Midnight Sun Initiates Phase Two Exploration Program at Dumbwa Phase Two builds on Phase One, launching a highly targeted approach to expand the Dumbwa mineralized system
Midnight Sun Initiates Phase Two Exploration Program at
Dumbwa
Phase Two builds on Phase One, launching a highly targeted approach to
expand the Dumbwa mineralized system
Vancouver, British Columbia, September 2, 2026 – Midnight Sun Mining Corp. (TSXV: MMA
/ OTCQX: MDNGF) (“Midnight Sun” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the
commencement of its Phase Two exploration program at the Company’s wholly -owned
Dumbwa copper deposit in Zambia.
Phase Two represents the transition from the successful systematic evaluation of the
Dumbwa mineralized corridor undertaken during Phase One, to a highly targeted
exploration strategy designed to identify and expand higher -grade zones of copper
mineralization, extend known mineralization laterally and along strike, and test newly
identified prospective structures outside the currently defined corridor.
The Phase Two program will integrate high -resolution ground magnetics, dipole -dipole
induced polarization geophysics (“IP”), soil geochemistry, and diamond drilling.
Kevin Bonel, Midnight Sun’s COO, states: “Phase One has given us the tools and geological
understanding to test Dumbwa at a level of precision that simply wasn’t possible when the
program began. The program was designed to rapidly and systematically establish the scale
and geological architecture of Dumbwa. After nearly 75,000 metres of drilling, we have built
a dataset that is fundamentally underpinning exploration going forward. We are seeing
distinct zones of enhanced copper mineralization along the main corridor, including areas of
higher grade, and our new magnetic survey is identifying positive geological signatures
beyond the areas we have previously tested. This gives us the ability to transition from our
Phase One systematic drilling program to a much more highly targeted exploration
approach.
Phase Two applies the geological understanding gained in Phase One to sharpen our
targeting and focus on the most prospective parts of the Dumbwa system. That means
expanding known mineralization, testing the northern extent of the main mineralized
corridor, exploring the potential for higher -grade zones and, importantly, determining
whether the structures we are identifying east and west of Dumbwa represent additional
mineralized corridors.”
Phase One drilling remains underway and is expected to be completed by the end of Q3
2026. Applying this new targeted approach, drilling has shifted to the northern block, where
wider step -outs are designed to rapidly identify additional zones of higher -grade copper
mineralization throughout the initial 11.5 km Dumbwa corridor.
The systematic nature of Phase One has generated an extensive geological, geochemical and
geophysical dataset across the tested portion of the Dumbwa system. Drilling has defined
distinct blocks of enhanced copper mineralization along the north-south corridor, including
several higher-grade domains within the broader mineralized system.
Phase Two intends to leverage this growing dataset to focus drilling on the highest -priority
targets, both within the Dumbwa mineralized corridor and along prospective structures to
the east and west. The Company will also extend selected existing drill fences beyond the
presently tested east-west limits of known mineralization.
Phase One – Testing Dumbwa and Building the Dataset
Midnight Sun commenced Phase One exploration at Dumbwa on August 6th, 2025, with the
objective of methodically and systematically testing the Dumbwa mineralized corridor to
establish the geological and structural framework necessary to guide subsequent
exploration.
The Phase One program included IP and ground magnetic geophysics , along with
geochemical soil sampling, and extensive diamond drilling along the initial 11.5 km of the
approximately 20 km Dumbwa copper-in-soil anomaly.
Drilling to date has employed a systematic fence-drilling approach, with drill holes generally
spaced at approximately 50 m intervals across the main copper -in-soil anomaly and drill
fences spaced from 100 m to 200 m apart along the north-south strike.
Drilling began at the southern property boundary and has progressively advanced
northward.
• To date, the Company has developed and integrated an extensive exploration dataset
that includes IP geophysical coverage along the initial 11.5 km of the Dumbwa system;
• Geochemical soil sampling designed, in part, to supplement and correlate with
historical geochemical datasets
• Initial high resolution ground magnetics to identify new drill targets both east and
west of the main Dumbwa mineralized corridor
This systematic approach has provided the Company with much greater geological
resolution across Dumbwa and has demonstrated that copper mineralization is not
distributed uniformly throughout the main mineralized corridor. Rather, a pattern of grade
zonation has emerged along strike, so far defining four areas of more intense copper
mineralization within the broader system. These higher -grade areas, combined with the
geological, structural, geophysical and geochemical information generated during Phase
One, provides the foundation for the Company's Phase Two targeting strategy.
Phase Two - From Systematic Evaluation to Targeted Exploration
Phase Two is designed to build upon the geological framework established during Phase One
and pursue two principal exploration objectives:
1 - Expand the Dumbwa mineralized system northward through the identification of best
targets and testing the continuity of the main mineralized corridor; and
2 - Identify opportunities to expand higher -grade copper mineralization, both within the
previously drilled portions of the main Dumbwa mineralized corridor and in potential
satellite mineralized targets to the east and west.
The program will combine four complementary exploration tools: high -resolution ground
magnetics and IP geophysics, soil geochemistry , and targeted diamond drilling. The
integration of these exploration datasets is designed to sharpen the Company’s
understanding of Dumbwa and effectively identify and test the most compelling targets for
drilling.
High-Resolution Ground Magnetic Survey
An extensive high-resolution ground magnetic survey is underway at Dumbwa and has
become an important component of the Company's Phase Two targeting strategy.
Historical airborne magnetic data collected in 1997 identified a north -south trending
magnetic unit associated with the central portion of the Dumbwa mineralized corridor.
Subsequent drilling has demonstrated a relationship between this geophysical feature, the
geological and structural architecture at Dumbwa, and known copper mineralization.
To improve the understanding of this relationship and establish correlation with known
results, Midnight Sun completed an initial high -resolution ground magnetic survey over an
area of Dumbwa, approximately 2.5 km by 2.7 km, which had already been drilled.
Data was collected along north -south survey lines spaced 100 m apart, with east -west tie
lines spaced at 250 m intervals. This initial survey successfully identified the ‘fingerprint’ of
high-grade copper mineralization; distinct magnetic signatures associated with areas of drill-
confirmed copper mineralization. Importantly, similar magnetic signatures have also been
identified outside the currently known Dumbwa mineralized corridor in areas that have not
yet been drill tested.
Based on these results, Midnight Sun is expanding the high-resolution magnetic survey north
and south to cover the full ~20 km extent of the Dumbwa copper-in-soil anomaly.
The expanded survey has three main objectives:
• Refine the geological and structural interpretation of the known Dumbwa mineralized
corridor;
• Identify additional prospective zones along parallel and sympathetic structural
corridors; and,
• Improve the Company's ability to target potential higher-grade copper mineralization.
Initial Magnetic Survey Results
The initial ground magnetic survey produced several important results. Within the northern
portion of the Central Mineralized Block, the survey identified a distinctive pattern of rapidly
changing magnetic intensity spatially associated with an area that h as returned significant
copper intercepts. The magnetic response is interpreted to reflect variations in the
underlying lithology and structural architecture associated with the geological setting
hosting sulphide-copper mineralization at Dumbwa.
Preliminary interpretation suggests that competent feldspar pegmatites and amphibolites,
which commonly contain greater concentrations of magnetite, may define the margins of
high-strain structural domains. Lower -magnetite schists occurring within these hi gh-strain
domains are to the main host sulphide-copper mineralization.
The higher-resolution magnetic data is also improving the Company's ability to identify late-
stage faulting that may have displaced portions of the Dumbwa mineralized system ,
particularly in the North Central Block . Incorporating these structures into the geological
model is expected to assist with the positioning of future drill collars and improve the
effectiveness of drill testing.
The initial magnetic survey has already generated two new exploration targets, previously
unrecognized and untested, situated ~1.0 to 1.2 km east of the main Dumbwa mineralized
corridor. Both targets display magnetic characteristics like those observed in portions of
Dumbwa associated with higher-grade copper mineralization.
Similar north-south trending magnetic features have also been identified west of the known
Dumbwa corridor and represent additional areas requiring evaluation and testing.
Dipole-Dipole IP Survey
Dipole-dipole IP served an important purpose in Phase One and was employed over the
initial 11.5 km of the Dumbwa system. This information informed the early drill targets which
were successfully drilled. Coupled with magnetic measurements, the IP results have allowed
a detailed understanding of the structural architecture of the Dumbwa mineralized corridor.
As part of Phase Two, Midnight Sun plans to extend the IP survey northward, along the
remainder of the 20 km copper-in-soil anomaly. Approximately 19.1 line-km of additional IP
surveying, at approximately 500 m north-south spacing, is currently underway to aid in Phase
2 drill planning in the search for the northward extension of the Dumba mineralized corridor.
The expanded survey is intended to provide geophysical coverage across areas beyond the
current Phase One footprint and, when integrated with magnetic and geochemical data,
assist in prioritizing targets for upcoming drill testing.
Soil Geochemistry
Phase One included soil sampling across selected portions of the initial 11.5 km Dumbwa
target area. This work was undertaken to bolster the historical soil geochemical dataset and
assist in evaluating the relationship between surface geochemistry and underlying sulphide-
copper mineralization.
Phase Two plans to further strengthen the soil geochemical dataset. The current program is
designed to extend a 100 m by 50 m sampling grid along the interpreted mineralized system
and over magnetic targets west of Dumbwa that show strong similarities to the Dumbwa
mineralized corridor, with ~4,600 samples planned.
Completion of the Phase Two soil sampling program is expected to provide consistent
geochemical coverage across the entirety of the Dumbwa system and will be correlated with
magnetic and IP geophysics to prioritize targets for drilling.
Phase Two Diamond Drilling – From Systematic Drilling to Targeted Exploration
Phase Two diamond drilling will focus on testing the highest -priority targets generated
through the Company’s integrated exploration approach.
While Phase One drilling was designed to systematically establish the geological and
mineralization framework of the Dumbwa corridor, Phase Two drilling will be highly targeted,
integrating the Company’s Phase One exploration dataset, which includes drill data, high-
resolution magnetics, IP, and geochemistry, with the evolving geological and structural
model.
Phase Two drilling will initially focus on four target categories:
• Lateral extensions of known mineralization, including extensions of selected existing
drill fences east and west beyond their currently tested limits;
• New parallel and sympathetic structures, including targets identified by the high -
resolution magnetic survey east and west of the known Dumbwa corridor;
• The northern extension of the Dumbwa system, where geophysical, geochemical and
geological evidence demonstrates the prospective structural corridor continues
beyond the current Phase One drilling footprint; and
• Targeted drilling to define the geometry, continuity and extent of higher-grade copper
domains within the broader mineralized corridor, focusing on areas where drilling
has identified coherent zones of enhanced mineralization.
This represents a shift in the Company’s exploration approach at Dumbwa. Rather than
maintaining uniform drill density across the corridor, drilling will increasingly focus on areas
where multiple datasets support the potential for larger or higher-grade mineralized blocks.
The high-resolution magnetic survey, expanded IP coverage, and soil sampling program will
continue concurrently with the remainder of Phase One drilling but will be completed ahead
of the initiation of Phase Two drilling, allowing the new information to be incorporated into
the targeting model as it becomes available. The Company expects the continuing
integration of drilling, geophysics, geochemistry , and geological interpretation to generate
and refine additional targets throughout the program.
Qualified Person: Darin Labrenz, P.Geo ., a consulting geologist for the Company and
Qualified Person under NI 43 -101, has reviewed and approved the technical data and
contents of this release.
Rose and Co.
Midnight Sun has retained Rose & Company Holdings, LLC to provide investor relations
services, including investor targeting and outreach, non -deal roadshows, and investor
feedback analysis. The mandate runs for an initial term of one year at a fee of US$50,000 per
quarter, payable from cash on hand, with no equity compensation to the firm.
Rose & Company Holdings is based in New York City, operates at arm's length from the
Company, and holds no securities or other interests in Midnight Sun . The agreement is
subject to TSX.V acceptance.
About Midnight Sun
Midnight Sun is rapidly advancing the Solwezi Copper Project, with a focus on our flagship
Dumbwa copper deposit. The Project is located near the town of Solwezi in the heart of the
Zambia–Congo Copperbelt, the world’s second-largest copper-producing region. This prolific
mining district is renowned for hosting multiple major copper deposits, and benefits from
excellent infrastructure, an established mining workforce, and a long history of successful
production.
The Solwezi Copper Project is surrounded by producing copper mines, including the
geologically similar Lumwana mine just west of our project and First Quantum’s Kansanshi
mine - Africa’s largest integrated metallurgical processing facility , approximately six
kilometres east of the company’s property boundary . This highly favourable location
highlights the district-scale potential of Midnight Sun’s land package.
The Dumbwa copper deposit underlays a robust 20 -kilometre copper-in-soil anomaly, and
ongoing drilling has demonstrated strong geological similarities to the nearby Lumwana
mine, underscoring the potential scale of this new copper system.
Led by an experienced geological team with a proven track record of major discoveries in
the Zambia–Congo Copperbelt and globally, Midnight Sun’s goal is to delineate Zambia’s next
generational copper deposit.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF MIDNIGHT SUN MINING CORP.
Al Fabbro
President & CEO
For Further Information Contact:
Adrian O’Brien
VP Business Development and Communications
Tel: +1 604 809 6890
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