New 2025 Exploration Model Results in Long Intervals of Continuous Copper Mineralization at Shallower Depths with Growing Significance of Widespread Silver in Cover Rock

• New 3D model now driving consistently positive results in 2025 drilling –
  • Drill hole HER-25-05 intersected:
    • 273 m of 0.60% Cu, 77 ppm Mo, and 1.8 g/t Ag,
    • within 379 m of 0.50% Cu, 75 ppm Mo, and 1.3 g/t Ag,
    • including 35 m of 1.01% Cu and 6.2 g/t Ag
  • Drill hole HER-25-03, further outward from 25-05, intersected:
    • 256 m of 0.44% Cu, 85 ppm Mo, and 0.9 g/t Ag
    • within 452 m of 0.37% Cu, 73 ppm Mo, and 0.9 g/t Ag

• Hanging Wall Zone closer to surface – Mineralization begins at a true depth of just 110 m below surface in HER-25-05.

• 750 metre-wide fence completed – Assays remain pending for drill hole HER-25-15, which completes a 750 metre-wide drill fence.

• Building continuity – Drilling with a new exploration model this season is building continuity in both the Hanging Wall Zone (this news release) and Footwall Zone (see Hercules news release dated September 17, 2025), with a systematic grid-based approach that allows vectoring toward the highest-grade centre of each drill fence.

• Widespread silver in cover rock – Recent strength in silver prices has renewed interest in the potential to view Leviathan as a larger-scale open-pit target, encompassing the deeper porphyry mineralization together with widespread low-grade silver in the near-surface cover rock.

• Additional catalysts ahead – Assay results are now pending for an additional seven (7) completed holes now in the lab, with additional sample shipments ongoing, and drilling continuing.

Hercules Metals Corp. (TSX-V: BIG) (OTCQB: BADEF) (FSE: C0X)  is pleased to report further results from its 2025 drilling campaign at the Company’s flagship Leviathan porphyry copper discovery, located on its Hercules Property in western Idaho.

Results are now demonstrating continuity in the Hanging Wall Zone, with HER-25-05 (“25-05“) returning 273 m of 0.60% Cu, 77 ppm Mo, and 1.8 g/t Ag, within a broader interval of 379 m of 0.50% Cu, 75 ppm Mo, and 1.5 g/t silver, beginning at 110 m true depth below surface. HER-25-03 (“25-03“), drilled further outward along the same fence, intersected 256 m of 0.44% Cu, 85 ppm Mo, and 0.9 g/t Ag within 452 m of 0.37% Cu, 73 ppm Mo, and 0.86 g/t Ag.

Assays for HER-25-15 are pending and will complete this fence, delineating the full width of mineralization across both the Hanging Wall and Footwall zones on this section. With five additional fences drilled at 200-metre spacing this season, continuity is building rapidly across the Leviathan system. And, by applying a systematic, model-driven approach, the Company is able to identify and delineate where the highest-grade core is centred on each drill fence, guiding additional infill drilling.

Drill hole HER-25-04 (“25-04“) was deemed to have been collared away from the centre, at a dip later determined to be too steep, and was terminated in a late-mineral dyke. However, prior to encountering the late-mineral dyke, assay results revealed a consistent increase in copper within the surrounding volcanic host rock. The final 85 metres immediately preceding the dyke averaged 0.30% Cu, including a final 38 metre interval grading 0.48% Cu, supporting higher grades being located west of 25-04, where the centre of the system is now inferred.

Table 1: Highlight Intervals

The intercepts reported in this table represent drilled intervals and insufficient data is available at this time to state the true thickness of the mineralized intervals.

Chris Paul, CEO and Director of Hercules Metals, commented, “2025 drilling continues to show dramatic improvements as follow-up drilling continues, thanks to the utilization of our 3D model, guiding drilling across the porphyry system. With long intervals of up to 0.6% copper beginning 110 m below surface, we are now rapidly building confidence in the continuity of stronger grades over a significant strike length.”

“We are employing a systematic, fence-based drilling strategy with the objective of delineating where the highest-grade mineralization occurs on each 200 metre-spaced fence. We are still awaiting assay results on this fence and look forward to updating the market when those results become available. By the end of the 2025 campaign, the Company will have completed a total of six (6) 200 metre-spaced drill fences, at which time, it may evaluate the prospect of initiating a maiden mineral resource estimate.”

Mr. Paul concluded, “The Hercules Project was initially acquired for its extensive silver mineralization, long before the discovery of the Leviathan porphyry transformed it into one of the most compelling new copper projects in the U.S. With silver prices strengthening, we’re now beginning to see an opportunity to view Hercules as a larger-scale open-pit target, encompassing both the porphyry copper system at depth and the near-surface silver mineralization in the overlying cover rock. Recent metallurgical testing is helping to support the optionality for a potential multi-metal system, as the project advances.”

Figure 1: Drill plan. Grade bars for copper (orange) and molybdenum (blue) are shown, with emphasis on 2025 drill holes testing the system with the more favourable northwest drilling orientation. Also shown is the location of Figure 2’s cross-section (B-B’). Note – assays remain pending for drill hole HER-25-15 on this fence.

COMPLETE CORE PHOTOS FOR ALL REPORTED INTERVALS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING WITHIN 24 HOURS AT:

https://www.herculesmetals.com/hercules/core-photos/

Figure 2: Cross-section B-B’ (See Figure 1 for location), showing drill holes HER-25-03 and HER-25-05. Holes previously drilled along and in close proximity to this fence include HER-23-05, HER-23-11, and HER-24-08, as shown. Assays remain pending for drill hole HER-25-15, located at the centre of the fence.

Mineralized Cover: A Silver Lining

The Hercules Project was originally acquired as a silver project in 2021, supported by over 300 historical drill holes that tested widespread silver mineralization hosted within the extensive Hercules Rhyolite unit, which extends for over 3 km at surface. The subsequent 2023 discovery of the Leviathan copper porphyry, situated beneath the Hercules Rhyolite, shifted the Company’s focus toward a much larger, deeper-seated mineralized system, with the overlying rhyolite thereafter regarded as “cover rock.” However, recent strength in silver prices has renewed interest in the potential to view both zones as a broad, near-surface open-pit target, encompassing the porphyry mineralization together with widespread low-grade silver in the cover rock at surface.

Prior to the discovery of the Leviathan porphyry in late 2023, the Company conducted an initial 9-hole confirmation drilling program in 2022, to validate the historical drilling grades reported by previous operators (Table 2). The results were in line with historically reported grades and widths, providing confidence in the historical drilling data.

While several zones of higher-grade silver occur on the Property – including the Hercules Adit, Frogpond, Belmont, Grade Creek, and Hercules Ridge zones – widespread low-grade silver is also disseminated throughout the Hercules Rhyolite unit, which forms a significant portion of the Jurassic cover sequence overlying the Leviathan porphyry system. It should be noted that, due to lower silver prices at the time and silver being the primary exploration target, a 35 g/t Ag cutoff was applied when reporting intercepts from the 2022 drilling program. A lower cutoff may be considered in future evaluations, particularly in the context of a potential stripping scenario of the cover rock above Leviathan.

Initial metallurgical testing conducted in 2023 demonstrated that the silver in the Hercules Rhyolite is amenable to cyanide leaching. By applying a sulfurous acid pre-leach to first extract the manganese content, silver recoveries of 86% and 82% were achieved for oxide and sulfide mineralization, respectively (see Hercules news release dated December 3, 2024). The metallurgical work conducted in 2023 was preliminary by nature and additional test work is required. Nonetheless, the results demonstrated the potential amenability of the silver mineralization for extraction.

Table 2: Hercules Metals Reported 2022 Drilling Intercepts, at 35 g/t Ag Cutoff

The intercepts reported in this table represent drilled intervals and insufficient data is available at this time to state the true thickness of the mineralized intervals.

Table 3: Surveyed Drill Collar Locations

Sample Analysis and QAQC

All drill core samples were prepped and analyzed at MSA Labs in Langley, British Columbia, an ISO 17025 and ISO 9001 certified laboratory. Samples were dried and crushed to 2 mm, from which a 250 g sub-sample split was then pulverized to 85% passing a 75 micron sieve. Following preparation, assays were determined by the IMS-230 method. A 0.25 g aliquot of the prepared pulp was digested in a 4-acid solution consisting of hydrochloric, nitric, perchloric and hydrofluoric acids. 4-acid is a near total digest and only the most highly resistant minerals are not dissolved. The resulting solution was analyzed via ICP-MS and ICP-ES for 48 elements and was corrected for inter-element spectral interferences. Lower detection limits for this procedure are 0.01 ppm for silver, 0.5 ppm for lead, 2 ppm for zinc, and 0.2 ppm for copper. Mercury is not reported due to volatilization in reaction with hydrofluoric acid and gold is not reported due to the small, 0.25 g aliquot size being insufficient to overcome the nugget effect.

Samples with initial results beyond the upper detection limit of the IMS-230 method were analyzed by procedures ICF-6Ag, ICF-6Cu, ICF-6Pb and ICF-6Zn. The thresholds are 100 ppm for silver, and >1% for copper, lead and zinc.

A 30 g split from the crushed and pulverized samples are being composited into larger 300 g composite samples (consisting of ten continuous samples) and will be analyzed for gold utilizing CPA-Au1 photon assay method. Any material gold results from the composite samples will require additional analytical work for reporting.

MSA Labs employs internal quality control standards, duplicates and blank samples at set frequencies.

Blind certified reference materials (CRMs) and blank samples were systematically inserted by the Company into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company’s quality assurance/quality control protocol.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved for disclosure by Dillon Hume, P.Geo. and Vice President, Exploration for the Company. Mr. Hume is a “Qualified Person” for Hercules Metals within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Hercules Metals Corp.

Hercules Metals Corp. is an exploration Company focused on developing America’s newest porphyry copper district, in Idaho.

The 100% owned Hercules Project located northwest of Cambridge, hosts the newly discovered Leviathan porphyry copper system, one of the most important new discoveries in the region to date. The Company is well positioned for growth through continued drilling, supported by a strategic investment from Barrick Mining Corporation.

With the potential for significant scale, the Company’s management and board of directors aims to build on its proven track record which includes the discovery and development of numerous precious metals projects worldwide.