Drilling Reveals Additional Gold-Bearing Hydrothermal Breccia Mineralization Style at Chicken Mountain, Expanding Exploration Potential
VANCOUVER, B.C., October 15, 2026 – Tectonic Metals Inc. (“Tectonic” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: TECT; OTCQX: TETOF) today announced results from 19 drill holes at Chicken Mountain, the most advanced of six kilometre-scale intrusion targets at the Company’s flagship 99,840-acre Flat Gold Project (“Flat”) in southwest Alaska, U.S.
Drilling continues to deliver broad, near-surface gold mineralization with substantial higher-grade intervals at Alpha Bowl and Adit, two priority zones within Chicken Mountain’s mineralized footprint, which extends 3.3 kilometres (“km”) in length and up to 700 metres (“m”) in width, and has been drill-tested to a vertical depth of 300 m.
Today’s results are highlighted by:
- Alpha Bowl: 2.41 grams per tonne gold (“g/t Au”) over 59.44 m, including 11.82 g/t Au over 10.67 m, which includes 39.96 g/t Au over 3.05 m, within a broader surface-starting interval of 1.86 g/t Au over 80.77 m.
- Adit Zone: 1.52 g/t Au over 42.67 m, including 27.35 g/t Au over 1.52 m and 3.84 g/t Au over the final 13.72 m of the hole, where higher-grade mineralization remains untested beyond the end of the hole.
The results support the potential for near-surface, bulk-tonnage gold mineralization with higher-grade domains that could be relevant to future starter-pit evaluations. Drilling has also identified gold-bearing hydrothermal brecciation at Adit, adding a potentially important mineralization style and new exploration targets at Chicken Mountain.
Tectonic has completed more than 29,000 m of drilling in 2026 to advance resource delineation and expansion at Chicken Mountain, with drilling planned through the end of October. This release reports approximately 2,650 m from 19 holes (18 reverse-circulation (“RC”) and one diamond-core) at Alpha Bowl and Adit Zone (Figure 1).
In addition to today’s results, upcoming catalysts include: assays for 114 drill holes (approximately 22,000 m), column-leach test results and a maiden mineral resource estimate (“MRE”) targeted for Q1 2027, followed by a Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) targeted for Q2 2027.
Tony Reda, Co-Founder, President & CEO, commented:
“What continues to excite us is the scale emerging at Chicken Mountain. Alpha Bowl alone spans approximately 820 metres along strike, up to 600 metres in width, and has been drill-tested to a vertical depth of over 300 metres. These are substantial dimensions for an individual gold exploration target, yet Alpha Bowl represents just one part of Chicken Mountain’s broader 3.3-kilometre mineralized system. Together with Adit and other mineralized zones, the results continue to demonstrate the potential for a large-scale gold system with multiple higher-grade centres.
“We have tremendous momentum at Flat: 114 drill holes awaiting assays, drilling planned through the end of October, important column-leach results on the horizon and our maiden Mineral Resource Estimate in Q1 2027, followed by a Preliminary Economic Assessment in Q2 2027. The volume of new geological and metallurgical information still to come represents an exciting opportunity to deepen our understanding of this emerging gold system, refine our exploration and development strategy and potentially unlock further value across the 99,840-acre Flat property.”
Alpha Bowl Highlights
Alpha Bowl, the northern extension of the Chicken Mountain intrusion (see news release dated January 15, 2026)1, encompasses a mineralized footprint approximately 820 m along strike and 600 m wide, with gold intersected to at least 300 m depth. The latest drilling has identified significant higher-grade gold mineralization near surface, supporting Alpha Bowl as a target for future starter-pit evaluation (Figures 3 and 4).
- New At-Surface Gold Intersection: CMR26-170 returned 2.41 g/t Au over 59.44 m, including 11.82 g/t Au over 10.67 m and 39.96 g/t Au over 3.05 m, within a broader surface-starting interval of 1.86 g/t Au over 80.77 m. The hole ended in mineralization, leaving the intersection open beyond the end of the hole and making it a target for follow-up drilling.
- Higher-Grade Mineralization Within a Broad Gold-Bearing System: CMR26-170 builds on previous drilling, including CMR25-035, which returned 2.23 g/t Au over 41.15 m (see news release dated September 10, 2025)2. CMR26-170 is located 250 m south of CMR25-035, 100 m southeast of CMD25-009 (0.48 g/t Au over 94.00 m) and 170 m northeast of CMD25-010 (1.03 g/t Au over 10.00 m within 0.37 g/t Au over 56.5 m), the latter two both previously reported in the Company’s January 2026 news release. Together, these intersections demonstrate gold mineralization across multiple drill locations and suggest opportunities to delineate higher-grade domains within Alpha Bowl’s extensive mineralized footprint.
- Expansion and Delineation Underway: Assays are pending from three holes east of CMR26-170, while ongoing drilling at approximately 100 m spacing is testing the lateral extent, geometry and continuity of mineralization.
The combination of broad surface-starting intersections, locally substantial grades and a large mineralized footprint positions Alpha Bowl as a priority target for delineating higher-grade zones within a potential bulk-tonnage, open-pit gold system.
Adit Zone Highlights
The Adit Zone is a priority gold-bearing corridor associated with a major structural contact between the medium-grained Chicken Mountain and coarse-grained Alpha Bowl monzonites. Building on the 2025 discovery intersection of 4.05 g/t Au over 30.48 m in CMR25-121 (see news release dated December 22, 2025)3, the 2026 program is delineating mineralization along this contact and toward Alpha Bowl.
Adit Main
New 2026 RC drilling continues to intersect broad, near-surface gold mineralization with locally substantial higher-grade intervals:
- CMR26-160: 0.90 g/t Au over 73.15 m from surface, including 2.14 g/t Au over 21.34 m and 6.97 g/t Au over 4.57 m.
- CMR26-161: 0.70 g/t Au over 45.72 m from surface, including 1.14 g/t Au over 16.76 m, plus a separate deeper interval of 0.69 g/t Au over 15.24 m, including 4.95 g/t Au over 1.52 m. Drilled at a steeper angle from the same collar as CMR26-160, this hole helps constrain mineralization geometry.
- CMR26-162: 1.06 g/t Au over 19.81 m, including 1.71 g/t Au over 10.67 m, followed by a separate interval of 0.64 g/t Au over 33.53 m, extending to the end of the hole.
- CMR26-163: 1.52 g/t Au over 42.67 m, including 27.35 g/t Au over 1.52 m and 3.84 g/t Au over the final 13.72 m of the hole.
- CMR26-171: 0.66 g/t Au over 35.05 m, including 1.00 g/t Au over 18.29 m and 1.63 g/t Au over 9.14 m, with mineralization extending to the end of the hole.
These results further support the Chicken Mountain-Alpha Bowl intrusive contact as a priority exploration target, with broad mineralized intervals and localized higher-grade concentrations suggesting structural and lithological controls on gold distribution. Notably, CMR26-162, CMR26-163 and CMR26-171 all ended in mineralization, including CMR26-163, which returned 3.84 g/t Au over its final 13.72 m, leaving the extent of these intersections unresolved (Figures 5 and 6).
The combination of near-surface mineralization, higher-grade internal intervals and multiple drill holes ending in mineralization supports Adit Main as a target for delineating bulk-tonnage gold mineralization with higher-grade domains. Follow-up drilling will establish continuity along the intrusive contact, extend mineralization beyond current drill limits and evaluate the potential for near-surface higher-grade zones that could contribute to future starter-pit evaluation.
Gold-Bearing Breccia Expands Exploration Targets
Diamond hole CMD26-054 intersected 0.73 g/t Au over 43.50 m, including 1.22 g/t Au over 15.00 m, within a multi-stage hydrothermal breccia interpreted to have formed through repeated episodes of faulting, brecciation and veining. The hydrothermal intersection in drill core shows multistage faulting with veins and brecciation and later carbonate and iron staining (see Figures 7 to 11).
Within Chicken Mountain’s interpreted reduced intrusion-related gold system (“RIRGS”), areas where intrusive contacts, faulting and hydrothermal brecciation coincide create additional targeting opportunities. Such sites may have provided localized pathways for gold-bearing fluids and could host mineralized bodies with different geometries from the surrounding sheeted-veinlet arrays.
Tectonic drilled follow-up holes at 100 m spacing to test the breccia’s extent, its relationship to neighbouring mineralization and whether repeated brecciation and veining are associated with gold enrichment. If demonstrated, these relationships could improve targeting of additional mineralized volume and local higher-grade zones along the Adit corridor. Assays are currently pending for CMD26-064 and CMD26-066.
The recognition of this hydrothermal breccia-hosted mineralization is significant because it suggests that mineralizing fluids were active within the system for a prolonged period and capable of multiple mineralizing events. This newly recognized style of mineralization adds an important development to the geologic and mineral model and expands the Company’s exploration potential.
Adit West
The Adit Zone structural contact is interpreted to extend westward along a corridor of coincident soil-geochemical and geophysical anomalies, defining a priority exploration target. Anomalous gold was intersected in seven of eleven holes, and this target remains insufficiently tested. Follow-up drilling from more favourably positioned drill pads will test the continuity and mineralization potential along the Adit West trend.
Drill results for the Adit Zone are shown in Figures 5 and 6.
Near-Term Catalysts
Drilling is expected to continue through the end of the field season in late October, supporting a steady flow of assay results through year-end. The assay pipeline is substantial, with 114 additional drill holes currently in the laboratory queue representing 22,000 m of the 2026 drill program.
Results from the regional soil-sampling program are also pending and will help refine and prioritize exploration targets beyond the current drilled footprint at Flat.
Drilling results and pending column-leach testing will inform the Company’s maiden MRE targeted for Q1 2027, and the PEA targeted for Q2 2027.
Qualified Person
Tectonic Metals’ disclosure of technical or scientific information in this press release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Peter Kleespies, M.Sc., P.Geo., Chief Geological Officer, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101.
Analytical work for the 2026 Flat project drilling program was performed by ALS Global (“ALS”), an internationally recognized and accredited laboratory independent of Tectonic. On-site, core and reverse circulation samples were sealed in security-tagged bags and shipped under strict chain-of-custody protocols to the Lynden Transport logistics operator in Anchorage, Alaska, for delivery to ALS facilities in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Upon arrival at the laboratory, samples were dried, crushed to 2 mm and riffle split into nominal 500-gram subsample aliquots (prep codes CRU-31, SPL-32a). One portion was analyzed for gold using PhotonAssay™ (ALS code Au-PA01). PhotonAssay™ uses high-energy X-rays to determine gold content from a large sample aliquot, typically 500 g of crushed material. The method is non-destructive and is particularly suited to gold systems where larger sample aliquots may improve representativity. If additional nominal 500-gram PhotonAssayTM analysis splits are conducted for a given sample, results from all splits are combined on a weight average basis. A second portion was pulverized such that 85% of the sample passed 75 µm, (PUL-31) and was analyzed by four-acid digestion with ICP-MS finish for 48 elements (ME-MS61), along with aqua regia digestion with ICP-MS finish for trace levels of mercury (Hg-MS42).
Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) protocols included the insertion of certified reference material every 20 samples, blank samples at rate of every 25 samples and field duplicate samples (split from the original 1.5 m for RC or 1.5 m for core intervals) every 25 samples. All QA/QC results returned values within acceptable limits.
About Tectonic Metals Inc.
Tectonic Metals Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on exploring and developing its flagship Flat Gold Project in southwestern Alaska, covering 99,840 acres of predominantly Native-owned land belonging to Doyon, Ltd., a leading Alaska Native Regional Corporation and one of Tectonic’s largest shareholders. The current focus is on advancing the Chicken Mountain target, one of six multi-kilometre-scale intrusion zones at the Flat Gold Project, towards the Company’s maiden Mineral Resource Estimate in Q1 2027.
Founded by key members of the Kaminak Gold team behind the discovery and advancement of the Coffee Gold Project, which was acquired by Goldcorp for $520 million in 2016, Tectonic brings a proven track record in exploration, project advancement, capital markets and value creation. Collectively, the team has helped identify more than 40 million ounces of gold, advanced 20 projects through to feasibility, permitted 25 projects, completed over $6 billion in mergers and acquisitions and raised more than $6 billion in capital.
Tectonic’s mission is to be a shift in the game: working for our shareholders and the communities where we operate, putting people first, playing big and staying true to our word every step of the way.
On behalf of Tectonic Metals Inc.,
Tony Reda, President and Chief Executive Officer
For further information about Tectonic Metals Inc. or this news release, please visit our website at www.tectonicmetals.com or contact:
Keren Yun, Vice President, Investor Relations
1-888-685-8558 or [email protected]
