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EVI.V ·

Eastport Commences Drilling Immediately North of Africa's Largest Known Uranium Deposit

Exploration Programs

Eastport Commences Drilling Immediately

North of Africa's Largest Known Uranium

Deposit

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 9, 2025) - Penbar Capital Ltd., to be

renamed "Eastport Critical Minerals Corp." (TSXV: EVI) ("

Eastport

" or the "

Company

") announces the

launch of Phase 1 Drilling at the Foley Uranium project in Botswana, consistent with the Company's

multi-asset exploration and development campaigns.

Highlights:

Drilling commenced

on 5,000m Foley Uranium Phase 1 RC drilling campaign

Borders the Lotus Resources 114 Mlb Letlhakane Deposit

- one of the world's largest

undeveloped uranium resources (365 Mt @ 307 ppm U

O

)

[

see figure 1

]

First Drilling of the Northern Extension

- Phase 1 RC Drill program to test a continuous 15km+

radiometric anomaly trending directly into Foley.

[

see figure 2

]

Langer Heinrich-Style paleo-channel uranium deposit,

targeting shallow (40-80 m), redox

controlled mineralisation in heap-leach amenable sandstones.

Within less than one month from admission to the TSX-V, the Company has commenced three critical

metals drill programs targeting

Copper

,

Rare Earth Elements

and now

Uranium.

All three programs

are running concurrently, demonstrating the Company's commitment to timely and cost-effective

exploration.

[Figure 1: Foley Location]

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8324/277374_9a713b41e45fca4f_001full.jpg

Rick Bonner, Director & VP Exploration, commented,

"

The best place to look for a deposit is adjacent to an existing one in the same geological terrane.

The mineralised system that hosts the world-class Letlhakane Uranium Deposit has been mapped

trending northward, and our licence sits directly along strike of this increasing focused feature.

"Paleo-channels are ancient riverbeds that act as natural conduits for uranium-enriched groundwater.

When this groundwater encounters reducing conditions within the channel, the uranium precipitates

out of solution, concentrating mineralisation in shallow sandstones.

"Our first drill fence (green drill sites in figure 2 below), immediately north of the Lotus Licence, will

give us crucial information on the geological controls determining direction, depth and grade within

this extensive paleo-channel system

."

[Figure 2: Phase 1 Foley Drill Hole Locations]

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8324/277374_9a713b41e45fca4f_002full.jpg

Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi, CEO, commented,

"Our neighbours to the south, Lotus Resources, have demonstrated the scale and potential of the

Letlhakane Uranium Deposit. Since acquiring the asset in July 2023, Lotus has invested heavily in

drilling, resource upgrades, and scoping studies, confirming Letlhakane as one of the largest uranium

systems globally, with a resource base exceeding 113 million pounds. Letlhakane is one of a portfolio

of assets that establishes Lotus as one of the leading uranium developers in the world.

"With our licence positioned directly along strike of the same mineralised paleo-channel system, we

are confident that our exploration program will demonstrate comparable potential for Foley to host the

northern extension of Letlhakane, creating significant value for our shareholders.

"We are delighted to have commenced our third critical minerals drilling programme, with active

exploration taking place in Matsitama (copper), Semarule (REE) and now Foley (Uranium),

seamlessly and contemporaneously executed within one month of listing."

Foley Project Location

The Foley Uranium Project (PL113/2020) is located approximately 75 km south of Francistown in the

Central District of Botswana, directly abutting the Lotus Resources' licences that hosts their world-scale

Letlhakane Uranium Deposit. Positioned along the proven Karoo palaeo-channel fairway, the project

enjoys excellent infrastructure, including sealed highway access via the A14, close proximity to the

national power grid, abundant groundwater for processing, and ready availability of drilling contractors,

equipment, and skilled labour from nearby mining hubs.

Qualified Person

The information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Liz de Klerk

Pri.Sci.Nat.,FIMM, of Micon International, an Independent Consultant of the Company and a Qualified

Person as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101.

Location Map of Eastport's Projects in Botswana

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8324/277374_9a713b41e45fca4f_003full.jpg

About Eastport

Eastport is a disruptive critical minerals development company advancing five projects in Botswana, with

cumulative historical and current expenditures approaching $20 million. The Company's most advanced

asset is the Matsitama Copper Project, which hosts multiple sizeable targets across the Matsitama

copper district.

The Company's additional projects include Selebi East, a nickel-copper-cobalt project located seven

kilometres east of the historic Selebi Mines; the Semarule Rare Earth Elements Project, positioned

within the Gaborone-Molepolole corridor; the Foley Uranium Project, adjoining the Letlhakane uranium

deposit; and the Keng Project, which targets nickel, copper and PGE's on the northern margin of the

Molopo Farms Complex.

Botswana is widely regarded as one of Africa's strongest mining jurisdictions, combining the continent's

highest GDP per capita with a 50-year track record of large-scale mineral development since the Orapa

diamond discovery in 1967. The country ranks among the top performers globally on the Fraser

Institute's Investment Attractiveness Index and is the highest-rated jurisdiction in Africa on the Policy

Perception Index. These rankings reflect Botswana's stable regulatory environment, consistent rule of

law, and long-standing support for responsible mineral development — factors that have underpinned

significant investment and major M&A activity in the natural resources sector in recent years.

For further information about Eastport, please contact:

Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi

CEO and Director

[email protected]

[email protected]

Investor Relations

KIN Communications Inc.

604-684-6730

[email protected]

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements including but not limited to statements

regarding the Company's business, assets or investments, as well other statements that are not

historical facts. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as

there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will

occur.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and

unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the

predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may

cause actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or

projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the state of the economy in

general and capital markets in particular, investor interest in the business and prospects of the

Company.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news

release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation

to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future

events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities law. Additionally, the Company

undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made, by third parties in

respect of the matters discussed above.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined

in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of

this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit

https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/277374