LAURION Provides Strategic Update for 2026: Advancing Ishkōday Through Disciplined Execution
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LAURION Provides Strategic Update for 2026: Advancing Ishkōday
Through Disciplined Execution
Toronto, Ontario – January 20, 2026 – LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: LME | OTCQB:
LMEFF | FSE: 5YD) (“LAURION” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide an update on its
strategic positioning entering 2026, following a recent strategy session of the Company’s
Board of Directors. LAURION’s primary focus for the year ahead is the advancement and
further development of its flagship Ishkōday Project, with the objective of enhancing the
positioning of the asset to support the Company’s pursuit of strategic alternatives aimed at
maximizing long-term shareholder value.
“Our focus has always been on advancing Ishkōday through disciplined, milestone -driven
execution,” said Cynthia Le Sueur -Aquin, President and CEO of LAURION. “This technical
direction reflects my conviction that LAURION’s strategy is sound, disciplined, and built to
endure. We are no longer relying on the market to infer value — we are building it by
translating technical progress and mineral property advancement into measurable project
value. As the Company’s largest shareholder, with my immediate family a nd I holding over
30 million shares, alignment with this approach matters deeply to me.”
“This clarity regarding LAURION’s strategic plan is intended to ensure that investors
understand how the Company’s disciplined execution today improves outcomes tomorrow,
while avoiding mixed signals between whether the Company is prioritizing a pursuit of
strategic alternatives as compared to the technical advancement and development of
Ishkōday. They are considered concurrent and complementary priorities.”
EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES
As previously announced, LAURION has undertaken a structured strategic review process ,
including the establishment of a special committee (the “ Special Committee ”) and the
engagement of a network of financial and strategic advisors, to explore a range of potential
strategic alternatives for the Company, which includes, among other things, assessing interest
from potential acquirers and institutional investors aligned with LAURION’s long -term vision.
(LAURION press releases dated November 14, 2023, April 14, 2025, September 5, 2025,
October 23, 2025 and November 19, 2025.)
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As part of recent strategic discussions, the Company received feedback from external
advisors regarding the Company’s market positioning, timing, and next steps. These advisors
noted that, while interest in high-quality Canadian gold assets exists, it remains selective. The
most effective way to strengthen future strategic outcomes is through the continued
technical advancement and development of the Ishkōday Project . Specifically, these
advisors recommended that LAURION advance the Project toward the compl etion of a
technical report expressing a mineral resource estimate (MRE), followed by a subsequent
technical report disclosing a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) , each prepared in
accordance with National Instrument 43 -101 – St anda rds o f Dis clos ure fo r Min eral Proj e ct s
(“NI 43 -101”). Therefore, working towards these two technical milestones will be the
Company’s principal focus in 2026.
While LAURION’s M&A infrastructure – comprised of its Special Committee and established
network of financial and strategic advisors – remains in place and the Company continues
to explore and be receptive to strategic opportunities , day-to-day management will
concentrate on advancing the development of the Ishkōday Project through its next stages
of technical reporting. Consistent with the guidance provided by the Company’s advisors,
the advancement of the Ishkōday Project is expected to further enhance the project’s
profile, quantify the merits of the project, and better position LAURION to explore strategic
alternatives designed to maximize shareholder value.
FROM BROAD EXPLORATION TO STRUCTURED VALUE DEFINITION
LAURION has built an extensive geological and exploration dataset across a large,
mineralized corridor at Ishkōday through a series of deliberate, strategically designed work
programs. The Company has developed a structure-led, confidence -building technical
program designed to support mineral resource development.
The Company’s technical focus in 2026 will be on integrating this information to identify and
progressively refine coherent mineralized envelopes within priority structural corridors, using
structurally informed drilling, shoot -fan patterns, and 3D domaining to convert drilling
confidence into robust geological models. Near-term drilling will be designed and executed
within structurally validated zones and along established plunge directions, with each hole
planned to test defined geological hypotheses and contribute directly to model refinement,
continuity assessment, and confidence building. This disciplined approach emphasizes data
quality and geological consistency, with the objective of ensuring that technical
advancement is systematic, defensible, and aligned with NI 43-101. In the Company’s view,
by prioritizing technical integrity, LAURION can support near-term target generation and
foster future resource growth and value recognition, as this is how the Company intends to
increase the underlying value of the project in a manner consistent with how value is
traditionally assessed and realized in the mining industry.
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LAURION TO ATTEND VRIC 2026
LAURION will be attending the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference (VRIC) 2026 , to
be held in Vancouver, British Columbia , on January 25 -26, 2026 . Management will be
available during the conference to engage with investors and industry participants and to
discuss the Company’s ongoing work at the Ishkōday Gold-Polymetallic Project, its disciplined
technical approach, and its 2026 execution prioriti es. Participation in VRIC supports
LAURION’s commitment to transparent investor engagement and clear commun ication
aligned with its milestone-driven strategy.
Qualified Person
The technical contents of this release were reviewed and approved by Pierre -Jean Lafleur,
P.Eng, a consultant to LAURION and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.
About LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc.
LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc. is a mid-stage junior mineral exploration company listed on
the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol LME and on the OTC Pink market under the
symbol LMEFF. The Company currently has 278,716,413 common shares outstanding, w ith
approximately 73.6% held by insiders and long-term “Friends and Family” investors, reflecting
strong alignment between management, the Board, and shareholders.
LAURION’s primary focus is the 100% -owned, district-scale Ishkōday Project, a 57 km² land
package hosting gold-rich polymetallic mineralization. The Company is advancing Ishkōday
through a disciplined, milestone -driven exploration strategy focused on stren gthening
geological confidence, defining structural continuity.
LAURION’s strategy is centered on deliberate value creation. The Company is prioritizing
systematic technical advancement, integrated geological and structural modeling, and the
evaluation of optional, non -dilutive pathways, including historical surface st ockpile
processing, that may support flexibility without diverting focus from core exploration
objectives.
The Company’s overarching objective is to build project value before monetization, ensuring
that any future strategic outcomes are supported by technical clarity, reduced execution
risk, and demonstrated scale. While the Board remains attentive to strategic interest that may
arise, LAURION is not driven by transaction timing. Instead, the Company is focused on
advancing the Ishkōday Project in a manner that strengthens long-term shareholder value.
LAURION will continue to communicate progress through timely disclosure and will issue press
releases in accordance with applicable securities laws should any material change occur.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc.
Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin – President and CEO
Tel: 1-705-788-9186 Fax: 1-705-805-9256
Douglas Vass - Investor Relations Consultant
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.LAURION.ca
Follow us on: X (@LAURION_LME), Instagram (laurionmineral) and LinkedIn
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-le-sueur-aquin-laurion-lme-04b03017/)
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains forward -looking statements, which reflect the Company’s current expectations
regarding future events including with respect to LAURION's business, operations and condition, management's
objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions, the Company’s ability to advance the Ishkōday Project, the nature,
focus, timing and potential results of the Company ’s exploration, drilling and prospecting activities in 202 6 and
beyond, including the Company’s planned activities for the Ishkōday Project for the remainder of 2026, the timing
of, and the Company’s ability to complete , any technical reports or milestones regarding the Ishkōday Project,
and the statements regarding the Company’s exploration or consideration of any possible strategic alternatives
and transactional opportunities, as well as the potential outcome(s) of this process, the possible impact of any
potential transactions referenced or inferred herein on the Company or any of its stakeholders, and the ability of
the Company to identify and complete any potential acquisitions, mergers, financings or other transactions
referenced or inferred herein, and the timing of any such transactions. The forward -looking statements inv olve
risks and uncertainties. Actual events and future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
such forward -l o o k i n g s ta t e m e n ts co u l d d i ffe r m a te ri a l l y fro m th o s e p ro j e c te d h e r e i n i n cl u d i n g a s a r e s u l t o f a
change in the trading price of the common shares of LAURION, the TSX Venture Exchange or any other applicable
regulator not providing its approval for any strategic alternatives or transactional opportunities, the interpretation
and actual results of current exploration activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined,
future prices of gold and/or other metals, possible variations in grade or recovery rates, failure of equipment or
processes to operate as anticipated, the failure of contracted parties to perform, labor disputes and other risks of
the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration,
as well as those factors disclosed in the Company’s publicly filed documents. Investors should consult th e
Company’s ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the
Company’s public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-
looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable
law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward -looking statements. All sample values are
from grab samples and channel samples, which by their nature, are not necessarily representative of overall
grades of mineralized areas. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on the assay values reported in
this press release.
NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICE PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE
POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE
CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.