NorthWest Reports Results From Three Holes at Its Kwanika Property Highlighted by Near Surface Intercept of 58 Metres of 0.96% Copper and 1.04 G/T Gold (1.92% CuEq) From 94 Metres

12:00 Uhr  |  GlobeNewswire

TORONTO, Dec. 10, 2025 - Northwest Copper Corp. ("NorthWest" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NWST) is pleased to report additional positive drill results from three holes completed as part of its 2025 program at the Company's 100% owned Kwanika project in British Columbia. All three holes delivered strong results, intersecting near-surface mineralization highlighted by an intercept in hole K-25-275 of 58 metres grading 0.96% Cu, 1.04 g/t Au (1.92% copper equivalent¹, "CuEq").

The results from the three holes exceeded expectations within the Pit Zones, expanding on the quality and continuity of higher-grade near-surface mineralization. Importantly, hole K-25-284 extended Pit Zone 10 along strike and down-dip, where mineralization remains open for future growth. All holes returned significant intervals with higher grades at shallow depths, reinforcing the Company's view that a high-grade starter pit can provide a strong economic base in a future preliminary economic assessment ("PEA").

The three drill holes achieved a number of key objectives including:

• K-25-275 intersected the higher-grade gold dominate Pit Zone 10 and returned a significantly wider intercept than expected,
• K-25-277 extended Pit Zone 10 up-dip and confirmed its orientation and continuity,
• K-25-284 extended Pit Zone 10 by 40 metres along strike and down-dip, where it remains open,
• Confirmed the presence of multiple near-surface, high-grade zones of mineralization within the current open pit mineral resource.

Collectively, these results highlight the potential to define and expand the higher-grade domains within the Pit Zone area and continue to support the Company's strategy of prioritizing higher-grade areas within the existing mineral resource to enhance economics of a new PEA.

Paul Olmsted, CEO of NorthWest stated: "Defining higher-grade zones continues to progress exceptionally well and combined with upcoming metallurgical results, is expected to support a higher-quality mineral resource estimate. Results of the first ten holes provides strong validation of our 2025 drill program and its objective of improving our understanding of the higher-grade mineralization within the Central and Pit Zones. These results continue to highlight a clear opportunity to improve project grades by prioritizing higher-grade domains within the existing mineral resource. Together, this work has the potential to underpin a more capital-efficient and economically robust open pit and underground development plan in an updated PEA, improving on the 2023 PEA²."

Drill Hole Highlights:

Geoff Chinn, VP Business Development and Exploration added: "These three holes highlight the pit area, where results have successfully helped define and expand three discrete, structurally controlled higher-grade zones at shallow depths. Defining these zones within the Pit Zone represents a meaningful shift from past modelling practises and should enhance the quality of future mineral resource estimates and any related mine plans. While the stockwork breccia was previously recognized, a higher-grade copper zone to the south and a higher-grade gold zone to the north were not. We are especially pleased with the definition and expansion of Pit Zone 10 and the exploration vectors it provides. Metal zonation also appears similar to what we see at the Central Zone, where high copper-to-gold values transition laterally to high gold-to-copper values across multiple zones. I am increasingly confident we are tracking towards meeting our target guidance as we work towards delivering an updated resource."

Kwanika Exploration Program
On April 10, 2025, NorthWest announced a refined model for its flagship Kwanika project ("Target Model"), highlighting three key higher-grade zones: the Pit, Central and Western Zones. These zones target grades of 1.5% to 2.5% CuEq over combined true thicknesses of 30 to 45 metres, to be assessed against a more selective top-down bulk underground mining method.

The 2025 exploration program is designed to confirm, define and expand on the Company's understanding of higher-grade copper-gold mineralization within the near surface and underground portions of the current mineral resources. The objective of the program is to improve understanding of near-surface mineralization while also testing alternative underground bulk mining methods. Early results from the first ten holes, including holes K-25-275, K-25-277 and K-25-284, indicate meaningful progress toward these objectives.

Hole locations for the program are presented in Figure 1 below. Figure 2 and Figure 3 illustrate cross sections of the position and context of holes K-25-275, K-25-277 and K-25-284 relative to the Target Model Pit area. Continuous mineralized intercepts and collar locations are summarized in Table 1 and Table 2.

Figure 1: Plan View of 2025 Program Drill Hole Location

Figure 2: Cross Section of Target Model at K-25-275 and K-25-277 Drill Locations

Figure 3: Cross Section of Target Model at K-25-284 Drill Location

A summary of the geological aspects of each hole is presented below. All holes were drilled with HQ core size and sampled on approximately 2-metre intervals from sawn half core material.

Hole K-25-275: The hole was drilled northwest on 300° azimuth with a -75° dip to a depth of 185 metres. The primary objective of the hole was to infill the high-grade Pit Zone 10 in an area poorly defined by previous drilling.

Before reaching the Pit Zone 10, the hole intersected Pit Zone 5 at low-angles confirming and infilling this zone. The hole returned a near-surface gold dominate interval over 51 metre width (22 metre true width), hosted in a tectonically dismembered quartz-hematite stockwork crosscutting a potassic altered monzonite porphyry.

At 94 meters, the hole intersected a wide copper-gold zone over 58 metres (48 meters true width) correlated to Pit Zone 10 that is hosted in a potassic altered monzonite crosscut by a dismembered quartz stockwork. The intercept was significantly wider than expected, which is attributed to structural thickening in the area where Pit Zone 5 and Pit Zone 10 intersect.

Hole K-25-275 successfully infilled Pit Zone 10 and confirmed its orientation and continuity. The wide high-grade intersection is likely related to structural thickening or stacking in this area. Importantly, this emerging higher-grade zone is shallow and located within historical open pit mineral resources.

Hole K-25-277: The hole was drilled northwest on 300° azimuth at a -60° dip to a depth of 159 metres. The main purpose of the hole was a step-out to test the up-dip extension of Pit Zone 10.

Before reaching Pit Zone 10, the hole intersected Pit Zone 5 at low-angles, confirming and extending this zone by about 10 metres. The hole returned a near-surface gold dominate interval over 41 metres width (27 metre true width), hosted in a tectonically dismembered quartz-hematite stockwork crosscutting a potassic altered monzonite.

At 91 meters, the hole intersected a narrow gold-dominate zone over 9 metres (6 meters true width), correlated to Pit Zone 10 hosted in a potassic altered monzonite crosscut by a brecciated quartz stockwork. This intercept is crosscut by a thick, late dyke higher in the hole.

Hole K-25-277 extended Pit Zone 10 up-dip and confirmed its orientation and continuity. The narrow high-grade intersection was crosscut by a late dyke that is potassic altered but barren of mineralization.

Hole K-25-284: The hole was drilled west on 270° azimuth at a -75° dip to a depth of 176 metres. The main purpose of the hole was to step-out and test the down-dip extensions of Pit Zone 10.

Before reaching Pit Zone 10, the hole intersected a recently defined, copper dominate higher-grade zone located immediately south of Pit Zone 5, hosted in fine grained green propylitic altered dykes containing disseminated sulphides. The intersection returned an interval over 17 metre width (14 metre true width) that represents a 45-metre extension of this zone.

At 52 meters, the hole intersected, at low-angle to the zone, a wide copper-gold zone over 70 metres (31 meters true width) correlated to Pit Zone 5, hosted in tectonized potassic altered monzonite porphyry crosscut by a dismembered quartz stockwork. This near-surface intersection represents a 45-meter expansion of the higher-grade copper-gold zone to the northeast and at depth.

At 126 meters, the hole intersected a copper-gold zone over 18 metres (15 meters true width) correlated to Pit Zone 10, hosted in a fine grained, propylitic altered diorite with irregular and discontinuous quartz-carbonate veining. This intersection expands the zone by 40 meters to the east where it remains open along strike and down-dip.

Hole K-25-284 successfully extended Pit Zone 10 along strike and confirmed its orientation and continuity where it remains open along strike and down-dip.

Table 1: Drill Results in this News Release^{3 4}

Table 2: Drill Collar Information⁵

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Drilling at Kwanika in 2025 was designed and supervised by NorthWest, implemented by InData Geoscience with assay QA/QC checks by Explore Geosolutions. Samples were collected, tracked and an external QA/QC program was implemented using blanks and standards to monitor analytical accuracy and precision. The samples were sealed on site and shipped to Activation Laboratories Ltd. ("Actlabs") in Kamloops BC. The laboratory's internal quality control system complies with global certifications for quality ISO 17025. Drill core samples were analyzed using a combination of Actlabs multi-element 1F2 analysis for low level concentrations (4-Acid Digestion, ICP-OES) and the 8-4 Acid ICP-OES analysis for higher level concentrations (4-Acid Digestion, ICP-OES with automatic over limits for base metals and silver). Gold, platinum and palladium assaying was completed with 1C-OES method, using a 30-gram fire assay with ICP finish analysis. In addition, about 5% of the sample pulps are re-assayed at a secondary laboratory to confirm reproducibility and check for bias.

Technical aspects of this news release have been reviewed, verified, and approved by Geoff Chinn, P.Geo., VP Business Development and Exploration for NorthWest, who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Minerals Projects.

About NorthWest:

NorthWest is a copper-gold exploration and development company with a pipeline of advanced and early-stage projects in British Columbia, including Kwanika-Stardust, Lorraine-Top Cat and East Niv. With a robust portfolio in an established mining jurisdiction, NorthWest is well positioned to participate fully in strengthening global copper and gold markets. We are committed to responsible mineral exploration which involves working collaboratively with First Nations to ensure future development incorporates stewardship best practices and traditional land use. Additional information can be found on the Company's website at www.northwestcopper.ca.

On Behalf of NorthWest
"Paul Olmsted"
CEO, NorthWest Copper

For further information, please contact:
416-457-3333
info@northwestcopper.ca
Neither the TSXV 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 release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to statements with respect to; plans and intentions of the Company; proposed exploration and development of NorthWest's exploration property interests; the Company's ability to finance future operations; mine plans; magnitude or quality of mineral deposits; the development, operational and economic results of current and future potential economic studies; adding the Lorraine resource to the Kwanika-Stardust Project; the Company's goals for 2025; geological interpretations; the estimation of Mineral Resources; anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; future exploration prospects; the completion and timing of technical reports; future growth potential of NorthWest; and future development plans.

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, constitutes forward-looking information. Although NorthWest believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information since NorthWest can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in NorthWest's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking information are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from NorthWest's expectations include risks associated with the business of NorthWest; risks related to reliance on technical information provided by NorthWest; risks related to exploration and potential development of the Company's mineral properties; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies and First Nation groups in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time and additional risks identified in NorthWest's filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.com).

Forward-looking information is based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the information is made. NorthWest does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

¹ CuEq assumes metal prices of $2646/oz gold, $4.34/lbs copper, $29.73/oz silver and 80% recovery for all metals, calculated as follows: [Cu+100*((Au/31.1035*Au Price*80%)/(Cu Price*2204.62*80%)+(Ag/31.1035*Ag Price*80%)/(Cu Price*2204.62*80%))]. The New Afton mine was considered as a comparable deposit and reductions to realized recoveries for New Afton were applied for the purpose of Kwanika recoveries.
² NI 43-101 technical report titled "Kwanika-Stardust Project NI 43-101 Technical Report on Preliminary Economic Assessment" dated February 17, 2023, with an effective date of January 4, 2023, filed under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.com.
³ Estimated true widths based on collar azimuth and dip and the average dip of the mineralized zone
⁴ CuEq assumes consensus metal prices of $2646/oz gold, $4.34/lbs copper, $29.73/oz silver and 80% recovery for all metals, calculated as follows: [Cu+100*((Au/31.1035*Au Price*80%)/(Cu Price*2204.62*80%)+(Ag/31.1035*Ag Price*80%)/(Cu Price*2204.62*80%))]. The New Afton mine was considered as a comparable deposit and reductions to realized recoveries for New Afton were applied for the purpose of Kwanika recoveries.
⁵ Collar coordinates reference UTM Zone 10N NAD83.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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