Cartier Cuts 16.7 G/T Au Over 2.1 M At Contact (Cadillac) Strengthens Shallow High-Grade Gold Potential Supports Expansion Drilling

(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) VAL-D'OR, Quebec, Sept. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cartier Resources Inc. (′′ Cartier ′′ or the ′′ Company ′′) (TSXV: ECR; FSE: 6CA) is pleased to announce the first batch of results from Contact Sector and more precisely, the North Contact Zone (NCZ), from the fully funded 100,000-m drilling program (2 drill rigs) on its 100%-owned Cadillac Project, located in Val-d'Or (Abitibi, Quebec).

Strategic Highlights from Contact Sector

Drill Results of NCZ (Figure 1)

• Hole CA25-524 intersected 16.7 g/t Au over 2.1 m included in 5.9 g/t Au over 7.7 m with presence of visible gold grains , at a depth of 195 m (Figure 2).
• Hole CA25-525 graded 4.3 g/t Au over 2.0 m at a depth of 180 m and 1.3 g/t Au over 12.0 m at a depth of 215 m.
• Holes CA25-524 and CA25-525 are spaced 65 m apart.
  

Significance for Investors

• Holes CA25-524 and CA25-525 confirm the presence of multiple shallow gold zones, exhibiting significant grades and widths , and outline a newly identified, large and high-grade gold system near surface . The mineralization extends over a minimum of 400 m in strike length by 300 m in depth , signaling significant upside potential .
• Previous 2024 Cartier drill hole assay intervals, respectively 14.7 g/t Au over 4.3 m (hole CH24-173), 6.3 g/t Au over 4.0 m (hole CH24-177) and 5.7 g/t Au over 4.0 m (hole CH24-176), had successfully and summarily recognized this intense mineralization footprint (see Cartier news release dated October 16, 2024 and titled ′′ Cartier cuts a broad high-grade gold system at East Cadillac; with 14.7 g/t Au over 4.3 m within 20.6 m grading 5.2 g/t Au ′′).
• More Important is that this area has rock exposure and just beneath 5 m of overburden , NCZ highlights strong potential for low-cost and near-surface operation . This shallow depth opens the door to flexible and alternative mining scenarios that can enhance Cadillac project economics .
  

Next Steps

• Additional drilling is required on NCZ to confirm geological continuity , expand gold mineralization (150-300 m), extend footprint closer to surface (0-150 m) and advance toward a future gold inventory .
• Further exploration drilling is already planned to test several new high-priority regional targets at Contact Sector, backed by detailed structural and geological modelling and VRIFY's artificial intelligence (AI) driven targeting , reinforcing the potential for additional gold discoveries .

" The North Contact Zone continues to deliver strong results and, most importantly, provides strategic flexibility for the development of the Cadillac project. The near-surface operation potential enhances the attractiveness of NCZ and significantly contributes to the overall scale and value of the project. " – Philippe Cloutier, President and CEO of Cartier.

" The higher-grade gold intercepts are located near the sheared geological contact between the mafic to intermediate volcanics (Louvicourt Group) and the sedimentary rocks (Cadillac Group). This difference in rock hardness (rheological contrast) creates an ideal setting for mineralizing fluids and gold deposition. Hole CA25-524 confirms the good continuity of mineralization, which remains open both at depth and laterally. These results reinforce our belief that the Contact Sector holds significant gold growth potential. " – Ronan Deroff, Vice President Exploration of Cartier.

Figure 1 : Plan view, cross and long sections of the Contact Sector

Figure 2 : Photos of the drill core from hole CA25-524

Table 1 : Drill hole best assay results from Contact Sector

Hole Number	From (m)	To (m)	Core Length** (m)	Au (g/t) Uncut	Vertical Depth (m)	Zone
CA25-523	207.0	213.0	6.0	0.9*	≈155	North Contact (3)
CA25-524	227.8	235.5	7.7	5.9*	≈195	North Contact (3)
Including	228.4	230.5	2.1	16.7*
CA25-525	201.4	203.4	2.0	4.3	≈180	North Contact (1)
And	233.8	246.0	12.2	1.3	≈215	North Contact (2)
And	277.0	285.0	8.0	1.2	≈255	North Contact (3)
And	295.0	303.0	8.0	1.0	≈270	North Contact (3)

* Occurrences of visible gold (VG) have been noted in the drill core at various intervals. ** Based on the observed intercept angles within the drill core, true thicknesses are estimated to represent approximately 55–80% of the reported core length intervals.

Contact Sector

The Contact Sector is a highly prospective area featuring the North Contact Zone ("NCZ") and several newly defined high-priority drill targets.

The NCZ lies along an east-west trending, strongly sheared corridor (Héva Fault Zone), situated approximately 900 m north of the Cadillac Fault Zone, and occurs at the contact between the hanging wall mafic to intermediate volcanics (basalt to andesite) of Louvicourt Group and the footwall turbiditic sedimentary rocks (wacke-mudrock) of Cadillac Group. This lithological contact is a favorable horizon for hydrothermal fluid flow, likely related to synvolcanic gold deposition.

The NCZ, defined by at least three parallel gold-rich zones, are typically and primarily associated with a fine-grained and disseminated arsenopyrite-pyrrhotite mineralization, with a pervasive biotite-chlorite-carbonate alteration, all crosscut by late-stage smoky quartz vein and veinlet stockworks containing visible gold. Locally, accessory minerals such as sphalerite, galena and tourmaline are observed.

Milestones of 2025-2027 Exploration Program

100,000 m Drilling Program (Q3 2025 to Q2 2027)

The ambitious 600-hole drilling program will both expand known gold zones (Brownfield Growth) and test new shallow surface high-potential targets (Greenfield Discovery). The objective is to unlock the camp-scale, high-grade gold potential along the 15 km Cadillac Fault Zone. It is important to note that Cartier's recent consolidation of this large land holding offers the unique opportunity in over 90 years for unrestricted exploration.

Environmental Baseline Studies & Economic Evaluation of Chimo mine tailings (Q3 2025 to Q3 2026)

The baseline studies will be divided into two distinct parts which include 1) environmental baseline desktop study and 2) preliminary environmental geochemical characterization. The initial baseline studies will provide a comprehensive understanding of the current environmental conditions and implement operations that minimize environmental impact while optimizing the economic potential of the project. These studies will be supplemented by an initial assessment of the economic potential of the past-producing Chimo mine tailings to determine whether a quantity of gold can be extracted economically.

Table 2 : Drill hole collar coordinates from Contact Sector

Hole Number	UTM Easting (m)	UTM Northing (m)	Elevation (m)	Azimuth (°)	Dip (°)	Hole Length (m)
CA25-523	335670	5320160	364	207	-54	234
CA25-524	335670	5320160	364	211	-65	282
CA25-525	335670	5320160	364	224	-72	312

Table 3 : Drill hole detailed assay results from Contact Sector

Hole Number	From (m)	To (m)	Core Length* (m)	Au (g/t) Uncut	Vertical Depth (m)	Zone
CA25-523	168.0	169.0	1.0	2.2	≈125	North Contact (2)
And	196.6	197.1	0.5	2.2	≈140	North Contact (3)
And	207.0	213.0	6.0	0.9	≈155	North Contact (3)
Including	207.0	208.0	1.0	2.0
Including	208.5	209.0	0.5	1.5*
Including	212.0	213.0	1.0	1.7
CA25-524	227.8	235.5	7.7	5.9	≈195	North Contact (3)
Including	227.8	228.3	0.5	1.9
Including	228.3	228.9	0.6	18.4
Including	228.9	229.4	0.5	26.9*
Including	229.4	229.9	0.5	1.9*
Including	229.9	230.4	0.5	19.4
Including	232.0	233.0	1.0	4.1
Including	233.0	234.0	1.0	1.6
Including	234.0	235.0	1.0	1.5
Including	235.0	235.5	0.5	1.4
CA25-525	201.4	203.4	2.0	4.3	≈180	North Contact (1)
Including	201.4	202.4	1.0	5.7
Including	202.4	203.4	1.0	2.8
And	233.8	246.0	12.2	1.3	≈215	North Contact (2)
Including	233.8	234.8	1.0	1.4
Including	235.7	236.7	1.0	3.0
Including	236.7	237.5	0.8	3.5
Including	239.0	240.0	1.0	2.3
Including	243.0	244.0	1.0	1.3
Including	245.0	246.0	1.0	2.0
And	277.0	285.0	8.0	1.2	≈255	North Contact (3)
Including	277.0	278.0	1.0	1.7
Including	279.6	280.1	1.0	1.1
Including	282.0	283.0	1.0	2.3
Including	284.0	285.0	1.0	2.1
And	290.1	291.0	0.9	1.9	≈260	North Contact (3)
And	295.0	303.0	8.0	1.0	≈270	North Contact (3)
Including	295.0	296.0	1.0	2.1
Including	300.0	301.0	1.0	1.6
Including	302.0	303.0	1.0	1.8

* Occurrences of visible gold (VG) have been noted in the drill core at various intervals. ** Based on the observed intercept angles within the drill core, true thicknesses are estimated to represent approximately 55–80% of the reported core length intervals.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) Program

The drill core from the Cadillac Project is NQ-size and, upon receipt from the drill rig, is described and sampled by Cartier geologists. Core is sawn in half, with one half labelled, bagged and submitted for analysis and the other half retained and stored at Cartier's coreshack facilities located in Val-d'Or, Quebec, for future reference and verification. As part of Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) program, Cartier inserts blank samples and certified reference materials (standards) at regular intervals into the sample stream prior to shipment to monitor laboratory performance and analytical accuracy.

Drill core samples are sent to MSALABS's analytical laboratory located in Val-d'Or, Quebec, for preparation and gold analysis. The entire sample is dried and crushed (70% passing a 2-millimeter sieve). The analysis for gold is performed on an approximately 500 g aliquot using Chrysos Photon AssayTM technology, which uses high-energy X-ray excitation with gamma detection to quickly and non-destructively measure gold content.

Alternatively, samples are submitted to Activation Laboratories Ltd. ("Actlabs"), located in either Val-d'Or or Ste-Germaine-Boulé, both in Quebec, for preparation and gold analysis. The entire sample is dried, crushed (90% passing a 2-millimetre sieve) and 250 g is pulverized (90% passing a 0.07-millimetre sieve). The analysis for gold is conducted using a 50 g fire assay fusion with atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish, with a detection limit up to 10,000 ppb. Samples exceeding this threshold are reanalyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish to determine high-grade values accurately.

Both MSALABS and Actlabs are ISO/IEC 17025 accredited for gold assays and implement industry-standard QA/QC protocols. Their internal quality control programs include the use of blanks, duplicates, and certified reference materials at set intervals, with established acceptance criteria to ensure data integrity and analytical precision.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical content of this press release has been prepared, reviewed and approved by Mr. Ronan Déroff, P.Geo., M.Sc., Vice President Exploration, who is a ′′Qualified Person′′ as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (′′NI 43-101′′).

About Cadillac Project

The Cadillac Project, covering 14,000 hectares along a 15-kilometre stretch of the Cadillac Fault, is one of the largest consolidated land packages in the Val-d'Or mining camp. Cartier's flagship asset integrates the historic Chimo Mine and East Cadillac projects, creating a dominant position in a world class gold mining district. With excellent road access, year-round infrastructure and nearby milling capacity, the project is ideally positioned for rapid advancement and value creation.

Using a gold price of US$1,750/oz, a Preliminary Economic Assessment demonstrated the economic viability of a 2-km segment, compared to the 15 km that will be the subject of the 100,000 m drilling program, with an average annual gold production of 116,900 oz over a 9.7-year mine life. Indicated resources are estimated at 720,000 ounces (7.1 million tonnes at 3.1 g/t Au) and inferred resources at 1,633,000 ounces (18.5 million tonnes at 2.8 g/t Au). Please see the NI 43-101 ′′Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for Chimo Mine and West Nordeau Gold Deposits, Chimo Mine and East Cadillac Properties, Quebec, Canada, Marc R. Beauvais, P.Eng., of InnovExplo Inc., Mr. Florent Baril of Bumigeme and Mr. Eric Sellars, P.Eng. of Responsible Mining Solutions′′ effective May 29, 2023.

About Cartier Resources Inc.

Cartier Resources Inc., founded in 2006 and headquartered in Val-d'Or (Quebec) is a gold exploration company focused on building shareholder value through discovery and development in one of Canada's most prolific mining camps. The Company combines strong technical expertise, a track record of successful exploration, and a fully funded program to advance its flagship Cadillac Project. Cartier's strategy is clear: unlock the full potential of one of the largest undeveloped gold landholdings in Quebec.

For further information, contact:
Philippe Cloutier, P. Geo.
President and CEO
Telephone: 819-856-0512
...

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

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