Drill Results up to 0.3m @ 33.69 g/t AuEq, 1.04m @ 16.72 g/t AuEq and 0.55m @ 75.12 g/t AuEq Highlight Further Resource Expansion Potential Northeast of the Current Gravel Creek Deposit

Western Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: WEX) (OTCQX: WEXPF) is pleased to announce additional assay results from the 2024 core drilling program in the Jarbidge rhyolite north-east of the Gravel Creek resource area at the Company’s wholly-owned Aura gold-silver project.

Highlights from 2024 Drill Program

• Five oriented core holes totaling 3,556 meters were completed in 2024 to offset the high-grade intercepts in the Jarbidge rhyolite (see additional details in the news release of the Company dated January 8, 2024, entitled “Western Exploration Provides Update on Drilling Activities at Gravel Creek”).
• New results are reported here for holes WGC458 and WGC460, as well as further assays from WGC459 (see the news release of the Company, dated October 7, 2024, entitled “Western Exploration Reports Positive Assay results from 2024 Drill Program at Gravel Creek”.
  • WGC458 was drilled 80 meters south on strike from the Discovery Section and reported individual assays of up to 22.2 g/t Au and 977.0 g/t Ag, with key intercepts including:
    • 0.34 meters @ 33.69 g/t AuEq (22.2 g/t Au and 977 g/t Ag)
    • 0.40 meters @ 15.36 g/t AuEq (13.20 g/t Au and 184.0 g/t Ag)
    • 0.61 meters @ 13.74 g/t AuEq (12.35 g/t Au and 118.0 g/t Ag)
  • WGC459 was drilled 80 meters north on strike from the Discovery Section, (partial results published in the news release dated October 7 2024, entitled “Western Exploration Reports Positive Assay results from 2024 Drill Program at Gravel Creek”). Additional results include the following intercepts:
    • 0.86m @ 10.08 g/t AuEq (9.80 g/t Au and 23.4 g/t Ag)
    • 0.31m @ 7.54 g/t AuEq (7.21 g/t Au and 27.7 g/t Ag)
  • WGC460 was drilled 80 meters north on strike from the Discovery Section and 80 meters down dip from hole WGC459, and reported individual assays up to 50.3 g/t Au and 2110 g/t AuEq, with key intercepts including:
    • 1.04 meters @ 16.72 g/t AuEq (12.34 g/t Au and 372.2 g/t Ag)
    • 0.55 meters @ 75.12 g/t AuEq (50.30 g/t Au and 2,110 g/t Ag)

Significance of Results for Resource Expansion Potential

Western Exploration’s CEO, Darcy Marud, commented: “The 2024 drill program has intersected multiple high-grade gold-silver intercepts in the three core holes reported to date. Intercepts are within the projected structural corridor along a minimum strike length of approximately 300 meters and dip length of approximately 250 meters. Mineralization is open in all directions and preliminary interpretation suggests the vein zones may be widening up dip to the east. Western Exploration continues to believe that the area NE of the Gravel Creek resource offers significant resource expansion potential with high grade gold and silver values hosted in epithermal veins and breccia zones.”

Multiple high-grade Au-Ag vein drill intercepts peripheral to the Gravel Creek Deposit

Previous drilling in the Miocene Jarbidge rhyolite to the northeast of the Gravel Creek deposit intersected multiple high-grade Au-Ag bearing vein intercepts, with individual assays up to 237.0 g/t AuEq (WG379) and 2800.0 g/t Ag (WG456). None of these Jarbidge-hosted intercepts have been included in previous resource estimates. Oriented core drill results from 2023 drilling identified a north trending, moderately west dipping vein trend, with a preliminary interpretation of vein trends shown on the Discovery Section 500N (Figure 1).

Five oriented core holes totaling 3,556 meters were completed in the 2024 Gravel Creek drill program. Holes WGC459 and WG460 were drilled 80 meters to the north of the Discovery Section (Figure 2 and Figure 3). Hole WG458 was drilled 80 meters to the South of the Discovery Section on section 420N (Figure 2 and Figure 4). All three holes intersected quartz-pyrite marcasite-bearing veins and breccias, with multiple intercepts over 10.0 g/t AuEq. Significant assay intercepts are summarized in Table 1 with drill hole coordinates in Table 2. Oriented core data is being interpreted and results will be reported in future news releases.

Table 1. Summary of Significant Drill Intercepts in 2024 core holes WGC458, WGC459 and WGC460

Table 2. Coordinates for 2024 Gravel Creek Core Holes (UTM NAD 83, Zone 11)

Significance for Future Gravel Creek Exploration

Results from core holes WGC458 to WGC460 confirm there are multiple vein-breccia zones with +10.00 g/t AuEq values within the projected structural corridor in the Jarbidge rhyolite northeast of the Gravel Creek resource. This gives the Company good reason to expand oriented core drilling into and beyond the 550-meter by 350-meter area that hosts multiple high grade AuEq intercepts in widely spaced legacy holes. Of note are the number of +10.0 g/t AuEq drill intercepts intersected in the farthest E-NE drill holes, indicating the Gravel Creek system has not been closed off (Figure 5).

ABOUT THE AURA PROJECT

The 6,000-hectare Aura Project has established mineral resource estimates in three different deposits (Doby George, Gravel Creek and Wood Gulch), as reported in the “2021 Updated Resource Estimates and Technical Report for the Aura Gold-Silver Project, Elko County, Nevada” dated October 20, 2021 (with an effective date of October 14, 2021) that was prepared for the Company by Mine Development Associates (the “Technical Report“; see Table 3 below). The mineral resource estimates in the Technical Report were established in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

In addition, the Aura Project has well established infrastructure including year-round accessibility by highway and county-maintained road and nearby access to water and electricity (see Figure 6 below). Western Exploration has exploration, development, and mining rights on 930 hectares of privately owned land through a mineral lease agreement with a local landowner and may purchase those fee lands at any time for the development of Doby George.

Table 3. Mineral resource estimates for the Aura Project as reported in the 2021 Technical Report

Notes:

(1) Au equivalent oz assumes US$1,800 per oz Au and 70:1 ratio of Ag: Au.
(2) Pit constrained 0.2 g/t AuEq cutoff for oxide, 0.4 g/t Au cutoff for mixed and 1.4 g/t Au cutoff for unoxidized.
(3) Pit constrained 0.2 g/t AuEq cutoff.
(4) 3.0 g/t Au cutoff.

About Western Exploration

Western Exploration is focused on advancing the 100% owned Aura Project, located approximately 120 kilometers/75 miles north of the city of Elko, Nevada. The Aura Project includes three unique gold and silver deposits: Doby George, Gravel Creek, and Wood Gulch. Western Exploration is comprised of an experienced team of precious metals experts that aim to lead the company to becoming North America’s premiere gold and silver development company.

Additional information regarding Western Exploration and the Aura Project can be found on the Company’s website and on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under the Company’s issuer profile.

Qualified Person Approval

The scientific and technical content in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mark Hawksworth, General Manager of the Western Exploration’s Aura Project, who is a “qualified person” within the meaning of NI 43-101.

Quality Assurance – Quality Control

Drill program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control and the interpretation of results is performed by qualified persons employing a QA/QC program consistent with NI 43-101 and industry best practices.

Drill core samples were delivered by Major Drilling to Western Exploration’s warehouse/logging facility in Mountain City and washed, photographed and logged by company geologists. Sample intervals were marked and recorded. Quality control (QC) samples were inserted at regular intervals in the sample stream with all sample shipments, including blanks, core duplicates and reference materials, to monitor laboratory performance. Core was kept in the secure Mountain City facility until transported for assay.

Drill core samples were transported by Neilsen Exploration to ALS Chemex located in Sparks, Nevada, for sample preparation and analysis. Core was sawed at the ALS facility, with ½ prepared for assay and ½ core preserved and returned to Western Exploration’s Mountain City facility. Samples were analyzed for gold using ALS CHEMEX fire assay procedure Au-AA13, with over limits being analyzed by Au_GRA21. Samples were analyzed for silver and a 40 element suite using ALS Chemex procedure ME-ICP41, with over limits being analyzed by Ag_GRA21. Split core, all pulps and select rejects are returned to Mountain City for secure long term storage.

Oriented core data was collected following methodology established by Oriented Targeting Solutions. Oriented Targeting Solutions compiled data in Access and completed the first pass interpretation utilizing Leapfrog software.

Please see below under the heading “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information” for further details regarding the risks facing Western Exploration.

For additional information on the Aura Project, please see the Technical Report, which has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101, a copy of which is available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under Western Exploration’s issuer profile and on Western Exploration’s corporate website (www.westernexploration.com).

Figure 1. Jarbidge Discovery Zone Cross Section, showing interpreted continuity of high grade values along sub parallel structural zones, based on oriented core measurements in holes WG456 and WG457. The vein zones and subsidiary splays have +20.0 g/t AuEq grades on a dip length of potentially +200 meters (AuEq calculated at 85:1 Ag: Au; see Figure 2 for location reference). (Graphic: Business Wire)

Figure 2. Plan view Gravel Creek area, showing the Gravel Creek resource zone, location of 2023 Discovery Section (Figure 1) and hole WGC458-460 (this news release). Assays for holes WGC461 and WGC462 are pending. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Figure 3. Jarbidge Rhyolite Cross Section 10580N, showing key assay intercepts in holes WGC459 and WGC460, in context with the Gravel Creek Resource and key legacy drill intercepts (intercepts in blue reported October 7, 2024). (Graphic: Business Wire)

Figure 4. Jarbidge Rhyolite Cross Section 10420N, showing hole WGC458 assay results in context with the Gravel Creek Resource. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Figure 5. Cross section A-A’, northeast at the limit of drilling in the Gravel Creek area. Note the widespread distribution of 10.0 g/t AuEq intercepts at the NE limit of current drilling, as well in a 550x350m area of the Jarbidge rhyolite northeast of Gravel Creek (highlighted by the insert map on the 1700-m elevation). (Graphic: Business Wire)

Figure 6. Aura Project – Land holdings and Infrastructure. (Graphic: Business Wire)