Sterling Metals Provides Corporate Update
Sterling Metals Provides Corporate Update
May 4, 2026 – Toronto, Ontario – Sterling Metals Corp. (TSXV: SAG, OTCQB: SAGGF) (“Sterling” or the
“Company”) is pleased to provide a corporate update on activities at its Soo Copper Project (“Soo Copper”
or the “ Project”) located off the Trans Canada highway, one hour north of Sault Ste Marie, near
Batchewana Bay, Ontario. The Company is actively advancing a minimum 20,000 metre drill program,
alongside expanded targeting initiatives and operational enhancements, with initial assay results
expected in May 2026.
Highlights:
• Year-Round Drilling Driving Rapid Progress
o The 2026 drill program is progressing well, with approximately 6,200 metres completed
across 9 holes.
o The primary focus of the first half of this drill program has been to expand the boundaries
and provide more definition of the 500m x 400m x 300m MEPS Discovery zone both
laterally and at depth.
o Drilling to date this winter has increased the size and better defined the shape of the
MEPS deposit with additional on-going drilling expected to further increase the size and
continuity of this mineralized body.
o Important early results of this winter program to date have been the confirmation that
the MEPS discovery zone is controlled by a combination of a felsic dyke -sill complex and
intersecting key feeder structures, and that a Cu -Mo mineralized multiphase porp hyry
stock underlies the MEPS Discovery area.
• Expanded Field Program
o Preparations are underway for expanded field work, including mapping and prospecting
at the 6km2 Gimlet target, located over 2km southwest of the MEPS Discovery. The area
hosts strong surface copper geochemistry, including widespread bornite, underlain by an
extensive, strong resistivity low.
o Upcoming work will support drill targeting for the summer program, alongside additional
geochemical sampling across the broader 8km copper corridor, including extensions
toward the past -producing Tribag mine , located 10km to the Northeast of the MEPS
discovery.
o The Company is also planning a property-wide geophysical program, combining resistivity
and gravity surveys with existing datasets, to better identify prospective porphyry centres
and prioritize future drill targets.
• Accelerating Discovery Through Key Infrastructure and Technology Integration
o Sterling has now moved into a 6.5-acre field headquarters located 15 minutes north of
Sault Ste Marie and 30 minutes south of the Project boundary, with both situated along
the Trans Canada Highway. This new centre of operations brings together core production
facilities ( core logging, analysis, cutting, sampling, shipping and storage ) with staff
housing, communications, vehicles and supplies, that will facilitate and expedite all future
field work and drill programs.
o Sterling has engaged GeologicAI ( Home - GeologicAI) to integrate automated core
scanning into its geological logging workflow, enabling up to a 72 -hour turnaround on
XRF, hyperspectral, and other core data, that will allow on-the-go, more informed
decisions in the field during drill programs. Follow up assays through accredited labs will
continue.
o The Company has also partnered with VRIFY Technology to use AI-assisted targeting
methods towards improving regional target development across the entire 30km long
Batchewana copper belt.
Mat Wilson, CEO and Director, commented, “We are taking full advantage of low-cost, year-round drilling
conditions to quickly advance exploration at Soo Copper towards both definition and expansion of the
MEPS Discovery and exploration for additional new discovery areas . Drilling into a multiphase porphyry
stock beneath the open-ended MEPS Discovery confirms our geological model and exploration approach
and is consistent with porphyry related copper mineralization identified elsewhere on the property,
including at the km-scale Tribag Mine copper breccia pipe complex located to the northeast of the MEPS
Discovery. There is much more potential to test across this 30km long copper belt.
Additionally, with our new operations base in place, we are well positioned to scale up exploration
activities, including the potential addition of several drill rigs as we expand the program towards faster
results and discoveries. The use of core scanning technology to aid in real time decision making in the field
as well as the use of AI targeting of this information adds a tremendous tool for our exploration team as
we look to enhance our integrative approach to exploration of this growing copper system. Supported by
approximately $10.5 million in the treasury, Sterling is in a strong position to quickly advance Soo Copper
and demonstrate the importance that this project could have for the Batchewana Bay community, the
City of Sault Ste. Marie, and the Province of Ontario.”
Exploration Update
Drilling continues to advance efficiently under a year- round program, with approximately 6,200 metres
completed to date. Current drilling is focused on expanding the mineralization footprint of the MEPS
Discovery zone, while also targeting structural pathw ays that may link this shallow zone of copper
mineralization to a larger porphyry-hosted copper deposit at depth. Important early results of this winter
program to date have been the confirmation that the MEPS Discovery zone is controlled by a combination
of a felsic dyke -sill complex and intersecting key feeder structures, and that a Cu -Mo mineralized
multiphase porphyry stock underlies the MEPS Discovery area.
Recent drilling intercepted a multiphase porphyry stock beneath the westernmost part of the MEPS target
area, predominantly composed of a granite porphyry hosting broadly disseminated and locally veined
copper mineralization, including chalcopyrite and locally bornite, with geological features consistent with
the granite porphyry stock intercepted approximately 1.5km to the east (see press release dated March
1, 2026). Importantly, however, an additional porphyry phase that appears to host more sulphides as very
finely disseminated chalcopyrite -molybdenite-pyrite along with quartz -pyrite-chalcopyrite-molybdenite
veins associated with local zones of potassic alteration, is also present and may represent an earlier, better
mineralized intrusive phase of the stock. Other intrusive phases, including felsic dykes seen above within
the MEPS Discovery zone, were also intercepted, all hosting variable amounts of disseminated and veined
sulphides. These early drill results confirm the presence of a large mineralized multiphase porphyry stock
that will require additional drilling to vector towards a zone of more concentrated copper mineralization
that may also represent a connection with the shallow high-grade copper mineralization above at the
MEPS Discovery.
Given the seasonally poor ground conditions, drilling is currently being conducted from established pads
within the boundary of the MEPS Discovery and is drilling multiple orientations from each of these pads.
This approach continues to provide effective coverage while maintaining operational efficiency. At the
conclusion of the winter melt , the Company will then move the drill rig to new pads along strike from
MEPS to continue to determine the extent of the mineralized footprint and to locate and follow the more
mineralized parts of the system.
Gimlet Target and Surface Expansion
With ground conditions beginning to improv e, Sterling is preparing for an expanded mapping and
prospecting program at the Gimlet target, one of the most prospective areas identified to date.
Historical and recent work has identified 93 copper outcrops, including 38 occurrences of bornite, along
a mineralized trend now extending approximately 8 km (refer to Figure 1; the “Copper Corridor”) . The
system remains open to the southwest, where additional exploration is planned ahead of the summer
drill program.
Figure 1. Soo Copper Project, highlighting an 8km Copper Corridor of surface sample locations over
copper in soils map, over regional ZTEM survey (resistivity) and Lidar.
Technology Integration and Data-Driven Exploration
Sterling has engaged VRIFY to support AI -assisted targeting and enhance the visualization of exploration
data, allowing stakeholders to interact with the Project in a fully integrated 3D environment.
In addition, the Company has finalized a contract with GeologicAI to integrate automated core scanning
into its geological logging workflow. This system is expected to deliver a 24 –72-hour turnaround on XRF,
hyperspectral, and other datasets across full drill core, significantly reducing reliance on external
laboratories and enabling faster, data- driven decision -making in the field. To learn more about
GeologicAI’s core scanning and logging technology, please visit https://www.geologicai.com/.
Operations and Infrastructure
The Company has fully transitioned to a new 6.5-acre operations base located approximately 15 minutes
north of Sault Ste. Marie, with direct access from the Trans -Canada Highway. The site includes a newly
constructed core facility and is being further deve loped to support long- term exploration, including
planned storage capacity for up to 300 kilometres of drill core. This expanded infrastructure positions
Sterling to scale operations efficiently, including the deployment of multiple drill rigs.
Figure 2: Sterling Metals newly constructed core facility in Batchewana Bay
Sterling would also like to acknowledge and thank the Government of Ontario for its ongoing support
through the Ontario Junior Exploration Program (“ OJEP”), which contributes to advancing exploration
activities at Soo Copper.
Sterling also announces the closing of the previously announced sale of its Sail Pond Project, allowing for
increased focus on its flagship Soo Copper Project.
Qualified Person
Jeremy Niemi, P.Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration and Evaluation for Sterling Metals has reviewed
and approved the technical information presented herein.
About the Soo Copper Project
The Soo Copper Project sits just 20 minutes off the Trans -Canada Highway, one hour north of Sault Ste.
Marie, and 20km from rail and deep-water access. With near-surface copper—one of the most critical of
all critical metals—alongside gold, and with the project now demonstrating both scale and grade, Sterling
sees the potential for Soo Copper to become a nationally significant asset as Canada accelerates its efforts
to secure strategic copper resources. Prime Minister Carney’s recent designation of copper a s one of
Canada’s first five strategic assets underscores the importance of this discovery and its potential to
emerge as a key project of national interest.
About Sterling Metals
Sterling Metals is a mineral exploration company focused on large scale and high -grade Canadian
exploration opportunities. The Company is advancing the 25,000 -hectare Soo Copper Project in Ontario
which has past production, and multiple breccia and porphyr y targets strategically located near robust
infrastructure and the 29,000-hectare Adeline Project in Labrador which covers an entire sediment-hosted
copper belt with significant silver credits. Both opportunities have demonstrated potential for important
new copper discoveries, underscoring Sterling's commitment to pioneering exploration in mineral rich
Canada.
Sterling Metals acknowledges that its exploration activities within the Soo Copper project are conducted
on the traditional lands of the First Nations of the North Shore of Lake Superior. We recognize and respect
the longstanding and diverse relationships Indigenous Peoples have with the land and are committed to
engaging in a manner that is respectful, transparent, and inclusive.
For more information, please contact:
Sterling Metals Corp.
Mathew Wilson, CEO and Director
Tel: (416) 643-3887
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sterlingmetals.ca
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policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release contains certain “ forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable
securities laws. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as “plan”, “expect”,
“project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “may”, “will”, “would”, “potential”, “proposed”
and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions “ may” or “ will” occur. These
statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of
management at the date the information is provided and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties
and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the
forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its
business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis. The
Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or
management’s estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not
to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.