Mr. Kal Malhi reports

HERTZ ENERGY EXPANDS ITS LAKE GEORGE ANTIMONY-TUNGSTEN PROPERTY AND LAUNCHES EXPLORATION PROGRAM SURROUNDING HISTORIC LAKE GEORGE ANTIMONY MINE

Hertz Energy Inc. has significantly expanded its landholdings surrounding the past-producing Lake George antimony mine located in New Brunswick, Canada, as well as initiating an aggressive exploration program on its claims package. The company's Lake George antimony-tungsten-gold project comprises a strategic, large-scale land package adjoining and encompassing the historic Lake George antimony mine, placing the company in direct proximity to a proven, past-producing critical minerals deposit within a highly favourable geological setting. Through the consolidation of a large, contiguous land package that now surrounds the former Lake George antimony mine on multiple sides and extends along 13 kilometres of prospective strike, Hertz Energy gains exposure to the same structural controls and host rocks that supported North America's largest primary antimony producer until 1996.

Lake George antimony-tungsten-gold tungmony project

The Lake George antimony mine, located approximately 30 kilometres southwest of Fredericton, N.B., was once the largest primary antimony producer in North America, operating intermittently from 1876 to 1996 (government of New Brunswick, mineral commodity profile No. 12, 2018). The historic Lake George antimony mine is a significant underground deposit currently being re-evaluated for development and owned by the province of New Brunswick.

Hertz Energy presently holds three mineral claims (97 cells), totalling 2,036.2 hectares, that surround the Lake George mine on three sides. These claims were acquired by the company on Sept. 5, 2024. Hertz Energy acquired these claims based on favourable geological and structural features important for hosting antimony mineralization as seen at the nearby Lake George mine. Hertz Energy's Lake George property covers the contact between the Silurian metasedimentary rocks of the Kingsclear Group and the Devonian intrusive rocks associated with the Pokiok plutonic suite. Mineralization and past production on the adjoining claims of the Lake George mine is hosted within quartz-stibnite vein systems in which their orientation is developed along or associated with regional fracture systems.

Exclusivity payment and period

Hertz Energy is pleased to announce that it has entered into an exclusivity agreement with a third party vendor to acquire an additional two mineral claims, composed of 480 claim units, covering an area of 2,356.2 hectares, and contiguous with its existing claim blocks, thus more than doubling the surface area of its initial Lake George property. The claims are underlain by Silurian greywacke and slate (Kingsclear Group), intruded and at the contact of Devonian granitoids (Pokiok batholith), a similar geological setting to the geology hosting the Lake George antimony mine. The rocks on the property have been affected by a first regional deformation phase D1 during late Silurian time that generates regional structures, axial planar cleavage S1 and greenschist facies metamorphism. These northwest-trending fault structures identified on the property, traversing the Pokiok batholith, are interpreted as potentially important structural features for the emplacement and orientation of the Sb-Au (antimony-gold) veins at the nearby Lake George mine.

The exclusivity agreement grants Hertz Energy a 90-day period for Hertz Energy to conduct geological exploration and due diligence and to grant Hertz Energy a right of first refusal determine if Hertz wishes to enter into a binding agreement to acquire the claims after completion of its due diligence.

This exclusivity agreement grants Hertz Energy, the sole right to explore, evaluate and enter into discussions to acquire an interest in the property at the conclusion of the exclusivity period.

• Exclusivity period: Ninety days from execution of this agreement, during which the vendor may not engage with other parties regarding the property.
• Purpose: To allow Hertz Energy to conduct due diligence, which includes legal, technical and financial assessments of the mineral rights.
• Exclusivity fee: A payment of $25,000 being made by Hertz Energy to the vendors.
• Acquisition terms: At the conclusion of the exclusivity period, Hertz Energy shall have the right of first refusal to enter into terms to acquire the property on economic terms to be agreed upon at the time. Hertz Energy's right of first refusal shall expire 14 business days after expiry of the exclusivity period. If no agreement is reached within 14 business days after the exclusivity period, both parties shall have no further obligations under this agreement.
• Hertz Energy right of first refusal be limited to acquisition of rights: Right to acquire a beneficial ownership interest in the property to own title and interest and rights to explore, search for, and extract specific minerals within a defined geological zone.
• Right of entry: The vendor shall authorize Hertz Energy to apply for any permits, conduct any work on the property and enter onto the property as required. Any work conducted by Hertz Energy shall be governed by all applicable laws and under required insurance coverages.
• Binding nature: These agreements are legally binding and enforceable, prohibiting the owner from acting in breach of the exclusivity clause during the defined period.
• Government regulations: In the province of New Brunswick, Canada.

With the exclusivity agreement, the company now controls 13 kilometres of strike with favourable geology and known cross-cutting structural features. With the significantly enlarged property footprint, Hertz Energy is now positioned to evaluate a broader range of targets as part of its exploration strategy. Based on government geological maps, the property consists of both local outcrop areas, favourable for prospecting, as well as vast sections covered by thin lacustrine or glacial deposits, which can easily hide Sb-Au mineralization under the overburden cover.

Hertz Energy's strategic and significant land positioning meaningfully enhances the probability of discovering similar mineralized systems, particularly given that much of the newly acquired ground remains underexplored and may host antimony-tungsten-gold mineralization that continues from the Lake George antimony mine area. In the context of tightening global antimony supply and rising prices, securing a dominant land position in a historically productive and geologically analogous district strengthens Hertz's long-term development potential.

2026 Hertz launches exploration at Lake George tungmony project

Hertz Energy has initiated exploration permitting at Lake George antimony project and sent out landowner notifications and initiated exploration permitting and contractor selection. Work on the project will be guided by data from the Lake George antimony mine proprietary databases that Hertz Energy acquired (see news release Jan. 22, 2026), guidance by Dr. David Lentz from the University of New Brunswick and government databases. Initial phase 1 work will consist of a high-resolution airborne magnetics and VLF-EM survey, geological mapping and prospecting, and a soil geochemistry survey, with these programs commencing within the next few weeks. Results from phase 1 exploration will determine subsequent exploration. Dr. David Lentz, professor, chair of economic geology, PhD, PGeo, FGC, has conducted extensive exploration and research on the Lake George antimony mine, and published numerous publications on the geology, metallurgy and tailings deposit economic potential at the Lake George antimony mine.

The 2026 exploration program includes:

• Very high-resolution heliborne magnetic and VLF-EM survey -- With the aim to enhance geological interpretation, including identifying significant faults and structural breaks that could indicate the occurrences of mineralized veins with antimony and tungsten mineralization. The survey would include a line spacing of 50 metres and an average terrain clearance of 25 to 30 metres.
• Prospecting and mapping program -- Will focus on known outcrop areas and potentially favourable outcrop areas based on topographic and lidar (light detection and ranging) surveys. This fieldwork will include geological mapping, rock geochemistry and a structural study.
• Soil geochemical survey -- To evaluate the potential for blind antimony-tungsten mineralization by using dispersion of geochemical signals in surficial materials. The final sample selection sites will be based on local quaternary geology, satellite images and lidar images.
• If quality exploration targets are developed from this preliminary work the company envisions undertaking a program of ground IP surveying to firm up drilling targets. Positive results would be followed by up to 3,000 metres of diamond drilling.

The company's systematic exploration approach, combining geophysics, geochemistry and drilling provides a clear pathway to value creation through discovery, resource delineation and potential future development, while its strategic land consolidation increases the likelihood that the former Lake George mine mineralization, which historically produced concentrates up to 66 per cent Sb, extends onto Hertz Energy's claims package due to shared features such as a northeast-trending fault, and given that its known to form part of a broader intrusion-related hydrothermal system with antimony, gold, tungsten and molybdenum mineralization across the district.

Historical geological and production data from the former Lake George mine indicate that its antimony-bearing quartz-stibnite vein system extends well beyond the original mine footprint, supporting Hertz Energy's exploration thesis. The deposit has been traced for approximately two kilometres along strike and over one kilometre vertically, with documented mineralization continuing northeast, southwest and down dip, demonstrating a laterally extensive and vertically continuous system rather than a confined deposit.

Kal Malhi, chief executive officer of Hertz Energy, commented: "We are very pleased with the exclusivity agreement that we have acquired that more than doubles our property size along strike and cover a similar geological and structural setting as the past-producing Lake George antimony mine. We believe much of this belt of rocks is significantly underexplored and needs further work using more modern exploration tools. Our upcoming 2026 field exploration programs will include airborne geophysics, prospecting and soil geochemistry leading to diamond drilling. Our immediate plan is to continue to advance our antimony projects, including the Lake George Sb-Au and Harriman Sb-Au projects in New Brunswick and Quebec. Two thousand twenty-six is expected to be a transformational year for Hertz Energy as we embark on an aggressive path to explore, advance and develop our critical minerals projects across Canada."

Qualified person statement and cautionary statements

This news release contains scientific and technical information with respect to adjacent or other properties to the company's Lake George project, which the company currently has no interest in or rights to explore. Readers are cautioned that information regarding the geology, mineralization and historical production on adjacent or other properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization potential on the company's properties.

All scientific and technical information in this news release relating to the Lake George project has been prepared and approved by Paul Teniere, MSc, PGeo (APEGNB), technical adviser to the company and considered a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

Engagement of marketing and IR providers to enhance market awareness

The company also announces various strategic marketing and investor relations engagements with arm's-length independent contractors and agencies, with the aim of developing the company's communication strategy and strengthening exposure to a wider audience.

A media agency agreement dated April 2, 2026, has been executed by the company with Emerging Growth LLC doing business as TDM Financial, a United States-based firm specializing in investor-focused marketing and communications. Under the terms of the agreement, TDM Financial will execute a comprehensive investor outreach and awareness campaign over a six-month period commencing on April 2, 2026. The campaign is designed to reach a broad audience of highly targeted investors across the United States and Canada through a combination of digital media channels and social platforms. Key elements of the campaign include distribution of sponsored, native-style content across leading financial websites and investor-focused social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, TikTok and LinkedIn, and the development and production of multimedia content, including videos, infographics and editorial articles tailored to communicate the company's corporate story and growth strategy. In accordance with the terms and conditions of the TDM Financial service agreement and as consideration for the services provided by TDM Financial, the company has agreed to pay TDM Financial a total cash consideration of $26,667 (U.S.), payable in instalments over the duration of the agreement. TDM Financial and its principals are arm's length from the company and do not have any interest, direct or indirect, in the company or its securities nor do they have any right or intent to acquire such an interest. TDM Financials business is located at 600 E. 8th St., Whitefish, Mon., United States, 59937, and the contact information is as follows: telephone: 1-206-369-7050.

A media agency agreement dated April 6, 2026, has been executed by the company with Global One Media Group Pte. Ltd., a marketing and content agency. Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Global One service agreement, Global One has agreed to provide the company with integrated digital marketing, media production, branding, content creation, website development, social media management and distribution services on a fee-for-service basis, including support for the client's owned digital communication channels. Global One will provide its services for a period of at least six months then on a month-to-month basis, which began on or around May 1, 2026. In accordance with the terms and conditions of the Global One service agreement and as consideration for the services provided by Global One, the company has agreed to pay Global One a cash consideration of $6,500 (U.S.) on a monthly basis plus GST to be added where applicable. Global One and its principals are arm's length from the company and do not have any interest, direct or indirect, in the company or its securities nor do they have any right or intent to acquire such an interest. Global One's business is located at 8 Marina Blvd., No. 11-01 Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1, Singapore, 018981, and the contact information is as follows: telephone: 1-877-219-2281.

About Hertz Energy Inc.

The company is a British Columbia-based junior exploration company primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of energy metals mineral properties. The company is focused on advancing its Lake George antimony-tungsten-gold project, in New Brunswick, a strategically positioned claims package surrounding the past-producing Lake George antimony mine. Hertz Energy's 100-per-cent-owned Harriman antimony project in the Gaspe region of Quebec and Agastya lithium project in James Bay, Que., are part of the company's growing property portfolio. The company is also focused on advancing the Crag and Rod properties, together with and including the Craig silver-lead-zinc deposit, located in east-central Yukon, situated within the Craig belt, a prospective sub-belt of the approximately 175-kilometre-long Rackla belt, a region recognized for hosting some of Yukon's highest-grade silver-lead-zinc and gold mineralization.

About antimony -- in short supply

In August, China announced antimony export restrictions which take effect on Sept. 15, 2024 (source: Reuters, Aug. 28, 2024), and are expected to have significant implications for the global antimony supply chain. China's announcement of antimony export restrictions has added fuel to a red-hot market and opens another potential flash point with the West for control of critical minerals. Antimony is a little-known metal with multiple applications. Antimony's largest end-use is as a flame retardant, but it is also found in solar panels and batteries. The U.S. Department of the Interior has designated it a critical mineral because it is also essential for armour-piercing ammunition, infrared sensors and precision optics.

Antimony prices have nearly doubled since the start of the year to a record $22,750 per tonne in part because of shrinking exports from major producers and a global deficit of the metal. China's exports are in medium-term decline due to higher demand from its solar energy sector, while Russian supply has been crimped by falling output and Western sanctions. The flow from other big producing nations such as Vietnam, Tajikistan and Myanmar has been disrupted by the rerouting of shipments from the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks on shipping.

Analysts estimate the market was already looking at a 10,000-ton shortfall before China's export restrictions. These new controls are not targeted at any specific country, but Chinese authorities can refuse licences to export to individual end-user companies or countries as they see fit.

We seek Safe Harbor.