Sterling Metals adds O'Brien as chief geologist

Executive Summary

• Sterling Metals discovered extensive bornite and chalcopyrite mineralization across a >6 km corridor at its Soo copper project, highlighting a new “Gimlet” target area.
• The company appointed Dr. Neil O’Brien as Chief Geologist, adding four decades of global porphyry expertise to the team.
• An aggregate 1.3 million restricted share units (RSUs) were granted to officers and directors, vesting over three years starting Oct. 8 2026.

Key Details

• Surface mapping & sampling identified 122 new copper samples from 1,323 soil samples; 93 of these (including 38 bornite‑bearing) are within the Gimlet corridor.
• Historical drilling near the Gimlet area shows porphyry‑style alteration and copper sulfides.
• Reprocessed 2014 ZTEM data reveal a 10 km circular geophysical anomaly encompassing both the 2025 drill hole MEPS‑25‑02 and the new Gimlet target, suggesting a large intrusive centre.
• Drill hole MEPS‑25‑02 (referenced from Sept. 29 2025 release) intersected 262.5 m @ 1.05 % CuEq (including 68.3 m @ 3.25 % CuEq and 9.3 m @ 19.98 % CuEq).
• The summer field program expanded the regional soil‑sampling effort to >6 km, with assay results pending.
• Dr. Neil O’Brien, former SVP Exploration at Lundin Mining (2004‑2018) and technical adviser since Jan 2023, now serves as Chief Geologist.
• CEO Mathew Wilson expressed confidence that Dr. O’Brien’s expertise will accelerate project development.
• The drill program at Soo copper has been increased from a minimum of 3,000 m to a minimum of 6,000 m.
• RSU Grant: 1.3 million restricted share units awarded to selected officers and directors; vesting in three equal tranches over the next 36 months beginning Oct. 8 2026, with a four‑month hold period on shares after vesting.

Notable Quotes

• Dr. Neil O’Brien: “Our drilling indicates a km‑scale, well‑preserved copper‑bearing potassic zone that commonly hosts bornite mineralization at shallow depths… The identification of extensive new bornite and chalcopyrite prospects provides good evidence that there are more high‑grade copper zones yet to be discovered.”
• Jeremy Niemi (SVP Exploration): “Surface discovery of bornite across a wide new target corridor reinforces the view that Soo copper is a large, multicentre copper system… adding Dr. O’Brien accelerates our understanding of the system’s architecture and scale.”
• Mathew Wilson (CEO): “We are thrilled to add Dr. O’Brien to our team at this critical juncture for the company… his track record speaks volumes to the potential of the Soo copper project.”