(via TheNewswire)

SASKATOON, SK – February 19, 2026 – Omineca Mining and Metals Ltd. (TSXV: OMM) ("Omineca" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an operational update from the Wingdam underground paleoplacer project located in the Cariboo Mining District of south central British Columbia. The Company’s mining contractor, D&L Mining reports:

Following the year-end holiday break, tunnelling and placer recovery operations have recommenced at crosscut 3A. Additional time was given to tunnelling through a fault zone at the channel periphery. Modified grout formulations and spiling patterns were successfully implemented allowing operations to return to standard tunnelling and excavation procedures. Having safely managed the faulted ground conditions, D&L anticipates the tunnelling, and excavation will now proceed at an increased pace within the more competent compacted sand and gravel of the channel interior.

As expected, pay gravels excavated from the initial advance into the channel interior have yielded increasing amounts of placer gold and nuggets compared to the earlier bedrock contact zone (see news release dated December 5, 2025 and photos below).

Placer gold recoveries will be fully tabulated, subject to quality assurance and quality control by a Qualified Person and reported as the crosscut makes its way through the central main placer gold target and through to the opposite side of the channel.

Exploration Program:

Separate from the underground placer project, approximately 3,500 meters of core from 6 holes drilled during the 2025 winter drill program has been logged, split and samples sent in for assay. Results will be reported once they are received with a drill program to be designed to follow up on these results.

Photos

(more pictures and videos available here: More Videos and Photos Link )

1. Brokk Electric Demolition Robot – pictured here fitted with a drum cutter head, cutting into the crosscut face. (video available on website link above)

2. Scooptram – mucking gravels from the face after Brokk cutting (videos available on website link above)

3. Washplant Screen and Carpet – placer gold first caught after trommel and before boil boxes, some larger gold nuggets

4. Gold Recovered on Shaker Table – placer gold close-up in sample tube

Qualified Person

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by, or approved by Stephen Kocsis, P.Geo. Mr. Kocsis is an independent qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Omineca Mining and Metals Ltd.

Omineca Mining and Metals Ltd.’s flagship Wingdam gold exploration and placer recovery projects are located along the Barkerville Highway 45 km east of the City of Quesnel. The Wingdam Property includes mineral tenures totaling over 61,392 hectares (613 square kms) and in excess of 15 linear kilometers of placer claims, both encompassing the Lightning Creek valley where topographic conditions created thick layers of overburden, which preserved a large portion of a buried paleochannel containing placer gold-bearing gravels. Omineca also has an exploration and diamond drill program currently underway exploring for the potential multiple hard rock sources of the placer gold at Wingdam.

For further information, please contact:

Tom MacNeill

President and CEO

306-653-2692

Forward Looking Statements

This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Omineca and its business.  Such statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events of Omineca’s management.  In some cases, the forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “potential”, “estimate”, “believe” or the negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements.  The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and could differ materially with other factors beyond the control of Omineca.  No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed.  Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information.  Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information.  Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Omineca undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

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.  

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