Western Exploration Completes Transformative Cyanide Leach Test Work At Gravel Creek

(MENAFN- Newsfile Corp) Western Exploration Completes Transformative Cyanide Leach Test Work at Gravel Creek

September 16, 2026 7:00 AM EDT | Source: Western Exploration Inc.

Initial cyanide leach recoveries of 73.3% Au and 74.0% Ag from Gravity/Float Concentrate

Permitting and bonding completed for 46 drill sites as part of resource expansion drill program

Reno, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - September 16, 2026) - Western Exploration Inc. (TSXV: WEX) (OTCQX: WEXPF) (" Western " or the " Company ") announces that it has received updated metallurgical test work from the Gravel Creek deposit that demonstrates the possibility of cyanide leaching of gravity and flotation concentrates in on-site processing. In addition, the Company has completed 3D modelling and geophysical interpretations that demonstrate the resource expansion potential of the project.

Darcy Marud, CEO of Western, commented: "This is a major breakthrough for Gravel Creek as it indicates that Gravel Creek is not entirely refractory and that the majority of the gold and silver in concentrate is actually recoverable by cyanide leaching after fine grinding. We will continue to do additional test work to determine the most profitable recovery scenario for Gravel Creek mineralization. This round of testing confirms multiple processing options which will all be examined to provide the best scenario for our shareholders in terms of both decreasing capex requirements and increasing profit margins."

Mr. Marud further commented: "In addition, the Company is fully permitted and bonded for 46 drill sites and associated access roads that cover key extensions of the Gravel Creek and Jarbidge deposits, as well as additional targets along the Tomasina Fault zone. The resource expansion program is drill-ready for implementation with the goal of doubling the current Gravel Creek resource."

Gravel Creek Metallurgical Test Work

In June 2026, Western contracted McClelland Laboratories of Reno, Nevada to complete cyanide leach metallurgical work on sample rejects from the 2024 Gravel Creek diamond drill program. The test work was designed to determine the viability of cyanide leaching of gravity and flotation concentrates produced from Gravel Creek.

The test work consisted of grinding whole ore to 80%-212μm (65 mesh) and producing a small gravity concentrate. The gravity tailing was reground to 80%-75μm (200 mesh) and subjected to flotation. The gravity and flotation concentrates were combined and reground to >95%-10μm (ultra-fine regrind) and subjected to cyanide leach. Gold and silver recoveries from the combined concentrate after ultra-fine regrinding were 75.4% and 76.5%, respectively, which was equivalent to 73.3% of the gold and 74.0% of the silver contained in the whole (gravity concentration) feed.

Previous metallurgical test work at Gravel Creek and Jarbidge has been presented and discussed in the technical report entitled "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Doby George Deposits and Updated Resource Estimate for the Gravel Creek Gold-Silver Deposits, Aura Gold-Silver Project, Elko County, Nevada" dated October 1, 2025 (with an effective date of June 17, 2025), which was prepared for Western and is available on SEDAR+ ( ) under Western's issuer profile (the " PEA Technical Report "). The PEA Technical Report demonstrated that a high-grade sulphide concentrate of gold and silver can be produced from whole ore grinding and flotation and recommended follow-up cyanide leaching.

Metallurgical Test Work and Methodology

Coarse assay rejects from diamond drill holes WG458 - WG462 were combined to form a test composite weighing approximately 30 kilograms with a head assay of 5.49 g/t Au and 298 g/t Ag. The gold grades were representative of the average grade of Gravel Creek while the silver grades were higher given that the samples came from the new Jarbidge area which typically averages higher silver.

The test work consisted of grinding whole ore to 80%-212μm (65 mesh) and producing a small gravity concentrate. The gravity tailing was reground to 80%-75μm (200 mesh) and subjected to rougher flotation. The combined gravity and flotation concentrate was approximately 20% of the whole ore weight and had grades of 26.46 g/t Au and 1,433 g/t Ag. The rougher concentrate was not subjected to any cleaner flotation upgrading for this test work. The recoveries for gold and silver to the concentrate were 97.2% and 96.8%, respectively.

Table 1. - Flotation Concentration Test Results, Gravel Creek
G-1 Recombined Tails, 80%-75μm Feed Size (F-1)
	Wt.	Assay	Au Distribution	Ag Distribution
Product	%	gAu/mt	gAg/mt	% S=	%	Cum. %	%	Cum. %
Grav/Flot Conc.	20.1	26.46	1,432.8	0.00	97.2	97.2	96.8	96.8
Ro. Tail	79.9	0.19	12.0	0.12	2.8	100.0	3.2	100.0
Composite	100.0	5.47	297.6	0.10	100.0		100.0

The gravity and flotation concentrates were combined and reground to >95%-10μm (ultra-fine regrind) and subjected to a 72-hour cyanide leach. Whole ore gold and silver recoveries were 73.3% for gold and 74.0% for silver.

Table 2. - Combined Results, Gravity/Flotation Concentrate Ultra-Fine Regrind/Cyanide Leach
80%-212μm (Gravity), 80%-75μm (Flotation), >95%-10μm Combined Concentrate Regrind
	Wt.	Assay	Au Distribution	Ag Distribution
Product	%	gAu/mt	gAg/mt		%	Cum. %	%	Cum. %
Grav/Flot Conc CN Extracted	20.1	19.95	1,095.8		73.3	73.3	74.0	74.0
Grav/Flot Conc CN Tail	6.51	337.0		23.9	97.2	22.8	96.8
Flotation Ro. Tail	79.9	0.19	12.0		2.8	100.0	3.2	100.0
Composite	100.0	5.47	297.6		100.0		100.0

Additional test work is ongoing on the cyanide leach tails in Table 2 to better understand the deportment of precious metals to better improve overall recoveries by cyanide or alternative methods.

Gravel Creek Resource Expansion Plan

The Company has remained focused on the resource growth at Gravel Creek while also moving the Doby George project into permitting and development. Additional 3D modelling at Gravel Creek and the Jarbidge discovery indicate potential to double the size of the current resource through a focused diamond drill program. The program is based on new geology, structural and geophysical interpretation that shows the current Gravel Creek deposit and Jarbidge extension coincide with a strong chargeability anomaly that is open to the northeast, northwest and up dip and controlled by the Gravel Creek and South Gravel faults, Figures 1 and 2.

The Company is fully permitted and bonded for drilling 46 drill sites and associated access roads that cover key extensions of the Gravel Creek and Jarbidge deposits, as well as additional targets along the Tomasina Fault zone.

On July 9, 2026, Western signed a new water lease with Nevada Gold Mines LLC providing access to up to 14 acre-feet of water per year. The new water lease, in combination with USFS approval for drilling on up to 46 drill platforms, means the resource expansion program is ready to implement.

Figure 1. Plan view of Gravel Creek deposit and Jarbidge Extension related to Chargeability

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Figure 2. Cross Section showing relationship of chargeability and Jarbidge mineralization

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Scientific and Technical Information

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mark Hawksworth, General Manager of Western's Aura Project, a "qualified person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (" NI 43-101 ").

The preliminary economic assessment (" PEA ") described in the PEA Technical Report is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

The PEA Technical Report is available on SEDAR+ ( ) under Western's issuer profile and was prepared by independent representatives of Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (" KCA ") and RESPEC Company LLC (" RESPEC "), each of whom is a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101 and independent of Western for purposes of Section 1.5 of NI 43-101. At the effective date of the PEA Technical Report, each qualified person certified that, to the best of their knowledge, information, and belief, the parts of the PEA Technical Report for which they were responsible contain all scientific and technical information required to be disclosed to make the PEA not misleading. The affiliation and areas of responsibility for each qualified person involved in preparing the PEA are provided below:

Travis Manning, P.E. of KCA - processing design and costs, metallurgy, recovery and cash flow;

Mr. Michael S. Lindholm, C.P.G. of RESPEC - geology, database and MRE; and

Kyle Murphy, P.E. of RESPEC - open pit design, mine planning, scheduling and costing.

Metallurgical test program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control (" QA/QC ") and the interpretation of results was performed by qualified persons employing a QA/QC program consistent with NI 43-101 and industry best practices.

About Western Exploration Inc.

Western Exploration is a Nevada-focused gold and silver developer advancing its 100%-owned Aura project, located approximately 120 kilometres north of Elko, Nevada. The Aura project hosts two primary assets: Doby George, a near-surface oxide heap-leach project with a positive 2025 Preliminary Economic Assessment; and the Gravel Creek / Wood Gulch corridor, a high-grade gold-silver epithermal system. For more information, please refer to the PEA Technical Report. Western trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol WEX and on the OTCQX Market under the symbol WEXPF.

For further information, please contact:

Darcy Marud
Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: (775) 329-8119
Email: ...

Nichole Cowles
Investor Relations
Telephone: (775) 240-4172
Email: ...

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements, by their nature, require the Company to make certain assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. This news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to, among other things: the outcome and timing of the USFS review of the MPO, including the associated environmental review process; the ability of the Company to obtain required permits and approvals on anticipated timelines or at all; the completion and timing of the PFS and baseline environmental studies, including the timing and results of the ongoing Phase I hydrogeologic investigation, the Phase II hydrogeologic investigation anticipated in 2027, and the air quality, cultural, and paleontological surveys and reports referenced herein; the completion and results of the grid power feasibility study with Raft River Rural Electric Co-operative; the continuation of the drill program announced on July 28, 2026; and the prospects, if any, of the Doby George Project.

Such factors include, among others, risks relating to the outcome of the regulatory review process; delays in USFS review or additional information requests; the results of the Power Study; the ability of exploration activities to accurately predict mineralization; errors in management's geological modelling; property and royalty interests in respect of the Aura project; the global economic climate; metal prices; dilution; environmental risks; and community and non-governmental actions. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, Western Exploration cannot assure shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities of the Company that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information. Western Exploration does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law.

For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward‐looking statements and forward-looking information made in this news release concerning Western Exploration, see the Company's continuous disclosure filings, including its most recent management's discussion and analysis, available electronically under Western Exploration's issuer profile on SEDAR+ ( ).

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

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Source: Western Exploration Inc.

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