Contango Silver & Gold Intersects 2.45 Meters Grading 86.05 g/t Gold at Lucky Shot and Additional KM-Style Mineralization in West Drift Extension
Contango Silver & Gold Intersects 2.45 Meters
Grading 86.05 g/t Gold at Lucky Shot and
Additional KM-Style Mineralization in West
Drift Extension
Fairbanks, Alaska--(Newsfile Corp. - September 2, 2026) - Contango Silver and Gold Inc. (NYSE
American: CTGO) (TSX: CTGO) ("Contango" or the "Company") is pleased to announce initial gold
assay results from the 2026 surface diamond drilling program at the Lucky Shot Project in Alaska,
provide an update on underground exploration development, and report two previously unmodeled KM-
style mineralized vein structures encountered during development of the West Drift Extension.
Highlights
LSS26016 returned
2.45
meters
grading
86.05
grams per tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au"), including
0.80
meters
grading
244.30 g/t Au
and
0.30 meters
grading
49.96 g/t Au
, from the Coleman 3 vein
extension.
LSS26003 returned
0.50 meters
grading
81.57 g/t Au
from the Coleman 1 Vein.
Five of the seven holes reported visible gold.
Pad C drilling returned multiple mineralized intervals and provided additional data supporting the
interpreted down-dip continuation of Coleman veins toward the Lucky Shot Fault.
Approximately 5,700 meters in 27 drill holes have been completed from five surface drill pads,
representing approximately 93% of the planned 6,000-meter program.
Underground exploration development has advanced 332 meters of a planned 830 meters, or
approximately 40%, and the West Drift Extension has been completed to design.
Development of the West Drift Extension encountered two previously unmodeled KM-style
mineralized vein structures, tentatively designated KM2 and KM3. Sample from stockpile ran up to
395.10 g/t Au (reported in Table 2).
Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, the Company's Chief Executive Officer said, "These initial surface drill results
validate our systematic approach to defining the Coleman vein geometry, even as our underground
crews push forward on developing the access needed for our next underground drilling phase. Hitting 2.5
meters of nearly 3 ounce per tonne high-grade gold in LSS26016-along with multiple mineralized
intercepts from Pad C-adds critical data that sharpens our geologic model. Furthermore, extending the
West Drift and intercepting additional high-grade KM-style vein structures gives us immediate, high-
priority targets that we can now drill efficiently from underground."
Figure 1. Helicopter-supported diamond core drill operating from Coleman Pad D on Lucky Shot
Ridge.
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2026 Lucky Shot Surface Drill Program
The 2026 Lucky Shot surface diamond drilling program commenced on June 22, 2026 and is planned to
total approximately 6,000 meters. As of August 27, 2026, the Company had completed approximately
5,700 meters in 27 drill holes from five drill pads (Figures 1, 2). The program is designed to infill portions
of the Coleman area within the current geological and mineral resource model and to complete step-out
drilling that tests the interpreted structural relationship between the Coleman and Lucky Shot vein
systems.
This release reports the first assay batch from seven holes drilled from Coleman Pads C and D. Six
holes returned the selected significant intervals reported in Table 1; LSS26015 is identified as having no
significant interval selected for reporting. Assays from the balance of the program remain pending and
will be released as they are received, reviewed and validated.
Figure 2. Plan view of the 2026 Coleman surface drill program showing drill-pad and drill-hole
locations and drilling status as of August 27, 2026. Completed holes are shown in green, the
hole in progress in orange, and holes not started in red.
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Initial Surface Drill Results
Table 1 summarizes selected significant mineralized intervals from the first batch of assays. All interval
lengths are downhole core lengths. True widths are not yet known and may be materially different from
the reported interval lengths.
Coleman Pad C
Drilling from Pad C tested the lower, down-dip portions of the northeastern Coleman vein system closest
to the Lucky Shot Fault. The drilling provided additional control on the near-surface location of the fault
and improved the projection of the Lucky Shot Fault intercepts identified during the initial phase of
underground drilling. Results support the interpreted down-dip continuation of Coleman veins 1, 3 and 4
toward the fault and identified additional mineralized splays adjacent to the fault (Figure 3).
Selected Pad C results include 0.50 meters grading 81.57 g/t Au in LSS26003; 0.37 meters grading
8.30 g/t Au, 0.39 meters grading 6.15 g/t Au and 0.51 meters grading 5.82 g/t Au in LSS26002; and
multiple intervals in LSS26004, including 1.26 meters grading 3.73 g/t Au, 2.08 meters grading 2.39 g/t
Au, including 0.30 meters grading 14.72 g/t Au, and 1.32 meters grading 2.54 g/t Au, including 0.31
meters grading 7.64 g/t Au.
Table 1. Selected significant surface drill assay results - Coleman Pads C and D
Drill Station
Hole ID
From (m)
To (m)
Length (m)
Au (g/t)
Vein
Visible Gold
Observed*
CLMN - C
LSS26002
160.40
160.77
0.37
8.30
Splay of LS Fault
YES
186.91
187.30
0.39
6.15
CLMN 3
YES
197.46
197.97
0.51
5.82
CLMN 3 or 4
YES
LSS26003
202.00
202.50
0.50
81.57
CLMN 1
YES
231.40
231.70
0.30
13.14
Undesignated
LSS26004
180.00
181.26
1.26
3.73
Splay of LS Fault
(includes)
180.00
180.30
0.30
6.41
Splay of LS Fault
194.78
196.86
2.08
2.39
CLMN 3
YES
(includes)
196.56
196.86
0.30
14.72
CLMN 3
YES
208.50
209.82
1.32
2.54
CLMN 3 or 4
(includes)
208.50
208.81
0.31
7.64
CLMN 3 or 4
LSS26005
214.60
215.43
0.83
2.09
CLMN 3 or 4
CLMN - D
LSS26014
177.10
177.70
0.60
2.05
CLMN 1
YES
187.35
187.90
0.55
2.98
CLMN 4
NO
LSS26015
N/S
LSS26016
195.40
197.85
2.45
86.05
CLMN 2
YES
(includes)
195.40
196.20
0.80
244.30
CLMN2
YES
(includes)
197.55
197.85
0.30
49.96
CLMN2
YES
206.53
207.02
0.49
2.62
CLMN 1
Drill Station
Hole ID
From (m)
To (m)
Length (m)
Au (g/t)
Vein
Visible Gold
Observed*
Notes: All reported intervals are downhole core lengths; true widths are not yet known and may be materially different. Composite intervals are
reported as length-weighted averages. N/S means no significant interval selected for reporting. Selected intervals are those interpreted to
represent targeted or newly recognized mineralized vein structures and are included because they are relevant to the current geological
interpretation. *Visible-gold observations are qualitative observations made during core logging. They do not necessarily indicate higher gold
grades, mineral continuity, metallurgical performance or economic significance. Gold assays are the only quantitative measure of gold content.
Blank entries indicate no visible gold was observed.
Figure 3. Inclined section through Coleman Pad C looking east, showing reported Au assay
results, the current and projected vein interpretation, and the updated interpretation of the
Lucky Shot Fault.
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Coleman Pad D
Drilling from Pad D targets the central Coleman vein system to improve resolution of the multiple
subparallel veins and associated fault controls. LSS26016 returned 2.45 meters grading 86.05 g/t Au
from the interpreted Coleman 3 extension, including 0.80 meters grading 244.30 g/t Au and 0.30 meters
grading 49.96 g/t Au. The Pad D interpretation also incorporates the newly modeled West Coleman
Fault (Figure 4).
Dave Larimer, CPG, and the Company's Vice President Exploration stated, "The initial Coleman results
materially improve our structural understanding of the system. Pad C drilling provides additional control
on the Coleman veins as they approach the Lucky Shot Fault, while Pad D has confirmed high-grade
mineralization within the interpreted Coleman 3 extension. Underground, the two newly encountered KM-
style structures show that the local vein architecture is more complex than the current model. Our next
step is disciplined follow-up through detailed mapping, systematic sampling and drilling to determine
geometry, continuity and significance."
Figure 4. North-South section through Coleman Pad D looking east, showing reported Au
assay results, the current and vein interpretation
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Figure 5. Oblique view looking north across the Lucky Shot deposit area, showing 2026 surface
drilling, historic, current and planned underground development, and the interpreted principal
vein and fault systems.
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Underground Exploration Development
Underground exploration development continued during the quarter on a two-shift, 24-hour schedule. To
date, 332 meters of the planned 830 meters of lateral development have been completed, representing
approximately 40% of the program. Three headings are being advanced concurrently to optimize the
mining cycle and overall development rate (Figure 6).
The 2090W West Drift Extension has been completed to design and is being prepared for the next
phase of underground drilling. Planned development will continue in the 2070E heading, the Enserch
Tunnel extension and the 2300E heading. Subject to operating conditions and continued progress, the
Company currently expects to complete this phase of underground exploration development during the
middle of the fourth quarter of 2026.
Figure 6. Plan view showing underground exploration development completed to date in red and
planned or in-progress development in blue. The inset photograph shows the 2090W West Drift
Extension during the exploration drift cycle.
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Additional KM-Style Mineralization Encountered in the West Drift Extension
The West Drift Extension was designed to advance approximately 100 meters westward beneath the
previously identified KM Vein with previously reported assays including 5.92 meters @ 60.22 and 0.31
meters @ 99.75 g/t Au in downhole lengths (see Contango's press release dated March 2, 2026). This
exploration advancement will establish short-distance underground drill access to this target zone. Initial
development rounds indicated that the modeled KM Vein projected above the planned development
heading. As the drift continued westward, two previously unmodeled mineralized vein structures were
encountered. The structures have orientations, shearing and mineralization characteristics similar to the
KM Vein with true widths approximately 0.5 meters. These have been tentatively designated KM2 and
KM3 (Figure 7).
It is not yet known whether KM2 and KM3 are separate vein structures or local splays of the KM Vein.
Development muck from the mineralized rounds was segregated into a dedicated stockpile, and
detailed underground mapping identified frequent visible gold within the encountered vein material.
Follow-up mapping, systematic channel sampling and drilling will be required to determine geometry,
continuity, grade distribution and the relationship of these structures to the KM Vein.
Three sampling approaches were used for preliminary characterization: (i) three selectively collected
hand samples of vein-material approximately four kilograms each; (ii) two approximately five-kilogram
samples of the less-than-one-centimeter fines fraction from the segregated stockpile; and (iii) two
approximately five-kilogram composite stockpile samples containing a mixture of vein material, fines
and waste rock. The results are shown in Table 2. Because the samples are selective, limited in number,
and not collected on a systematic channel or bulk-sampling basis, they must not be interpreted as
representative of the grade of the vein structures, development rounds or stockpile.
Figure 7. Plan and cross-sectional views looking north across the West Drift Extension,
showing the interpreted KM-oriented mineralized vein structures encountered during
development. The inset photograph shows approximately 0.46-meter true width of mineralized
material.
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Table 2. Selective underground hand and stockpile sample results - West Drift Extension
Sample ID
Au (g/t)
Sample description
5007904
101.75
Vein-material hand sample
5007905
395.10
Vein-material hand sample
5007906
74.34
Vein-material hand sample
5007907
5.26
Fines from mineralized stockpile
5007908
1.80
Fines from mineralized stockpile
5007909
0.72
Composite stockpile sample
5007910
13.27
Composite stockpile sample
Notes: The hand samples were selectively collected from visually mineralized vein material. The fines and composite stockpile samples were
collected for preliminary characterization of segregated development muck. These samples are not systematic channel samples and are not
representative of the entire vein, development round or stockpile. The results do not establish width, continuity, bulk grade, mineral resources or
mineral reserves.