Grounded Lithium spuds first oil/gas well in Sask.

Mr. Gregg Smith reports GROUNDED LITHIUM SPUDS FIRST OIL AND GAS WELL, ADVANCING NEAR-TERM CASH FLOW STRATEGY Grounded Lithium Corp. has begun drilling the first of a two-well program targeting oil and gas resources near Marsden, Sask. As communicated in its press release dated Jan. 14, 2026, Grounded has diversified its potential resource base by acquiring certain oil and gas mineral rights. The two wells will be drilled from one pad or surface location, saving time and capital in lease construction and facilitating ease of the company's future production operations. As the wells in the program are relatively shallow, the intention is to quickly follow drilling activities with associated completion activities and bring successful wells onto production as quickly as possible. It is anticipated, based on well type curves in the surrounding area, that payout under the various agreements that Grounded is party to will occur in six to 12 months based on current commodity prices. After payout, net operating income payable to Grounded will enhance working capital reserves to finance Grounded's continuing commitments associated with the Kindersley lithium project. About Grounded Lithium Corp. Grounded Lithium is a publicly traded lithium brine exploration and development company that controls approximately 1.0 million metric tonnes of measured and indicated lithium carbonate equivalent mineral resource and approximately 3.2 million metric tonnes of inferred lithium carbonate equivalent resource over the company's focused landholdings in southwestern Saskatchewan, as per the company's updated PEA (preliminary economic assessment). The updated PEA, titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report: Preliminary Economic Assessment Kindersley Lithium Project -- Phase 1 Update," dated Nov. 7, 2023, and effective as of June 30, 2023, reports an after-tax phase 1 net present value (discounted at 8 per cent) of $1-billion (U.S.) with an after-tax internal rate of return of 48.5 per cent. Grounded Lithium's multifaceted business model involves the consolidation, delineation, exploitation and, ultimately, development of the company's opportunity base to fulfill its vision to build a best-in-class, environmentally responsible, Canadian lithium producer supporting the global energy transition shift. Qualified person Scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been prepared under the supervision of Doug Ashton, PEng, Alexey Romanov, PGeo, Meghan Klein, PEng, Dean Quirk, PEng, Jeffrey Weiss, PEng, Chad Hitchings, PLEng, and Michael Munteanu, PEng, each of whom is a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 and an independent consultant to the company. We seek Safe Harbor.