Puma Exploration Announces Trenching at McKenzie Gold Project to Define Drill Targets

Puma Exploration Inc. has begun mechanical trenching at its McKenzie Gold Project in Northern New Brunswick. This activity follows a summer campaign focused on prospecting, mapping, and high-resolution drone magnetic surveying. The trenching program aims to expand surface exposures at the RIM and Grog Gold Zones, building on July 2026 drilling results that confirmed gold mineralization at depth.

At the RIM zone, trenching is extending the mineralized corridor over a 200-metre extension on both sides of the current zone. At the Grog zone, pits are being extended to evaluate strike potential based on 2026 prospecting and magnetic survey data. The objective is to define and prioritize targets for an upcoming fall/winter drill program. Results will be integrated with geological, geochemical, and magnetic datasets, including work by consulting structural geologist Scott Anderson, Ph.D., P.Geo.

Puma Exploration Inc. (PUMA) released an update that represents a standard, expected progression in the company's exploration cycle. Trenching serves as a routine preparatory step for follow-up drilling and does not constitute a new discovery or financial milestone. The activity aligns with the company's previously announced $1.2M 2026 McKenzie exploration budget and confirms management is executing on its planned work program. No new material financial, operational, or strategic developments are introduced.

Puma Exploration Inc. (PUMA) operates under a DEAR (Discovery, Exploration, Acquisition, Royalties) strategy, focusing on precious metals and critical minerals in Atlantic Canada. Its flagship asset is the McKenzie Gold Project, a 42,053-hectare property straddling the McKenzie Fault. The project features the high-grade RIM and Grog Gold Zones, where recent surface sampling returned grades up to 601 g/t Au, and inaugural drilling confirmed continuity at depth.

The Williams Brook Project has been optioned to Kinross Gold Corp. Kinross can earn a 65% interest by spending $16.75M over five years and is currently funding and operating the 2026 exploration program.

Puma also owns 84% of Murray Brook Minerals (MBM), a subsidiary focusing on the Legacy Cu-Ag project. MBM recently updated its resource to a 930,000-tonne inferred category and plans to spin off into a separate listed entity. Other assets include the Jacquet River Project, which has seen its land position doubled, the Caribou Extension, and the Mount McInnes polymetallic project.