FinEx Metals Granted Exploration License For Kero Project in Finland, Adding District-Scale Gold Upside Near Kittilä and Ikkari Deposits
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FinEx Metals Granted Exploration License For Kero Project in Finland,
Adding District-Scale Gold Upside Near Kittilä and Ikkari Deposits
Vancouver, British Columbia, February 5, 2026: FinEx Metals Ltd. (TSX-V: FINX) ("FinEx" or
the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has been granted the Kero mineral exploration
license by the Finnish Mining Authority (“TUKES”). The 100%-owned Kero gold project is located
in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt (“CLGB”) of northern Finland, approximately 15 km
southeast of Agnico Eagle’s Kittilä gold mine, Europe’s largest primary gold operation and
approximately 20 km northwest of Rupert Resources’ multi-million-ounce Ikkari discovery (Figure
2)1.
Highlights:
• Strategic Location: Kero is a 100%-owned, royalty-free orogenic gold prospect within the
Paleoproterozoic CLGB, the same belt that hosts Agnico Eagle’s Kittilä gold mine and
Rupert Resources’ Ikkari discovery, two of Europe’s most significant gold deposits.
• Gold Endowment: Historical drilling and trenching completed by the Geological Survey
of Finland (“GTK”) outlined multiple gold-bearing zones, including drill intercepts up to 9.05
m grading 1.95 g/t Au (including 12.6 g/t Au over 1.05 m ) and 2.3 g/t Au over 3.3 m and
1.1 g/t Au + 1.34 g/t Pd + 0.37 g/t Pt over 1 m. Continuous channel sampling returned 6.2
m grading 7.5 g/t Au, including 1 m grading 16.4 g/t Au and 1 m grading 25.6 g/t Au.
• District-Scale Gold System: Gold-bearing trends extend for more than one km along
strike, with multiple high-grade surface targets untested by drilling and gold mineralization
associated with shear and fault zones, hydrothermal alteration (carbonate, sericite,
chlorite and albite) and iron- formation host rocks , features generally consistent with
orogenic gold systems.
• Drill-Ready with Modern Exploration Upside: Historical work has defined multiple areas
for drill testing and highlighted the potential for structural and geophysical re-interpretation
with a clear path for drilling in the second half of 2026.
Tero Kosonen, President and CEO, states: “The Kero license grant is an important step as we
continue building a strategic portfolio of 100% -owned, royalty -free gold projects in northern
Finland. Kero adds an additional highly prospective gold system in the Central Lapland
Greenstone Belt, with gold mineralization confirmed in drilling and channel sampling. Our priority
is re-interpretation, target ranking and a disciplined, phased exploration program to unlock the
project’s potential.”
Kero Exploration License:
The Kero exploration license provides FinEx with the right to advance a highly prospective, under-
tested orogenic gold system. The project benefits from extensive historical work completed by the
GTK, including geophysical surveys (magnetics, EM, IP, SP, gravity, VLF -R and AMT), till and
bedrock geochemi cal sampling, trenching, heavy mineral studies and approximately 8 km of
diamond drilling. Despite this foundation, Kero has not been systematically advanced by a modern
exploration company with a gold-focused discovery strategy. FinEx is in the process of compiling
and verifying the historical GTK datasets as a basis for planning modern, gold-focused exploration
programs at Kero.
2
Figure 1: Location map of FinEx Metals’ 100% -owned gold, nickel and PGE projects including the Kero
gold project.
Project Overview:
The Kero p roject is located within the CLGB and lies along the northern continuation of the
Porkonen iron formation, within a structurally complex corridor characterized by folding, shearing
and multiple deformation events. Kero is underlain by Paleoproterozoic volcanic and sedimentary
rocks, including mafic volcanics, graphite -bearing tuffs, cherts and iron formation- related
lithologies (Figure 2). Host rocks at Kero are comparable to those at the Kittilä mine, while the
structural setting shows similarities to the deformation and fluid pathways interpreted at Ikkari.
The Kero project benefits from strong geological and structural analogues within some of Europe’s
major gold discoveries1.
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Figure 2. Geological and structural setting of the Kero gold project. Kittilä (Agnico Eagle), Ikkari (Rupert
Resources) and Ruoppa (FinEx Metals) gold projects shown for reference 1. Map includes mineral
occurrence data from the Geological Survey of Finland.
The area w as studied by the GTK between 2002 and 2009 when it conducted geophysical
surveys, till and bedrock sampling, heavy mineral surveys, trenching and shallow drilling with the
goal of encouraging exploration and development in the region. Exploration results from the Kero
gold project area demonstrate a broad and relatively coherent gold anomaly identified both at
surface and at depth. Heavy mineral sampling identified abundant locally-derived gold grains and
elevated gold values consistent with a proximal bedrock source. Gold mineralization is reportedly
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hosted by quartz -carbonate veins associated with chert layers interbedded with metavolcanic
rocks and graphitic tuffs which have undergone extensive carbonate , potassic and albite
alteration. The GTK identified an intermittent 1.2-km-long gold mineralized zone, the best
intercept from historical drilling being 9.05 m grading 1.95 g/t Au from 142.5 m down hole
(including 1.05 m grading 12.6 g/t Au). Drilling and channel sampling (best interval: 6.2 m grading
7.5 g/t Au, including 1 m grading 16.4 g/t Au and 1 m grading 25.6 g/t Au) suggest that Kero has
potential for high-grade gold lodes (Figure 3). Gold is consistently associated with key pathfinder
elements including arsenic, bismuth and tellurium, highlighting the fertility of the system. Historical
drilling has only tested very shallow depths (average depth of holes being 80 m). The hole with
the reported highest grade gold intercept is from one of the deepest holes adjacent to a VTEM
geophysical anomaly with deep roots, providing support to FinEx’s thesis that higher grade gold
lodes can potentially be identified at depth.
Figure 3. Kero Project area map with select historic GTK drill intervals and channel samples highlighted.
Map includes data from the Geological Survey of Finland and from TUKES.
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Historical exploration demonstrates that Kero hosts extensive hydrothermal alteration and multi-
element geochemical anomalies (Au, As, Sb, Te, Zn, Mn), coincident with interpreted structural
zones and gold mineralization. These features are considered highly favourable for the
concentration of gold in structurally-controlled systems.
Exploration Potential and Next Steps
Historical reports note that gold is associated with sulfide- rich quartz –carbonate veins and
mineralization remains open along strike and at depth. Importantly, the GTK recommended
additional diamond drilling, to expand on shallow drilling to properly evaluate the continuity,
geometry and scale of the gold-bearing zones.
FinEx believes that the Kero project offers substantial exploration potential through:
• Re-interpretation of historical geophysical and structural data using modern techniques
and a new understanding gained from other deposits in the district;
• Systematic till and bedrock sampling of the southern part of the project area which hosts
favourable geology and remains untested;
• Systematic drill testing of high-grade surface targets that remain undrilled;
• Targeting of structural intersections and favourable iron- formation horizons identified in
historical mapping and geophysical datasets; and
• Targeted drilling of deep conductive zones identified in historical VTEM surveys.
The Company is currently reviewing the extensive historical dataset and plans to outline a 2026
phased exploration program at Kero , including target prioritization and planning of an initial
diamond drill program in the second half of 2026.
About FinEx Metals Ltd.
FinEx Metals Ltd. (TSX-V: FINX) is a gold, nickel and PGE-focused mineral exploration company
advancing a portfolio of 100% -owned, royalty -free projects in northern Finland, strategically
located in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt and Eastern Lapland Greenstone Belt. FinEx’s
projects are near existing mining operations and benefit from strong infrastructure, a stable
jurisdiction, and a proven exploration model, supporting multiple targets with clear discovery
potential in one of Europe’s most prospective and underexplored regions. For more information,
please visit the Company’s website at www.finexmetals.net.
FinEx Metals is part of the NewQuest Capital Group, a discovery -driven investment group that
builds value through the incubation and financing of mineral projects and companies. Further
information about NewQuest can be found on the company website at www.nqcapitalgroup.com.
References:
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. (n.d.). Kittilä Mine. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. Retrieved February 2, 2026,
from: https://www.agnicoeagle.com/English/operations-and-projects/global-operations-and-development-
projects/kittila/default.aspx
Hulkki, H., Salmirinne, H., Karinen, T., Nykänen, V. and Sarala P., 2010. The Petäjäselkä Gold Project.
Geological Survey of Finland Report M19/3721/2010/62, 46 pp.
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Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and
approved by Dr. Petri Peltonen, MAusIMM(CP), EurGeol, a Qualified Person (“QP”) as defined in
National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Pro jects. Dr. Peltonen is not
independent by reason of being a Contractor and Shareholder of the Company. The historical
exploration data referenced in this release were generated by GTK and have not yet been
independently verified by FinEx Metals; such data should not be relied upon as current and do
not conform to the requirements of NI 43 -101 for mineral re source or reserve estimation. The
Company’s planned work programs include data verification and confirmatory sampling to support
future NI 43-101 compliant disclosure.
1 The proximity and geologic similarities between these nearby properties and the Kero project does not
mean that equivalent results will be obtained on the Kero property.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Tero Kosonen
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
+1 (604) 681-9100
For further information, please contact:
Brennan Zerb
Investor Relations Manager
+1 (778) 867-5016
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