West Red Lake Gold confirms high-grade continuity at Rowan Project, Ontario

West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. [TSXV: WRLG; OTCQB: WRLGF] reported drill results from its fully funded infill and conversion drilling program at the 100%-owned Rowan Project located in the Red Lake Mining District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada.

A total of 38 holes for approximately 6,000 metres are being drilled at Rowan in the current drilling program. Thirty-three holes have been completed to date with five holes remaining. Fire assay gold results have been received for seven holes. Fire assay results are pending for 13 holes with 13 holes currently being logged and prepared for sample shipment.

Rowan Drilling Highlights: Hole RLG-25-192b intersected Vein 013 with 1 metres at 141.5 g/t gold from 76.1 metres to 77.1 metres. This high-grade intercept was complimented by visible gold spatially associated with quartz veining and strong silicification. Hole -192b also intercepted Vein 011 with 1 metre at 17.55 g/t gold, from 27.6 m to 28.6 metres.
Hole RLG-25-190 intersected Vein 006 with 1 metre at 55.8 g/t gold, from 109.5 metres to 110.5 metres. This high-grade intercept was complimented by visible gold spatially associated with quartz veining and strong silicification. Hole -190 also intercepted Vein 013 with 1 metre at 12.5 g/t gold, from 75 metres to 76 metres.
Hole RLG-25-187 Iitersected Vein 013 with 1 metre at 28.5 g/t Au, from 116.25 metres to 117.25 metres. This high-grade intercept was complimented by visible gold spatially associated with quartz veining and strong silicification.

Will Robinson, Vice President of Exploration, stated, “It’s great to be back drilling at Rowan and we are very encouraged with the results from this first batch of assays. Our updated mineralized domain model that was completed in April 2024 has been holding true with veins and mineralized zones being intercepted where expected.

“The main targets for this program are Veins 001, 004, 006b and 013, but we are also intercepting mineralization along trend of other modeled veins in the system. These intercepts are expected to provide meaningful data points to inform an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) at Rowan planned for Q2 2026.

“Additionally, the larger diameter HQ drill core we are using for this program is providing excellent grade representation and larger volume samples, with instances of visible gold being commonly observed by the core logging geologists. Based on the early success in this program and the clear expansion potential at Rowan we have added an additional 1,000 metres of drilling to continue extending the Vein 001 zone along strike to the west in areas previously un-drilled.”

West Red Lake Gold announced results for a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Rowan Project on July 8, 2025 which demonstrates robust preliminary economics for an underground mine at Rowan producing an average of 35,230 oz/year over a five-year mine life at an average grade of 8.0 g/t gold.

The drill program at Rowan will now consist of around 6,000 metres of HQ diameter diamond drilling including conversion drilling on Veins 001 and 004 to support the potential upgrade of Inferred resources to Indicated and infill drilling on Veins 006b and 013 to provide data that may enable mine design consideration ahead of a planned combined Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for the Madsen Mine and Rowan projects. This planned study will evaluate the potential for developing the two projects using shared infrastructure and integrated mine planning, with the goal of identifying possible operational and economic synergies.

Conversion drilling at Rowan is focused on Veins 001 and 004, with the objective to bring Inferred resources to an Indicated category. These veins account for the majority of PEA production tonnes. Approximately 63% of the tonnes and 72% of the ounces were already in the Indicated category in the Rowan PEA.

Infill drilling is focused on Veins 006b and 013 to provide data for potential inclusion in the planned combined PFS. Integration of Veins 006b and 013 could not only extend mine life at Rowan but may also allow for ore extraction to begin approximately six months sooner due to closer proximity to the access portal. Accessing and mining mineralization earlier at Rowan has the potential to positively impact the net present value (NPV” of the project. Inclusion of Veins 006b and 013 in future mine plans and the impact such inclusion could have is subject to the results of the drill program and the outcome of the combined PFS as reviewed by a Qualified Person.

Further geotechnical, metallurgical and engineering studies are also underway at Rowan to inform the planned PFS. These studies will be completed in conjunction with ongoing permitting efforts to advance Rowan towards Advanced Exploration status, which is required for bulk sample extraction. Permits to support Advanced Exploration activities, including underground mine development, are targeted for 2027, subject to regulatory review and consultation.

The Advanced Exploration permit is targeted for approval in 2027, a timeline supported by the recent launch of the One Project, One Process mine permitting framework in Ontario that aims to cut review times within the mine permitting process in half for Designated Projects, a status the Company is pursuing at Rowan.4

There are multiple opportunities to potentially expand and upgrade the resource and mine plan at Rowan.

The Rowan resource comprises 26 domains that capture multiple parallel veins. Three of those veins – 001, 003 and 004 – are mined in the PEA. A fourth vein with strong gold grades, called 006b, is the third largest contributor of tonnes and ounces in the current mineral resource estimate (MRE) but was not included in the PEA mine plan because its data stems largely from historic drilling, which suffers from unsampled intervals. Vein 013 runs adjacent and sub-parallel to Vein 006b and may demonstrate similar resource upgrade potential, subject to confirmation drilling and subsequent resource estimation by a Qualified Person.

Historic operators often only sampled and assayed drill core with quartz veining containing visible gold. Surrounding rock, including vein margins, narrow gaps between veins, and adjacent wall rock, was typically not sampled. During the 2023 drill campaign, WRLG demonstrated that gold mineralization regularly persists into the altered wall rock adjacent to high-grade gold veins. Selective sampling would have missed mineralization of this type. Additionally, most of the drilling on Veins 006b and 013 is from the 1980’s utilizing very small 27-millimeter diameter AQ drill core with no existing competent historic core available for resampling. The 2025-2026 drilling program is being completed with 63.5-millimeter diameter HQ drill core and with an aim to infill the gaps in the historic analytical data set on Veins 006b and 013, with the goal of bringing these veins back into consideration for mine design.

The next step at Rowan is based on expanding the deposit. Notably, the highest-grade intercept ever drilled at Rowan was achieved during the 2023 drill campaign when hole RLG-23-163B returned 70.8 g/t Au over 8.3 metres. This intercept came from the deeper portion of Vein 001 and indicates potential for mineralization to continue at depth. The Rowan vein system has only been defined down to approximately 400 metres and remains wide open for expansion at depth. The Rowan deposit also remains open along strike to the east and west.

Mineral resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 3.80 g/t Au and a gold price of US$1,800/oz. The Rowan Mine deposit presently hosts a NI 43-101 Indicated resource of 478,707 tonnes containing 196,747 oz gold grading 12.78 g/t Au and an Inferred resource of 421,181 tonnes containing 118,155 oz of gold grading 8.73 g/t Au. Mineral resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 3.80 g/t Au and a gold price of US$1,800/oz.

West Red Lake Gold Mines is a gold miner development company focused on advancing and developing its flagship Madsen Gold Mine and the associated 47 km2 prospective land package in the Red Lake district of Ontario. The highly productive Red Lake Gold District of Northwest Ontario, Canada has yielded over 30 million ounces of gold from high-grade zones and hosts some of the world’s richest gold deposits. WRLG also holds the wholly owned Rowan Property in Red Lake, with an expansive property position covering 31 km2 including three past producing gold mines – Rowan, Mount Jamie, and Red Summit.