Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2025) - Metalero Mining Corp. (TSXV: MLO) ("Metalero" or the "Company") is pleased to announce exceptional results from its recently completed ionic leach soil geochemical survey at the Cantin Target, part of the Company's flagship Benson Project, located in the prolific Quesnel Trough of central British Columbia (Figure 1).

"These soil anomalies, covering >8 km2 and open in all directions, highlight the copper and gold potential at Cantin which lies just 35 km northwest of the Mt Polley Mine in the same structural corridor." stated Rob L'Heureux, President & CEO of Metalero Mining. "The anomalies defined here will guide the next phase of exploration, including further sampling, ground geophysics, and drill targeting later in the 2025 field season. We are excited to deliver these excellent results at a time when the Quesnel Trough is booming with massive copper production and new discoveries."

The ionic leach program was designed to evaluate and refine copper-gold targets across the underexplored Cantin area, where historical exploration and recent Geoscience BC Artificial-Intelligence (AI) work has indicated strong potential for porphyry-style mineralization known as the QUEST targets. A total of 344 soil samples were collected with a 100-metre sample spacing and sample lines 500 to 1,500 metres apart.

Highlights from the Cantin survey include:

• Multiple coherent copper (Cu) anomalies defining a north-northwest trend and open for expansion (Figure 2).

• Broad zones of gold (Au) anomalism coincident with copper responses and magnetic features from airborne geophysical surveys (Figure 3).

• Strong correlation between anomalous Cu-Au responses, mapped structural corridors/potential fluid pathways, and linear features from airborne geophysical surveys.

Figure 1. Map of BC showing Benson, known porphyry Cu-Au occurrences, and some of the major, recent projects and mines all within the Quesnel Trough. Benson is host to known mineralization associated with porphyry systems which have not been systematically explored since the early 1990s.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11670/266958_b73042082485b986_001full.jpg

Figure 2. Open-ended ionic leach copper-in-soil anomalies at the Cantin Target, Benson Project. These soil anomalies are centred on the AI-driven targets identified by Geoscience BC (QUEST).

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11670/266958_b73042082485b986_002full.jpg

Figure 3. Open-ended ionic leach gold-in-soil anomalies at Cantin Target, Benson Project. Note the strong coincidence of gold and copper anomalism in soils, centered on the AI-driven targets identified by Geoscience BC.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11670/266958_b73042082485b986_003full.jpg

Next Steps

Metalero will integrate the Cantin soil results with additional geological and geophysical datasets to prioritize targets for follow-up. Additional fieldwork is scheduled for autumn 2025, with the aim of defining drill-ready targets across the Cantin and adjacent zones.

QAQC Procedures

Sample preparation and analysis for the Benson soil survey was completed at the ALS Global facility in Vancouver, BC. A non-biased 50g nominal soil sample was collected from the entire field sample without drying or screening. The Ionic Leach method was used to analyze samples for 61 elements. This procedure is defined by static sodium cyanide leach using ammonium chloride, citric acid, and EDTA, with the leachant buffered to an alkaline pH of 8.5. A secure chain of custody procedure was maintained in storing and transporting samples.

Benson Project Background

The Benson Project is strategically located in the Quesnel Trough, one of Canada's most important mineral belts. The Quesnel Trough is a Triassic/Jurassic-age belt of volcano-sedimentary and intrusive rocks which hosts >360 alkalic copper-gold porphyry occurrences and deposits. At >1,500 km long, the Quesnel Trough runs through the middle of BC stretching from the US to the Yukon Territory. It hosts numerous major mines which produce copper and gold as well as variable amounts of silver and molybdenum while also hosting several types of gold deposits.

High profile and long-lived mines in the Quesnel Trough include Highland Valley, Mt Milligan, New Afton and Kemess which are complemented by recent exploration work including Woodjam, MPD, Kwanika, and the extensive staking by Australian mining giant, the Fortescue Group.

The Benson Project lies close to infrastructure and is traversed by Highway 26 and a vast network of logging roads allowing for ready access to all parts of the Property and capital-efficient exploration. The large land package covers 5 different target areas illuminated by recent Artificial-Intelligence ("AI") work by Geoscience BC (Mitchinson et al., Geoscience BC Report 2022-07). This AI study incorporated a wide variety of historical datasets including geophysics, geology, sampling information, and drilling data (where present) to identify high potential ("porphyry-like") anomalies with similarities to known porphyry deposits elsewhere in the belt. Even the limited historical exploration at Benson has identified numerous gold and copper surface geochemical anomalies while modest, historical drill programs have intersected skarn and epithermal gold and silver mineralization, which are both intrusive-related styles of mineralization and are commonly associated with porphyry systems.

About Metalero Mining Corp.

Metalero Mining Corp. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on copper and gold projects in North America. Its 166 square kilometer, road-accessible Benson Project serves as Metalero's flagship and is host to five prospects containing gold and copper within porphyry-related mineralized systems.

Qualified Person The technical content of this news release pertaining to the Benson Project was reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc, P.Geol., P.Geo., a non-independent qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain "forward looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws including, without limitation, the timing, nature, scope and details regarding the Company's exploration plans and results. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.

Forward-looking statements in this press release are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the mining industry in general, the exploration and development of mineral properties, the Company's ability to obtain necessary financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

NEITHER 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 RELEASE.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/266958