• Miroir – Multiple positive gold intercepts returned near surface including:
  • DUP25-052 returns 2.77 g/t Au over 11.1 m, including 4.36 g/t Au over 6.5 m, at a depth of 12.9 m
  • DUP25-054 returns 1.41 g/t Au over 11.9 m, including 2.52 g/t Au over 5.25 m, at a depth of 26.7 m
• Valentre – Significant intercepts supporting target expansion at depth and along strike including:
  • DUP25-054 returns 3.96 g/t Au over 9.3 m, including 5.71 g/t Au over 5.8 m 

First Mining Gold Corp. (TSX: FF) (OTCQX: FFMGF) (FRANKFURT: FMG) is pleased to announce initial drilling results from the 2025 drilling program at its Duparquet Gold Project located in the Abitibi region of Quebec, Canada. The Company commenced its 2025 drilling program at the Duparquet Project in March, with one drill rig targeting the Miroir discovery and a second drill rig added in April to further support and accelerate the program to complete an estimated 18,000 m of drilling as part of the 2025 campaign.

The newly discovered Miroir target remains an excellent expansion opportunity where the 2025 drilling program and strategy is focused on further delineating the near surface extent of the mineralization footprint. The initial drill holes tested a zone extending approximately 100 m along strike from the initial discovery hole DUP24-048. Multiple significant intercepts of gold mineralization have been returned from this drilling, confirming and expanding the known extent of mineralization at Miroir. Highlights include near surface mineralization intercepts from drill hole DUP25-052 that returned 2.77 g/t Au over 11.1 m, including 4.36 g/t Au over 6.5 m, and drill hole DUP25-054 that returned 1.41 g/t Au over 11.9 m, including 2.52 g/t Au over 5.25 m, demonstrating encouraging grade and widths of gold mineralization within this shallow target that remains open for expansion (Figure 1).

“Our exploration drilling continues to demonstrate significant resource growth potential by delineating new discovery zones as well as demonstrating the continuity of mineralization along strike and at depth within underexplored areas of the Duparquet Gold Project,” stated Dan Wilton, CEO of First Mining. “The confirmation of the continuity of near-surface mineralization in the Valentre and Miroir areas demonstrates that this well-established resource, already one of the largest in Quebec, can continue to grow. Duparquet is emerging as one of the largest gold development projects in Quebec and we are continuing to advance it through the development process.”

Further strong results also include assays from a secondary target within a dual-purpose exploration drill hole at Miroir, where the depth extension of mineralization at the Valentre target, located 225 m south of Miroir, has now been successfully intersected at a vertical depth of 335 m. Within the secondary target, drill hole DUP25-054 returned 3.96 g/t Au over 9.3 m from 409.7 m to 419.0 m, including 5.71 g/t Au over 5.8 m, confirming a large extension and continuity of gold mineralization at the Valentre target along a key plunge. The assay results returned from the Valentre target continues to demonstrate continuity in grade and furthermore continues to validate the open-ended mineralization at Valentre.

Assay highlights from the 1, 140 metres completed across the initial six drill holes of the 2025 program are shown in Table 1, with a full list of assays returned in Table 2 and collar details in Table 3.

Table 1: Selected Significant Drill Intercepts, 2025 Program – Miroir and Valentre Targets

Duparquet 2025 Exploration Program Updates

Exploration activities are ongoing at the Duparquet Project with two drill rigs actively advancing at key resource growth targets through to the fall. Regional field campaigns will be commencing at the end of May 2025 with a focus on target generation across favourable lithologies and structures. The North Zone drilling will continue to focus on testing the syenite-mafic volcanic contact that has previously demonstrated an ability to host higher grade gold mineralization. Drilling at the South Zone will be targeting the extension of mineralization below the historical Donchester mine workings. Additional targets to be followed up on is the Aiguille Target, where drilling will be following up on the two discovery holes to further drill test the target’s open-ended potential.  A plan map of the key targets for exploration drilling activities is shown in Figure 2.

Additional Details on the Miroir and Valentre Drilling

Miroir

The 2025 Miroir drilling is focused on further delineating the extent of mineralization around the 2024 discovery hole, DUP24-048, that returned 3.12 g/t Au over 19.35 m close to surface (refer to news release dated January 20, 2025). An area of approximately 100 m along strike has thus far been drill tested with six drill holes (Table 3) intersecting seven unique significant mineralization intervals including DUP25-052 that returned 2.77 g.t Au over 11.1 m, including 4.36 g/t Au over 6.5 m (Tables 1 and 2). The mineralized intercepts confirm the open-ended nature of the Miroir target (Figure 1).

The Miroir target is situated 225 m north of the Valentre target, hosted along the northern contact between the mafic volcanic and the syenite (Figure 3). This contact zone has traditionally demonstrated a stronger affinity for higher-grade mineralization, a characteristic also observed at the North Zone target area of the project, located 1.5 km to the west.

Mineralization at the Miroir target is associated with silica-altered, sheared and brecciated basalt and syenite, featuring dark smoky quartz veining and up to 5% very fine-grained disseminated pyrite mineralization. The mineralized intercepts are spatially correlated with D2 deformation zones and are typically occurring at a strike of northeast to southwest and east-west along the syenite-basalt contacts, further validating the structural and lithological controls on mineralization in this area.

Valentre

The objective of the 2025 drilling campaign at the Valentre target is to evaluate grade continuity and to refine the understanding of higher-grade mineralized zones at depth through a targeted drilling campaign.  A dual-target hole, DUP25-054, was designed to drill test both the Miroir and the Valentre targets, as illustrated in Figure 4. Significant results returned from DUP25-054 for the Valentre target are 3.96 g/t Au over 9.3 m, including 5.71 g/t Au over 5.8 m at a depth of approximately 330 m below surface.

Mineralization in hole DUP25-054 consists of brecciated silica-altered syenite and lath syenite with up to 5% very fine-grained disseminated pyrite mineralization. Higher-grade zones are consistent along the interpreted D2 structures, which are characterized by intense brecciation or shearing as observed in the drill core.

Follow-up drilling is planned at the Valentre target, with the objective of advancing exploration definition through additional resolution and step-out drilling to support updated geological modelling with a potential for incorporation into future mineral resource estimates (Figure 5).

Table 2: Initial Assay Results from 2025 Drill Program

^{*Reported intervals are drilled core lengths (true widths are estimated at 75-85% of the core length interval; assay values are uncut)}

Table 3: 2025 Drill Hole Locations, Miroir and Valentre Targets

^{Note: Collar coordinates in UTM NAD 83 z17}

About the Duparquet Gold Project

The Duparquet Project is geologically situated in the southern part of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt and is geographically located approximately 50 km north of the city of Rouyn-Noranda. The Project benefits from easy access and proximity to an existing workforce and infrastructure, including road, rail and hydroelectric grid power. The Duparquet Project currently hosts an NI 43-101 compliant gold resource of 3.44 million ounces in the Measured & Indicated category, grading 1.55 g/t Au, and an additional 2.64 million ounces in the Inferred category, grading 1.62 g/t Au. First Mining completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment¹ on the Project in 2023.

The Duparquet Project totals approximately 5,800 hectares focused on an area of 19 km of strike length along the prolific Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone, along with numerous mineralized splays and influential secondary lineaments. The Duparquet Project includes the past-producing Beattie, Donchester and Duquesne mines as well as the Central Duparquet, Dumico and Pitt Gold deposits.

¹ Further details on the Duparquet PEA can be found in the technical report entitled “NI 43-101 Technical Report: Preliminary Economic Assessment, Duparquet Gold Project, Quebec, Canada” dated October 20, 2023, which was prepared for First Mining by G Mining Services Inc. in accordance with NI 43-101 and is available under First Mining’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca

Analytical Laboratory and QA/QC Procedures

All sampling completed by First Mining within its exploration programs is subject to a Company standard of internal quality control and quality assurance (QA/QC) programs which include the insertion of certified reference materials, blank materials and a level of duplicate analysis. Core samples from the 2025 drilling program at Duparquet were sent to AGAT Laboratories, with sample preparation in Val d’Or, Quebec and analysis in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where they were processed for gold analysis by 50 gram fire assay with an atomic absorption finish. Samples from selected holes were sent to AGAT Laboratories in Calgary, Alberta, for multi-element analysis (including silver) by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) method with a four acid digest. AGAT Laboratories systems conform to requirements of ISO/IEC Standard 17025 guidelines and meets assay requirements outlined for NI 43-101.

Qualified Person

James Maxwell, P.Geo., VP, Exploration and Project Operations for First Mining, is a “Qualified Person” for the purposes of NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release.

About First Mining Gold Corp. 

First Mining is a gold developer advancing two of the largest gold projects in Canada, the Springpole Gold Project in northwestern Ontario, where we have commenced a Feasibility Study and permitting activities are on-going with a final Environmental Impact Statement / Environmental Assessment for the project submitted in November 2024, and the Duparquet Gold Project in Quebec, a PEA-stage development project located on the Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone in the prolific Abitibi region. First Mining also owns the Cameron Gold Project in Ontario and a portfolio of gold project interests including the Pickle Crow Gold Project (being advanced in partnership with Firefly Metals Ltd.) and the Hope Brook Gold Project (being advanced in partnership with Big Ridge Gold Corp.).

First Mining was established in 2015 by Mr. Keith Neumeyer, founding President and CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp.

Figure 1: Plan view map, highlighting the Miroir target area and multiple significant near surface assay results. (CNW Group/First Mining Gold Corp.)

Figure 2: Plan view map of Duparquet geology and mineral resource with main targets around the project core area. (CNW Group/First Mining Gold Corp.)

Figure 3: Plan view of select drill holes from the 2025 drilling program at the Miroir and Valentre target areas. (CNW Group/First Mining Gold Corp.)

Figure 4: Cross section and plan view of the recently completed drilling at the Miroir and Valentre targets, highlighting select drill holes and significant intercepts downhole. The cross section is looking west. (CNW Group/First Mining Gold Corp.)

Figure 5: Valentre Long Section (A-A’ reference on Figure 3), showing the Duparquet mineral resource outline with recently completed drilling at the target. The long section is looking north. (CNW Group/First Mining Gold Corp.)