on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF HERCULES METALS AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE HERCULES METALS MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

Neither the 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 press release.

¹ The intervals reported represent drill intercepts and insufficient data are available at this time to state the true thickness of the mineralized intervals.

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