VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vortex Energy Corp. (CSE: VRTX) (OTC: VTECF) (FSE: AA3) (“Vortex” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide a year-in-review summary of technical milestones achieved in 2025, along with a preview of the Company’s exploration plans for 2026. The Company also notes that its annual general meeting (AGM) has been adjourned to February 13, 2026, due to lack of meeting the quorum requirement.

The Robinsons River Project

Last year, Vortex advanced the technical understanding of the Robinsons River Salt Project (“Robinsons Project”) in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada, through a focused collaboration with the University of Alberta (“U of A”). This work centered on characterizing the salt system and evaluating properties relevant to underground energy storage applications, including mineralogical and petrological studies, X-ray diffraction (XRD) testing, porosity and permeability measurements, and geomechanical investigations using triaxial testing supported by CT-scanned samples. Vortex also completed the fieldwork on a low-impact Ambient Noise Tomography (ANT) program, in anticipation of developing a three-dimensional seismic profile of the potential salt dome geometry and internal structure.

In 2026, exploration priorities are expected to focus on integrating the 2025 laboratory and ANT results into an updated subsurface model by completing ANT processing and interpretation and merging outputs with existing geophysical and legacy datasets, while continuing technical collaboration with the U of A. This integrated interpretation is intended to guide next-step evaluation planning, including potential drill planning and other follow-up work as warranted.

The Fire Eye Project

Last year the technical focus on the Fire Eye project, located in Saskatchewan, Canada, was on validating historical uranium showings and ranking priority targets as identified by modern geophysical datasets. Data collected in late-2024 was combined with previous datasets to follow up on targets highlighted by the 2022 airborne geophysical survey, and to ground-truth two Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index (SMDI) uranium occurrences on the property. Work on the project this year is intended to build on that foundation by refining target priorities using the latest observations and results, and designing follow-up field evaluation as warranted.

Paul Sparkes, Chief Executive Officer of Vortex Energy, commented: “2025 was an important year of technical progress on our project portfolio. With the field component of the ANT program completed at Robinsons, and our research collaboration continuing to generate valuable insight, we are focused on integrating these datasets into a clearer subsurface understanding that can support disciplined planning for the next stage of evaluation.”

AGM

Due to the absence of quorum at its originally schedule January 20, 2026 AGM, the meeting has been adjourned to [10:00] am (Vancouver time) on February 13, 2026 at the offices of the Company’s legal counsel, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP at 1200 – 200 Burrard Street, Vancouver, B.C. The record date for the adjourned AGM remains December 16, 2025.

If you have any questions, or need any assistance in voting your shares, please contact the Company at +1 (778) 819-0164 or by email at info@vortexenergycorp.com. The Notice of Meeting and Management Information Circular for the AGM and the form of proxy related to the AGM are filed under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca and is also available at https://vortexenergycorp.com/investors/. For those registered shareholders who have yet to submit their proxy, kindly download the form of proxy and complete and submit it in accordance with its instructions to have your shares voted. If you are a beneficial shareholder of the Company whose shares are held ‎in the name of an intermediary, such as a bank, trust company, securities broker or trustee, please contact your intermediary for instructions on how to vote.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed, verified, and approved by Jared Suchan, Ph.D., P.Geo., VP of Exploration at the Company, and a “Qualified Person” as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

For a discussion of the Company’s QA/QC and data verification processes and procedures, please see the Company’s technical report entitled, Independent Technical Report on the Robinsons River Salt Property dated July 31, 2023, a copy of which may be obtained under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

About Vortex Energy Corp.

Vortex Energy Corp. is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in North America. The Company is currently advancing its Robinson River Salt Project comprised of a total of 942 claims covering 23,500 hectares located approximately 35 linear kms south of the town of Stephenville in the Province of Newfoundland & Labrador. The Robinson River Salt Project is prospective for both salt and hydrogen salt cavern storage. The Company is also currently advancing its Fire Eye Uranium Property in the Athabasca Basin, a region renowned for its uranium deposits.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Paul Sparkes
Chief Executive Officer, Director
+1 (778) 819-0164
info@vortexenergycorp.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words “could”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe”, “will”, “projected”, “estimated” and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company’s current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the Company’s exploration plans in relation to its mineral projects and the adjourned AGM.

Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information, including, in respect of the forward-looking information included in this press release, assumptions regarding the Company’s ability to execute on its exploration plans, including that it will be successful in carrying out the planned assessment and evaluation work, and that such analytical work will yield the expected information and the desired outcomes.

Although forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions of the Company’s management, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among other things, the risk that exploration at the Company’s mineral projects does not proceed in the manner and on the timeline currently contemplated, or at all; that the adjourned AGM is not completed as contemplated; risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to receiving requisite permits and approvals, changes in project parameters or delays as plans continue to be redefined, that mineral exploration is inherently uncertain and that the results of mineral exploration may not be indicative of the actual geology or mineralization of a project; and that mineral exploration may be unsuccessful or fail to achieve the results anticipated by the Company, including as a result of factors beyond the Company’s control, such as geological conditions. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this press release.