Mr. Dean Pekeski reports

AMERICAN CRITICAL MINERALS ENGAGES RESPEC TO EXECUTE ITS 2026 DRILL PROGRAM AT GREEN RIVER PROJECT

American Critical Minerals Corp. has engaged Respec Company LLC to manage and execute its drilling program at its Green River potash, lithium and bromine project, located in the Paradox basin in east-central Utah.

Highlights:

• Respec is well versed in the Paradox basin and has a solid record on both potash and lithium brine projects.
• Drill targeting is complete and is designed to validate historic drill data and test, through coring and brine sampling, key potash horizons as well as clastic zones for lithium and bromine in the Paradox and Leadville formations.
• Two historic wells within the Green River project intercepted thick potash zones (in excess of five metres) within Cycle 5, which has been the focus of potash mining in the Paradox basin for over 50 years at Intrepid Potash Inc.'s Moab solar solution mine (intercepts include 3.4 metres at 26.4 per cent eKCl (equivalent potassium chloride) and 5.9 metres at 24.3 per cent eKCl).

Dean Pekeski, chief executive officer and president of the company, stated: "The start of our 2026 Green River project drilling program is a significant step forward for American Critical Minerals. Engaging Respec to provide full-service management of this important drilling program is the first step in execution of this work. Respec adds significant strength to our ability to execute our inaugural drill program. The Green River project has the benefit of numerous historic oil and gas wells across and around its acreage, with e-logs that highlight excellent potash grades and thicknesses. We are proximal to Intrepid's Moab mine, which has been successfully producing potash for over 50 years. We are also surrounded on two sides by Anson Resources Ltd.'s Green River and Paradox basin lithium projects, which are at an advanced stage and have attracted industry-leading partners as Anson looks to move its projects to the feasibility and production phase. Drilling our own wells will validate the historic data and the broader potential of the Green River project for potash, lithium and bromine. Our property contains three key critical minerals. Drilling is a major strategic step in advancing this project and we are excited to get started."

The plan

Respec will work closely with the American Critical Minerals management team to plan and execute drilling in a safe and efficient manner. Respec will be responsible for detailed program design, logistics, procurement and on-site supervision of all service providers. On-site geological services will include core and brine handling, logging, sampling, preparation for geochemical assaying and reclamation.

American Critical Minerals has three drill holes permitted within its State of Utah potash mineral leases (School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) leases), which are fully permitted and bonded for drilling. Additionally, the company has four drill holes within its recently granted BLM (Bureau of Land Management) potash exploration licences, which are authorized under its approved plan of operations.

Drill target selection is complete based on recommendations from the company's technical team and the company's recently filed National Instrument 43-101 technical report. Data collected from the initial drilling program (up to two holes planned) are expected to advance the project by validating historical potash data through core sampling. Additionally, brine samples will be collected from the clastic zones within the Paradox and Leadville formations for lithium and bromine content.

Future drilling will be contingent upon completion of this initial program. The company is targeting Q3 2026 for mobilization and site preparation for drilling. Each drill hole is expected to be completed within 45 days of commencement.

About American Critical Minerals' Green River potash and lithium project

The Green River project is situated within Utah's highly productive Paradox basin, located 20 miles northwest of Moab, Utah. It has significant logistical advantages, including close proximity to major rail hubs, airport, roads, water, towns and labour markets. It also benefits from close proximity to the agricultural and industrial heartland of America and numerous potential end-users for its products.

The history of oil and gas production across the Paradox basin provides geologic data from historic wells across the project and the wider basin, validating and derisking the potential for high-grade potash and large amounts of contained lithium. Wells in and around the project reported lithium up to 500 parts per million, bromine up to 6,100 ppm and boron up to 1,260 ppm (Gilbride and Santos, 2012). These data are reinforced by nearby potash production and the advanced stage of neighbouring lithium projects. The Paradox basin is believed to contain up to 56 billion tonnes of lithium brines, potentially the largest such resource in United States.

The company has disclosed targets for further exploration at the Green River project consisting of 500 million to 950 million tonnes of sylvinite (the most important source for the production of potash in North America) grading from 12 per cent to 18 per cent potassium oxide based on elog (eK2O equal to 19 per cent to 29 per cent potassium chloride based on elog (eKCl)). Its target for further exploration for lithium and bromine are 600,000 to 1.7 million tonnes lithium carbonate equivalent grading from 91 to 152 ppm and 3.3 million to 9.1 million tonnes bromine grading from 2,647 to 4,412 ppm.

The company holds a 100-per-cent interest in 11 State of Utah (SITLA) mineral and minerals salt leases covering approximately 7,050 acres, 1,094 federal lithium brine claims (Bureau of Land Management placer claims) covering 21,150 acres and 11 federal (BLM) potash prospecting permits covering approximately 25,480 acres. Through these leases, permits and claims, the company has the ability to explore for potash, lithium and potential byproducts across the entire Green River project (approximately 32,530 acres). The company is authorized to drill a total of seven drill holes across the project (pending bonding the recently approved four drill holes).

Intrepid Potash Inc. is America's largest potash company and only U.S. domestic potash producer and currently produces potash from its nearby Moab solution mine, which the company believes provides strong evidence of stratigraphic continuity within this part of the Paradox basin. Anson Resources Ltd. has advanced lithium development projects contiguous to the northern boundary of American Critical Minerals' Green River project and neighbouring to the south. Anson has a large initial resource, robust definitive feasibility study and has recently completed successful piloting operations through its partnership with Koch Technology Solutions as well as an offtake agreement with LG Energy Solution. The Anson exploration targets encompass the combined Mississippian Leadville formation and the Pennsylvanian Paradox formation brine-bearing clastic layers, which also underlie American Critical Minerals' entire project area.

In 2022, the United States imported approximately 96.5 per cent of its annual potash requirements, with domestic producers receiving a higher sales price due to proximity to market. In March, 2024, the U.S. Senate introduced a bill to include key fertilizers and potash on the U.S. Department of Interior list of critical minerals, which already includes lithium, and this process is well advanced with potash being added to the U.S. Geological Survey draft critical minerals list. In August, 2025. Recent market estimates suggest that the global potash market is over $50-billion (U.S.) annually and growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of close to 5 per cent. Annual lithium demand is now estimated to be over one million tonnes globally and continuing to grow rapidly.

Qualified person

The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dean Besserer, PGeo, the chief operations officer of the company and a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

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