Critical Elements Announces the Start of A 10,000-Meter Summer Drill Program at Rose West

Executive Summary

• Critical Elements Lithium Corporation announced the details and objectives for its Summer 2026 drill program at the 100% owned Rose West Discovery in Québec, targeting 10,000 meters of systematic drilling to expand the mineralized footprint.
• The release highlights successful Winter 2024/2026 drilling that expanded the known pegmatite footprint to 1,250 m x 800 m, identifying multiple high-grade lithium and tantalum intercepts across several pegmatite zones.
• The Summer program aims to infill drill along Line C, follow up on newly discovered deep Pegmatites 6 and 7, and prepare the geological model for a Mineral Resource Estimate planned for Fall 2026.

Key Details

• Summer 2026 Drill Program: Targets 10,000 meters of systematic drilling using two drill rigs on a 100 m grid approach, with an average depth of 150-200 m.
• Winter 2026 Campaign Results: 19 holes drilled totaling 4,037.75 meters, successfully expanding the lateral footprint from 450 m x 370 m to 1,250 m x 800 m with excellent grade continuity.
• Historical High-Grade Intercepts (Winter 2024/2026):
• RD-24-07: 1.66% Li2O and 180 ppm Ta2O5 over 12.20 m (Pegmatite 4)
• RD-24-16A: 1.43% Li2O and 178 ppm Ta2O5 over 24.95 m (Pegmatite 3)
• RD-24-20: 1.31% Li2O and 235 ppm Ta2O5 over 40.40 m (Pegmatite 3)
• RD-24-22: 1.30% Li2O and 142 ppm Ta2O5 over 31.60 m (Pegmatite 3)
• RD-24-23A: 2.22% Li2O and 95 ppm Ta2O5 over 20.30 m (Pegmatite 3)
• RD-24-25A: 1.39% Li2O and 157 ppm Ta2O5 over 35.30 m (Pegmatite 3)
• RW-26-32: 1.89% Li2O and 207 ppm Ta2O5 over 13.50 m (Pegmatite 3)
• RW-26-39: 1.71% Li2O and 210 ppm Ta2O5 over 14.75 m (Pegmatite 3)
• RW-26-40: 1.73% Li2O and 94 ppm Ta2O5 over 15.60 m (Pegmatite 3)
• RW-26-46: 2.18% Li2O and 68 ppm Ta2O5 over 12.60 m (Pegmatite 3)
• RW-26-47: 1.91% Li2O and 74 ppm Ta2O5 over 11.75 m (Pegmatite 3)
• RW-26-46: 1.82% Li2O and 176 ppm Ta2O5 over 14.60 m (Pegmatite 2)
• RW-26-41: 1.51% Li2O and 93 ppm Ta2O5 over 18.50 m (Pegmatite 5)
• RW-26-47: 1.72% Li2O and 117 ppm Ta2O5 over 10.30 m (Pegmatite 5)
• Geological Model & Target Expansion: Pegmatites range from 10 to 40 m thickness with a sub-horizontal stacked geometry (true thickness is 80-95% of core length). The program targets expanding the footprint to ~1,250 x 2,000 m and could confirm at least two additional pegmatite bodies.
• Pegmatite-Specific Updates: Pegmatite 5 shows potential to double in size; Pegmatite 3 remains open in all directions except the east; Pegmatite 2 merges with Pegmatite 3; Pegmatites 6 and 7 were identified at depth (177 m and 328 m respectively) via single intersections and will be targeted for follow-up drilling.
• Project Status & Financing: The Rose Lithium-Tantalum Project features a Feasibility Study (Aug 2023) with a 65.7% after-tax IRR and US$2.2B NPV (8% discount). It has received a US$115M/C$150M conditional support letter and C$20M conditional approval from the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund.
• Share-Based Compensation: Granted DSUs and RSUs to directors/officers for FY2024 and FY2025. FY2024 DSUs: 238,607 @ $1.90; FY2025 DSUs: 639,662 @ $0.73. FY2024 RSUs: 372,632 @ $1.90; FY2025 RSUs: 1,025,205 @ $0.73. All vest on the first anniversary of the grant date.
• QA/QC Protocols: Samples analyzed at ALS Minerals lab in Val-d'Or, QC. Full analysis for 52 elements via sodium peroxide fusion ME-MS-89L. Re-assays conducted for >25,000 ppm Li (Li-ICP-82b) and >2,500 ppm Ta2O5 (Ta-XRF10).

Notable Quotes

• "The Summer 2026 drilling program is designed to complement the existing drilling coverage and will prepare the project for an upcoming Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) planned for this coming Fall 2026. This drilling campaign is expected to provide the data needed to optimize the growth potential of the various mineralized zones and increase the level of confidence in our 3D geological model. Last winter, we aimed to extend the zones beyond the central 2024 zone; given the success of the latter program, we will therefore further test the extent of the zones in all directions and along Line C. We are confident that the summer program will help demonstrate the continuity of not just one, but several lithium- and tantalum-rich pegmatites, over a much larger area," commented Kenneth Williamson, Director of Exploration of the Corporation.