Ophir Metals drills 1 m of 0.92% Cs2O at Pilipas

Mr. Shawn Westcott reports OPHIR EXPANDS HIGH-GRADE CESIUM ZONE AT DEPTH WITH 0.92% CS2O OVER 1.0 M AT THE HW3 PEGMATITE, PILIPAS PROPERTY, QUEBEC Ophir Metals Corp. has released assay results for 16 drill holes from the 2025 drill program on the Pilipas lithium property, located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region, Quebec. The project is located proximal to existing hydroelectric power that flanks the property to the east, and an all-season road that crosses the western side of the property. "Drilling at HW3 has confirmed cesium mineralization grading nearly 1 per cent over one metre in the subsurface. combined with the approximately 11 m by four m zone of elevated cesium values returned from surficial channel sampling at HW3 (See news release dated Feb. 3, 2025), and the lithium-bearing pegmatite identified at HW1 that returned 53.2 m at 1.22 per cent Li2O from drilling in 2024 (see news release dated Dec. 11, 2024), these results highlight the strong multicommodity potential at Pilipas. Few pegmatite fields worldwide demonstrate both cesium and lithium mineralization, and we believe this provides a strong foundation for follow-up exploration," comments Shawn Westcott, chief executive officer of Ophir. Highlights: 2.5 m at 0.41 per cent Cs2O, including 1.0 m at 0.92 per cent Cs2O from drill hole PLP25-027; 0.5 m at 0.26 per cent Cs2O within pegmatite interval in drill hole PLP25-028; 1.5 m at 0.46 per cent Cs2O and 1.4 m at 0.21 per cent Cs2O within basalt samples on margin of pegmatite dikes from drill hole PLP25-025 and PLP25-037, respectively; Four samples returned greater than 500 parts per million Ta2O5, including a peak of 1,248 ppm Ta2O5 over 0.5 m, from within larger interval of 375 ppm Ta2O5 over 3.8 m in drill hole PLP25-032. The 2025 drill program concluded in mid-June with the completion of 16 drill holes totalling 936 m at the HW3 cesium pegmatite (Table 2). The analytical results reported herein represent all drill holes completed as part of the exploration program. Drill holes were planned on a tight grid spacing targeting the surface expression at depth and along strike. Drilling in 2025 confirmed that the HW3 pegmatites are present to moderate depth and capable of hosting strong cesium mineralization, as demonstrated by the intercept of 0.92 per cent Cs2O over 1.0 m. The cesium enrichment is not limited to a single intercept, with 16 separate samples from 2025 drill holes returning values greater than 0.06 per cent Cs2O. Intervals such as 0.26 per cent Cs2O over 0.5 m and 0.21 per cent Cs2O over 1.42 m demonstrate that the system is highly anomalous in cesium mineralization across multiple horizons. Strongly anomalous to high-grade tantalum results were also returned from the pegmatites at HW3, with 31 samples returning greater than 50 ppm Ta2O5, the highest of which returned 1,248 ppm Ta2O5 over 0.5 m (Table 1). Additional intervals of 328 ppm Ta2O5 over 4.0 m and 375 ppm Ta2O5 over 3.8 m were returned from drill holes PLP25-037 and PLP25-032, respectively. These results highlight the multicommodity potential of the system, extending beyond cesium and lithium. Although pollucite in drill core has yet to be confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), visual logging noted minerals consistent with pollucite in one interval of PLP25-027, coincident with elevated cesium grades. This zone is consistent with the pollucite-bearing material confirmed by XRD in 2024 surface channel samples from the same outcrop area, supporting continuity of cesium mineralization from surface into the subsurface. Pollucite, the principal mineralized material cesium, is globally rare, and its occurrence at HW3 is significant. The 2025 drill program results demonstrate that the pegmatites at Pilipas are highly fractionated, consistent with the processes that concentrate cesium, lithium and tantalum. Much of the 4.2-kilometre corridor between HW1 and HW3 showings has limited outcrop exposure, providing scope for additional discoveries along the pegmatite trend. Additionally, other areas of the Pilipas property remain highly prospective for hosting lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) mineralization for follow-up work, as indicated by strong geochemical fertility ratios obtained in pegmatite grab samples collected in 2024 (see news release dated May 21, 2025). The geochemical ratios of K/Rb, Nb/Ta, Zr/Hf and Mg/Li are commonly used to assess the potential for pegmatites to host LCT mineralization. Fertile pegmatites (and their source melts) typically have ratios of K/Rb less than 150, Nb/Ta less than five, Zr/Hf less than 18 and Mg/Li less than 10. The more of these indices that are met, the higher the likelihood that a given pegmatite could host LCT mineralization. Quality assurance/quality control Drill core was saw cut with half core sent for geochemical analysis and half core remaining in the box on site. All core samples were securely transported by field staff to SGS Canada's laboratory in Radisson, Que., for standard sample preparation (code PRP90) which includes drying at 105 degrees Celsius, crush to 90 per cent passing two millimetres, riffle split 250 g and pulverize 85 per cent passing 75 micron. The pulps were then shipped to SGS Canada's laboratory in Burnaby, B.C., where they were subsequently analyzed for multielement (including Li, Cs and Ta) using sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-AES/MS finish (code GE_ICM91A50). Gold analysis was performed using Au by fire assay (code GE_FAA30V5). A quality assurance/quality control protocol was incorporated into the program and included the insertion of certified reference materials and silica blanks at a rate of approximately 5 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively. Additional analysis of pulp-split and reject-split sample duplicates was also completed at a rate of approximately 5 per cent to assess analytical precision at different stages. SGS Canada is independent of the company. Qualified person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Kaylyn Niemetz, PGeo, geologist for Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec (OGQ; permit No. 2418) and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 -- Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Ms. Niemetz has verified all scientific and technical data disclosed in this news release including the sampling and QA/QC results, and certified analytical data underlying the technical information disclosed. Ms. Niemetz verified the data disclosed (or underlying the information disclosed) in this news release by reviewing the assay data; and checking the performance of blank samples and certified reference materials. Ms. Niemetz detected no significant QA/QC issues during review of the data and noted no errors or omissions during the data verification process. The company and Ms. Niemetz do not recognize any factors of sampling that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data disclosed in this news release. About the Pilipas lithium project In December, 2023, the company entered into an option agreement with Azimut Exploration Inc. to earn 70-per-cent interest in the Pilipas property consisting of 135 claims totalling 7,100 hectares situated within the La Grande subprovince (Archean Superior province). It is primarily underlain by volcano-sedimentary rocks (Greenstone) of the Lower Eastmain greenstone belt: conglomerate, sandstone, basalts and felsic to intermediate tuffs. Two regional northwest-southeast dextral faults transect the southwestern and northeastern parts of the property. About Ophir Metals Corp. Ophir Metals is a diversified mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and development of the Pilipas lithium property in James Bay, Quebec, and the past-producing Breccia gold property located in Lemhi county, Idaho. Ophir holds an option to earn a 70-per-cent interest in the Pilipas property over a three-year period from Azimut Exploration Inc. and an option to earn a 100-per-cent interest in the Breccia property. We seek Safe Harbor.