ZAU.V · 2026-05-13 12:00:00

Zodiac Gold Intersects Near-Surface High- Grade Gold in First-Ever Drilling at Ben Ben, Confirming 1km Mineralized Trend Within a 16km District-Scale Trend

Drill Results Mergers & Acquisitions

Zodiac Gold Intersects Near-Surface High-

Grade Gold in First-Ever Drilling at Ben Ben,

Confirming 1km Mineralized Trend Within a

16km District-Scale Trend

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 13, 2026) - Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) (OTCQB:

ZAUIF) (FSE: K19) ("Zodiac Gold" or the "Company"), a West African gold exploration company, is

pleased to report initial assay results from the first-ever diamond drilling program at its Ben Ben target,

part of the Company's flagship Todi Gold Project in Liberia.

Key Highlights:

Early results at Ben Ben continue to illustrate the strong potential of the 16km corridor from the

Arthington discovery, through Ben Ben, to Youth Camp (Map 1).

Key drilling intercepts of:

BDD005:

14.85m at 1.55 g/t Au from 51.4m, including 0.8m at 13.15 g/t Au, 0.93m at 5.82

g/t Au and 1.05m at 2.22 g/t Au

BDD009:

17.65m at 0.81 g/t Au from 33m, including 1m at 5.67 g/t Au, 0.65m at 2.74 g/t Au,

1m at 1.33 g/t Au and 1m at 1.15 g/t Au

BDD004:

11.45m at 0.96 g/t Au from 10m, including 0.55m at 3.2 g/t Au

BDD006:

7.37m at 1.95 g/t Au from 23.4m, including 2.37m at 3.24 g/t Au and 2m at 2.81

g/t Au

BDD002:

2.04m at 5.69 g/t Au from 43.96m, including 0.79m at 13.95 g/t Au

Targeting zones through the amalgamation of trenching and surface geochemical sample results

has delivered strong drilling hits (Map 2), and when combined with the on-going geophysical work,

will provide key drill targets for the remainder of the 2026 program.

The Company is planning to scale up to a third drill rig for Phase 2 of the 2026 program.

"This is exactly the outcome we were looking for from the first-ever drill program at Ben Ben," stated

David Kol, President and CEO of Zodiac Gold. "To step into a completely untested target and

immediately intersect consistent gold mineralization across an entire kilometre of strike, including near-

surface mineralization with high-grade zones, is a powerful validation of our geological model. What is

even more important is that we are seeing the same host rocks, structural controls and style of

mineralization as at Arthington, now confirmed 1.3 kilometres along strike in a greenfield setting. This

strongly supports our view that we are uncovering a much larger, connected gold system within the 16km

gold-in-soil anomaly. Ben Ben is no longer just a priority target — it is now a potential discovery, and we

believe we are only at the beginning of defining its true scale."

Map 1: 16km Arthington to Youth Camp Trend

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

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7932/297260_6568c7f154e94979_001full.jpg

Map 2: Drill hole and trench results at the Ben Ben target

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

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7932/297260_6568c7f154e94979_002full.jpg

These results mark a major milestone for the Company, confirming the presence of near-surface,

shallow-dipping gold mineralization with high-grade intervals in northwest trending zones possibly offset

by folding or faulting, across a 1km strike length in an area that had never previously been drill tested.

The successful start to this inaugural program validates Ben Ben as a target with significant potential to

become Zodiac Gold's next discovery within the 16km Arthington to Youth Camp trend, which also hosts

the Company's Arthington discovery (Map 1). The Arthington discovery has already demonstrated strong

continuity, with gold intersected in 37 of 39 drill holes. The drilling completed to date further strengthens

the Company's belief that the Todi Shear Zone has the characteristics to host a large, district-scale gold

system.

Zodiac Gold has drilled 2,551m in the first fourteen holes of its maiden drilling program at Ben Ben and

has intersected gold mineralization in all nine holes for which assays have been received along the

southern Ben Ben trend. Importantly, mineralization is encountered from as shallow as 10 metres

downhole, highlighting compelling open-pit potential and reinforcing the economic significance of the

system at an early stage of exploration.

Assays for the remaining five holes completed are expected to be received over the next three weeks,

including holes BDD010 through BDD014, with BDD015 and BDD016 currently being drilled.

Once

approximately 3,000-3,500m are completed, the Company will assess the results and locate the next key

drill targets of the overall 14,000m program to be drilled in 2026.

Ben Ben is located just 1.3 kilometres along strike to the southwest, from the Company's Arthington

discovery and lies within a 16-kilometre gold-in-soil anomaly extending to the Youth Camp target. Prior

to drilling, the target was defined by strong surface geochemistry, trenching results, and exceptionally

high-grade channel samples in artisanal workings, yet had never been tested at depth. The successful

confirmation of mineralization beneath these surface expressions is a critical de-risking milestone and

demonstrates that the system is not only laterally extensive but also continues at depth.

Geologically, the results are highly significant as they confirm that gold mineralization at Ben Ben is

hosted within sheared amphibolite; a key host lithology at the Arthington discovery. Mineralization is

associated with a sulphide assemblage of pyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite, and the

northwest-trending Todi Shear Zone is interpreted to have a strong structural control on mineralization,

along with folding and structural intersections that may localize higher-grade zones. The mineralized

zones intersected to date are interpreted to dip at a shallow angle of approximately 30 degrees to the

southwest (Map 3), a geometry that is favorable for an open pit development scenario. The replication of

this geological setting and mineralization style at Ben Ben, in a previously untested greenfield location,

provides strong evidence of continuity along the shear zone and significantly enhances the scale

potential of the project. It is anticipated that the on-going drone-based magnetic and LiDAR survey, as

well as further drilling, will assist in determining whether the trend of the interpreted mineralized zones is

affected by folding or fault offsets (Map 2).

Map 3: Cross section looking southeast, showing drill holes BDD004, BDD009 and BDD015

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

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7932/297260_6568c7f154e94979_003full.jpg

The confirmation of multiple mineralized trends, possibly interconnected by folding or fault offsets, over a

1-kilometre strike length at Ben Ben, combined with its direct geological linkage to the Arthington

discovery and its position within a broader 16-kilometre anomalous corridor, supports the Company's

interpretation that the Todi Gold Project includes a district-scale gold system with the potential to host

multiple deposits. This emerging scale is further underscored by the fact that large portions of the

corridor remain untested by drilling, particularly along the northern trend extending toward Youth Camp,

where trenching has already returned encouraging results.

The Company is continuing to advance an aggressive exploration program across the Ben Ben to Youth

Camp trend, with two diamond drill rigs currently active in the drilling of a planned 14,000-metre drilling

campaign designed to systematically expand the mineralized footprint. In parallel, a 3,600-metre

trenching program is underway to refine drill targeting, and a drone-based magnetic and LiDAR survey

covering the entire 16-kilometre corridor is expected to significantly enhance the understanding of

structural and lithological controls on mineralization. Drilling and trenching results will be released at

regular intervals during the program, along with updates from the Company's on-going 10,500 sample

soil geochemistry program in the Bomi South and Bong West licenses. The Company is targeting a

Mineral Resource Estimate in the fourth quarter of 2026, which will incorporate both the Arthington

discovery and results of the current drilling on the Ben Ben to Youth Camp trend, and represents a key

step in demonstrating the economic potential of the broader Todi Gold Project.

Drill hole collar data is shown in Table 1 and significant intersections are shown in Table 2.

Table 1: Ben Ben Target Drill Collar Data

Hole ID

Easting

(WGS84)

Northing

(WGS84)

Elevation

(m)

Azimuth

Dip

Depth

(m)

Assay

Status

BDD001

325214

721882

-55

176.10

Received

BDD002

325057

721968

-60

297.55

Received

BDD003

325179

721834

-60

277.70

Received

BDD004

325729

721997

-65

155.25

Received

BDD005

325130

721872

-60

186.35

Received

BDD006

325904

721885

-60

158.85

Received

BDD007

325081

721883

-60

103.45

Received

BDD008

326033

721688

-60

183.10

Received

BDD009

325701

721955

-60

172.85

Received

BDD010

325794

721917

-60

141.65

Pending

BDD011

325968

721764

-60

136.00

Pending

BDD012

325767

721873

-60

183.40

Pending

BDD013

325872

721829

-60

170.6

Pending

BDD014

325106

721831

-65

208.15

Pending

Table 2: Ben Ben Target Drilling - Significant Intersections

Hole ID

From (m)

To (m)

Interval (m)

Average Au

(g/t)

BDD001

0.23

BDD001

172.1

175.1

0.36

BDD002

43.96

2.04

5.69

including

43.96

44.75

0.79

13.95

BDD002

53.6

54.6

0.32

BDD002

130

140

0.21

BDD002

144

146

0.23

BDD002

150

155.27

5.27

0.33

BDD002

159.8

163.45

3.65

0.6

BDD002

172.03

175

2.97

0.3

BDD002

179

183.91

4.91

0.31

BDD003

176

177

0.62

BDD003

181

183

0.23

BDD003

187

188

0.23

BDD003

191

196

0.28

BDD003

218.4

219.7

1.3

0.25

BDD003

221.9

229

7.1

0.22

BDD003

230.9

232.18

1.28

0.2

BDD004

21.45

11.45

0.96

Including

19.45

0.55

3.2

BDD004

0.34

BDD004

104.7

105.8

1.1

0.56

BDD004

139.03

141

1.97

0.5

BDD004

151

154.12

3.12

0.27

BDD005

51.4

66.25

14.85

1.55

Including

55.4

56.33

0.93

5.82

Including

58.3

59.1

0.8

13.15

Including

65.2

66.25

1.05

2.22

BDD005

150.5

161

10.5

0.21

BDD005

170.4

180.4

0.32

BDD006

23.4

30.77

7.37

1.95

Including

24.4

26.4

2.81

Including

28.4

30.77

2.37

3.24

BDD007

57.02

0.98

0.41

BDD007

60.1

68.54

8.44

0.69

Including

3.78

BDD008

35.04

37.7

2.66

0.24

BDD008

45.11

46.69

1.58

3.17

Including

46.69

0.69

6.56

BDD008

0.24

BDD008

54.15

57.7

3.55

0.21

BDD008

94.5

95.5

0.22

BDD008

112.25

122

9.75

0.46

BDD008

158.6

166.7

8.1

0.28

BDD008

175.06

181

5.94

0.56

Including

177

178

1.74

BDD009

50.65

17.65

0.81

Including

1.15

Including

5.67

Including

1.33

Including

50.65

0.65

2.74

BDD009

0.43

BDD009

150

154.15

4.15

0.65

Including

151

152.05

1.05

1.15

BDD009

168

171

0.26

Hole ID

From (m)

To (m)

Interval (m)

Average Au

(g/t)

Note that significant intersections have been determined as intervals above 0.2 g/t Au with a minimum length of 1m and a maximum of 2m of

consecutive samples below 0.2 g/t Au. Intervals are drilled rather than true thicknesses. True thicknesses cannot be accurately estimated given the

early stage of drilling.

No top cut was applied to the assays.

Drilling, Sampling and QA/QC Procedures

The drilling program at Ben Ben is being completed by two JCD 600 diamond drill rigs with NTW core

diameter. Core recoveries for holes logged to date are approaching 100% in fresh rock. Note that

mineralization in BDD004 was intersected only 10m below surface, in the oxide zone. Core loss of

0.90m was recorded between 15.90 and 18.50m downhole, and it is not known whether this material

was mineralized or unmineralized. The easting, northing and elevation data shown in Table 1 has been

recorded using handheld GPS only and will be surveyed by differential GPS.

Drill core was transported a short distance from the drill site to the Company's exploration camp at Ben

Ben. After geological logging, the core was cut along the long axis using a diamond core saw, with half

being sampled and half retained. Where the core was too soft for cutting (in the oxide zone), the core

was split using a spatula. Core sampling was completed by Zodiac Gold's geological team, supervised

by senior company personnel.

All samples met the standards for chain of custody without the opportunity for third party access from

Zodiac Gold's exploration camp to the Liberia Geochemical Services Inc. sample preparation laboratory

in Monrovia, Liberia. Each sample was dried and then crushed to 70% passing -2mm and a

representative 1kg split was taken by riffle splitting. The split was then pulverized to 85% passing -75

micron and approximately 200g was bagged and labelled, with the remainder being returned to Zodiac

Gold. Analysis was performed by 50g fire assay with an atomic absorption finish (method Au-AA26) at

the ALS Geochemistry laboratory in Kumasi, Ghana. ALS Geochemistry is independent of Zodiac Gold

and is accredited for method Au-AA26. Samples that returned a grade greater than 10 g/t Au were

reassayed by method Au-GRA22 with the results being given preference over the original Au-AA26

assays in the database.

QA/QC procedures included the addition of CRM, blank and duplicate samples to the sample sequence.

The assays of these samples are checked regularly to ensure that results meet acceptable standards.

Qualified Person

Tom Dowrick, Director of Exploration at Zodiac Gold, is a Chartered Geologist of the Geological Society

of London and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the technical

and scientific information contained in this release.

About Zodiac Gold

Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) (OTCQB: ZAUIF) (FSE: K19) is a West-African gold exploration company

focused on its flagship Todi Gold Project in Liberia—an underexplored, politically stable, mining friendly

jurisdiction hosting several large-scale gold and iron ore deposits. Strategically positioned along the

fertile Todi Shear Zone, Zodiac Gold is developing a district-scale gold opportunity with additional iron

ore potential, covering a vast 2,316 km2 land package. The Todi Gold Project has undergone de-risking,

showcasing proven gold occurrences at both surface and depth, with five drill-ready targets, of which two

have been drilled and high-grade gold intercepts.

For further information, please visit the Zodiac Gold website at

www.zodiac-gold.com

or contact:

David Kol

President & CEO

[email protected]

Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian

securities legislation.

Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections, and forecasts and are often, but not always,

identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast",

"expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event

or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions

and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this

release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's planned exploration programs

and drill programs and potential significance of results are forward-looking statements that involve

various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be

accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such

statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include

actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future

resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital, and financing on acceptable terms,

general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title,

availability of personnel, materials, and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment

breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on

operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time

to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has

attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ from

those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions,

events, or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-

looking statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue

reliance on forward-looking statements.

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

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/297260

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