Stardust Metal discovers target at McGarry

Mr. Stephen Stewart reports STARDUST METAL UNCOVERS LARGE, NEVER-DRILLED ULTRAMAFIC TARGET ADJACENT TO HIGH-GRADE KERR ADDISON IN KIRKLAND LAKE Stardust Metal Corp. has discovered a significant geophysical target at its McGarry project, located in the heart of the world-class Kirkland Lake gold district, home to some of Canada's most prolific high-grade gold mines, including Kerr Addison, Macassa, Upper Beaver and several others. Geophysical target highlights MT anomaly The magnetotellurics (MT) survey highlights a large, deep feature beneath the sedimentary cover, visible from approximately negative 250 metres and extending well beyond negative 1,000 m, below the depth detectable by conventional IP methods. IP survey An induced polarization (IP) survey was done concurrently with the MT survey and confirms the general pattern of the MT results in the top 250 of the sections both in terms of the resistivity and the chargeability responses and major features such as the Larder Lake-Cadillac deformation zone (LLCDZ), the Armistice fault and the Mill zone fault are visible on both surveys but the anomaly that is highlighted in this news release is located below the IP response. Geological interpretation: The anomaly is interpreted as a folded ultramafic unit, in disconformable contact with overlying sediments and forms a synclinal structure plunging to the west. The base of the sedimentary unit has not been intersected in drilling and until recently was thought to be very deep and beyond the limit of geophysics. But the MT response is very clear and indicates the presence of a low-resistivity body sitting right beneath the sediments and espousing the syncline from about 250 m depth to well beyond 1,000 m. Its shape and response suggests potential to host an ultramafic unit similar to the rocks that host the known gold deposits in the district. Only drilling this target will tell if gold-rich solutions penetrated the body but an ambient noise tomographic (ANT) seismic survey should refine the target in anticipation of drill testing. Structural and regional context: Key structures including the LLCDZ, Armistice fault and Mill zone fault are clearly reflected in both IP and MT data sets, demonstrating the reliability of the survey and aligning with known district-scale controls on mineralization. District significance: The McGarry project sits immediately adjacent to several historic and currently operating high-grade mines. The identification of a deep, never-drilled target within potentially ultramafic rocks underscores the potential to discover new, high-grade zones at depth, complementing the district's rich endowment of gold resources. This target, which has never been drilled and was highlighted during recent compilation work, was identified thanks to a comprehensive IP-MT survey completed by Quantec and reviewed and interpreted by Charles Beaudry, MSc, PGeo. The anomaly sits beneath a sedimentary unit usually mapped as Temiskaming assemblage and, by its shape and low resistivity, is thought to represent an ultramafic unit. The anomaly's size, depth and geological context make it a high-priority drill target, with potential to host significant mineralization similar to nearby high-grade deposits. "If it is an ultramafic unit as postulated, it has never been tested in drilling or seen in underground workings and it is possible that the fluids responsible for the Kerr Addison deposit (see Gold Candle news release dated June 3, 2025) could have penetrated the domain lying beneath the sedimentary unit. This prediction is totally reasonable because of the presence of significant near-surface gold mineralization (see Mill zone on Kerr Addison and McGarry properties) as much as 1,000 metres south of the Larder Lake-Cadillac deformation zone (LLCDZ)," said Charles Beaudry, director of Stardust. Next steps Stardust plans to conduct an ambient noise tomography (ANT) survey to provide high-resolution 3-D imaging of density-velocity contrasts. This approach will refine the depth, size, and geometry of the anomaly and guide the first-ever drill testing of this exciting ultramafic target. QP (qualified person) statement The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Charles Beaudry, PGeo and geo, director of Stardust Metal, a qualified person, as defined in National Instrument 43-101 -- Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. For the exploration undertaken by Stardust, all assay batches are accompanied by rigorous quality assurance procedures, including the insertion of standards and blanks. We seek Safe Harbor.