Mr. Mike Bandrowski reports

BIG RIDGE GOLD CORP COMMENCES 2026 WORK PROGRAM AT HOPE BROOK GOLD PROJECT

Big Ridge Gold Corp. has moved its team for the 2026 work program at the Hope Brook gold project (HBGP), located on the southwest coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.

2026 work program

• Commence geotechnical and hydrogeological drill program;
• Infill and expansion drilling at the 240 zone and Main zone;
• Finalize metallurgical testwork and produce concentrate samples for potential offtake partners;
• Complete Hope Brook gold project preliminary economic assessment (PEA).

Michael Bandrowski, president and chief executive officer of the company, commented: "Two thousand twenty-six will be a significant year for Big Ridge as we continue advancing the HBGP. With the camp now open we look forward to getting back to work, advancing the HBGP toward production and expanding gold and copper mineralization. We anticipate mobilizing the first drill rig in early June to focus on geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling before moving to infill and exploration drilling. The geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling is the priority for the company as the PEA nears completion and we move toward more detailed engineering."

Natural Resource Stock Expo 2026

Big Ridge Gold will be attending the Natural Resource Stocks Expo May 1 to May 2 in Atlanta, Ga.

Qualified person

Paul Robinson, PGeo, vice-president, exploration, for Big Ridge, a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 -- Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

About Hope Brook gold project

The Hope Brook gold project is an advanced stage, high-grade gold project that produced 752,162 ounces of gold from 1987 to 1997. Initial production consisted of an open pit before moving to underground mining. Hope Brook operated using both heap leach (1987 to 1990) and conventional cyanidation milling methods (1989 to 1997) with a later inclusion of flotation concentration to recover copper (1991). Government records indicate that gold recoveries from milling ranged between a low of 78.8 per cent in 1987 and a high of 85.9 per cent in 1989. Government and company annual reports indicate that gold recoveries ranged between a low of 82.1 per cent in 1994 and a high of 89.83 per cent in 1996 following a change of ownership. Copper flotation produced a concentrate at approximately 22 per cent Cu and 34.3 grams per tonne Au for shipment in 1992.

Hope Brook hosts an indicated gold resource totalling 16.19 million tonnes grading 2.32 grams per tonne gold for 1.2 million ounces and inferred resources totalling 2,215,000 tonnes grading 3.25 grams per tonne gold for 231,000 ounces based on a 0.4- and 2.0-gram-per-tonne cut-off grades for open pit and underground resources respectively using a long-term gold price of $1,750 (U.S.).

The Hope Brook gold deposit is a high-sulphidation epithermal gold deposit hosted in the Proterozoic-aged Whittle Hill sandstone and is intruded by a Late proterozoic quartz-feldspar porphyry sill-dike complex of the Roti intrusive suite. The deposit is located adjacent to and within an extensive advanced argillic alteration envelope which includes pyrophyllite, kaolinite, andalusite and alunite. The principal gold mineralization occurs in a buff-coloured massive, vuggy silicic alteration with an associated, less developed grey silicic alteration with pyrite, chalcopyrite and lesser bornite accessory minerals. Gold mineralization is also found with pyrite in units of advanced argillic alteration adjacent to or near silicic alteration horizons. The altered and mineralized zone is cut by mafic dikes whose contacts are often mineralized. All the altered and mineralized sequences and the intruded dikes have been folded.

Hope Brook is located 85 kilometres east of Port aux Basques, Nfld. The project has well maintained infrastructure on site, including an operational 28-person camp, an 1,100-metre airstrip, ice-free docking facility and, importantly, connection to the provincial electrical power grid via an on-site substation.

About Big Ridge Gold Corp.

Big Ridge Gold is an exploration and development company managed by a disciplined and experienced team of officers and directors. The company is committed to the development of advanced stage mining projects using industry-best practices combined with strong social licence from Big Ridge's local communities. Big Ridge owns a 100-per-cent interest in its flagship Hope Brook gold project, located in Newfoundland and Labrador. Big Ridge also owns 100 per cent in the highly prospective Oxford gold project located in Manitoba and the Destiny gold project in Quebec.

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