Kirkland Lake's KL West drilling shows gold systems

Executive Summary

• Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp. provided an update on its fully financed 25,000-metre diamond drilling program at the KL West property in Ontario, confirming and expanding syenite-hosted gold mineralization at the Wolverine Bend target.
• Drilling at the Winnie Lake target identified a vertically zoned, structurally controlled hydrothermal system with gold-copper mineralization, supporting a model of prolonged, multiphase hydrothermal activity within the Archean Blake River group.
• As of January 17, 2026, the company has drilled 4,409 metres across 13 holes, with two rigs now active, and plans to expand drilling to the Nine Mile, Amikougami Lake, and Leahy-Queenston targets.

Key Details

• Program Status: Total metres drilled: 4,409 metres; Number of completed holes: 13; Average hole depth: 340 metres.
• Rig Activity: One rig active since early December 2025; a second rig commenced operations on January 12, 2026.
• Wolverine Bend Results:
  • Confirmed altered syenite intrusions as a primary control on gold mineralization.
  • Intersected broad, low-grade gold mineralization accompanied by elevated bismuth and copper.
  • Identified gold vectoring within visually altered syenite, consistent with fertile intrusion-related gold systems.
  • Geochemical signatures include widespread low-level gold values with elevated bismuth and copper, suggesting outer to intermediate zones of a fertile system.
• Winnie Lake Results:
  • Intersected a vertically zoned hydrothermal architecture ranging from copper-rich breccias to altered volcanic root zones.
  • Upper intervals characterized by brecciated and silica-flooded intrusive-volcanic contact zones hosting chalcopyrite-dominant sulphide mineralization and hematite alteration.
  • Downhole transitions into brecciated chlorite-epidote altered mafic intrusive with quartz-carbonate veining and reduced sulphide content.
  • Strong hematite alteration associated with peak sulphide emplacement interpreted as zones of enhanced metal deposition.
• Historical Context: Results complement previously reported syenite-hosted contact mineralization from drill hole KLD25-31 (released Oct. 27, 2025) and surface sampling from July 9, 2025, which returned 0.035 g/t Au, 12.75 g/t Ag, 1,395 ppm Cu, and 1,235 ppm Bi.
• Future Targets:
  • Nine Mile: Plans to drill test a 1.5-square-kilometre intrusion-related gold soil anomaly characterized by elevated Au-Bi-Cu-Mo-W values and coincident electromagnetic conductivity anomalies.
  • Other Targets: Drilling permits received for the Amikougami Lake shear zone and the Leahy-Queenston target area.
• Technical Specifications:
  • True widths estimated at approximately 65 to 80% of reported core length intervals.
  • Assays performed at ALS Laboratories using fire assay with atomic absorption finish (gravimetric reanalysis where warranted) and ICP-AES/MS for multielement analysis.
  • QA/QC includes certified reference standards and blanks inserted at a rate of approximately one per 20 samples.
  • Qualified Person: Benjamin Cleland, PGeo, Vice-President, Exploration.

Notable Quotes

• "Drilling is consistently showing that gold and copper mineralization at KL West is closely linked to syenite intrusions and the structures they exploit within the Blake River group. This is significant because parts of the Blake River group become most prospective where early volcanic-hosted sulphide systems are later overprinted by intrusion-related hydrothermal activity. At KL West, we are seeing that overlap expressed through copper-rich breccias, gold-bearing alteration and strong structural control. Although we are still early in this 25,000-metre program, this emerging geological framework gives us confidence that we are vectoring toward more concentrated zones of mineralization as drilling continues," said Stefan Sklepowicz, chief executive officer.