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Halifax, Nova Scotia January 6, 2026 TheNewswire – Zonte Metals Inc. ("Zonte" or the "Company") (TSXV:ZON,OTC:EREPF) (OTC:EREPF) is pleased to provide a review of the past year and a look ahead into 2026.
Dear Shareholders,
We would like to begin by sincerely thanking you for your continued patience and support. The past several years has required discipline, perseverance, and belief in the long-term value of our assets and strategy. Your commitment has not gone unnoticed.
We are now entering one of the strongest commodity price environments in recent history. Copper prices have reached record highs, reflecting structural supply challenges and accelerating demand from electrification. Gold prices are also at record highs, underscoring the metal's enduring role as a store of value and hedge against uncertainty. This is the cycle we have been preparing for.
To date, Zonte Metals has invested more than $6 million advancing our projects, steadily building the technical foundation required to unlock their value. We are now exceptionally well-positioned to capitalize on both of our cornerstone assets:
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The MJ Gold Project in the Yukon Territory, where we believe the market has yet to fully appreciate the potential scale and geological significance of the system we are advancing.
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The Cross Hills IOCG Copper Project in Newfoundland and Labrador, where ongoing technical work continues to highlight the project's potential within a rapidly tightening global copper market.
In recent months, we have seen a significant increase in interest from major mining companies and institutional investors, particularly through the fourth quarter. These discussions reaffirm the quality of our portfolio. As always, we are committed to evaluating all financing and partnership options carefully and responsibly to ensure we create the greatest long-term value for our shareholders.
Looking ahead, we believe 2026 has the potential to be a turning-point year for Zonte Metals — a year in which the broader market begins to recognize the work that has been quietly advancing behind the scenes and the intrinsic value embedded in our projects.
On behalf of our entire team, thank you again for your trust and support. We look forward to updating you as our progress continues.
About the MJ Gold Project in the Yukon Territory
The MJ gold project is located in a highly prospective district surrounded by major deposits. Victoria Gold's project, adjacent to the west, hosts nearly 10 million ounces in all categories, including the newly discovered Raven deposit which sits just 2 kilometres from the MJ border, while to the south Banyan Gold hosts 7.7 million ounces including inferred 2.74 million ounces at 0.63 g/t Au in 112.5 million tons and indicated 5.453 million ounces at 0.60 g/t Au in 280.6 million tons (source Bayan Gold website and Victoria Gold's historic website). The mapped gold-fertile intrusion at MJ is larger than the intrusives currently associated with Victoria's deposits, underscoring the strong district-scale potential. Note; Victoria Gold is now in receivership and the bidding process for the asset is expected to close H1 2026 (PWC website). Information from Victoria and Banyan's project do not indicate mineralization within the MJ Project.
Initial drilling on the MJ Project at the 2–4 Target may have begun to outline a mineralized system. Hole MJ-03 intersected 106 metres of 0.18 g/t gold, grades that are often seen on the periphery of intrusion-related gold deposits. Hole MJ-04 returned two separate intervals of 32.02m and 29.60m grading 0.49 and 0.53 g/t Au, respectively, suggesting improving tenor in the immediate area (see Oct 6, 2017 press release). Importantly, these results were achieved without completing geophysics, soils, trenching, or structural analysis, as early funding was directed immediately to drilling. Follow-up work in this area is considered a high priority.
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Image; Mapped intrusions within the area illustrating the size of the MJ intrusion and the deposits within the Victoria Gold project.
The MJ project sits just east of the Raven Deposit on Victoria Gold's project and exploration completed by Zonte and published geological mapping by Victoria Gold suggests the Raven and MJ systems could be one larger intrusive target area within a structural corridor. The Raven deposit, considered high-grade for the intrusion related gold systems, is host to higher grade sulphide veins which are also common within the MJ intrusion. (see Victoria Gold press release dated Oct 25, 2023 and Zonte Press Release Oct 6, 2017).
With a gold-fertile intrusion of significant scale, a strong structural setting, and proximity to existing mining infrastructure, the MJ Project represents one of the more compelling underexplored intrusion-related gold opportunities in the Yukon. Based on the intrusion size and comparable deposits in the district, the Company believes the project has potential to host a large-scale gold system and could become a strategic asset as exploration advances.
More information on the MJ Gold Project can be found at the following link https://www.zontemetals.com/projects/mj-project
About Cross Hills Copper Project in Newfoundland and Labrador
Zonte Metals' Cross Hills IOCG Project is interpreted to represent a district-scale Iron Oxide Copper-Gold (IOCG) system associated with regional-scale structures and Proterozoic host rocks. To date, approximately $5 million has been invested in systematic exploration including mapping, structural interpretation, airborne and ground geophysics, soil and rock geochemistry, and multi-phase drilling.
Exploration has confirmed the presence of widespread iron oxide alteration, alkali metasomatism, and copper mineralization, consistent with IOCG systems globally. Copper occurs mainly as chalcocite, bornite and chalcopyrite within breccias, veins, and replacement-style mineralization focused along major structural corridors. Alteration assemblages include potassic, sodic-calcic, and iron-oxide phases, which are spatially associated with gravity and magnetic anomalies that may define large-scale fluid pathways and potential mineralized centres.
Zonte's exploration programs have identified nine large-scale targets within the project. Each target is at or near drill stage. All targets are considered large in terms of the gravity anomaly size and strong reaching up to 5mGal as recorded at the Nine Mile/K4 target, for example. The Nine Mile/K4 gravity anomaly measures approximately 3,700 metres by 3,100 metres and extends deep into the subsurface, suggesting the presence of significant dense rock potentially related to mineralization and representing a priority IOCG target for drilling (March 12, 2025).
Drilling completed to date has confirmed copper-bearing mineralization at several targets, demonstrating a fertile hydrothermal system. Current targeting is focused on targets with coincident gravity and magnetic anomalies, soil and rock geochemical anomalies within structural zones; a combination that is observed in the most prospective settings for global copper accumulations within IOCG systems. With district scale potential the project hosts a Tier-1 advanced copper exploration project.
More information on the Cross Hills Copper Project can be found at the following link https://www.zontemetals.com/projects/cross-hills-copper-property
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Image illustrating gravity anomalies through the Cross Hills Copper Project.
Neither the 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 of accuracy of this release.
Donald Blake, PGeo, is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the contents and technical disclosures in this press release. Mr. Blake is a non-independent consultant to Zonte Metals.
About Zonte Metals
Zonte Metals Inc. is a junior exploration company focused on the discovery and development of high-potential mineral projects. The Company's strategy is to advance projects with the scale and potential to attract major partners and deliver significant shareholder value. The Company owns 100% of the MJ project, in the Tintina Gold Belt, located in the Yukon Territory, the Wings Point project in the new Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, and the Cross Hills Copper project located in Newfoundland and Labrador. In Colombia, the Company and partner have an application over open areas sitting on top of the open pit outline of the Gramalote Deposit in Colombia, which is held by AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) and B2Gold (TSX:BTO, NYSE:BTG). The title issuance is being contested by the state governing the application and the Company has started legal action to protect its rights.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains forward-looking statements which include statements regarding the Corporation's future plans, as well as statements regarding financial and business prospects and the Corporation's future plans, objectives or economic performance and financial outlooks. The Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in this news release are reasonable but actual results may be affected by a variety of variables and may be materially different from the results or events predicted in the forward-looking statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. In evaluating forward-looking statements readers should consider the risk factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation does not intend, nor does it undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Neither the 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 of accuracy of this release.
For further information contact:
Terry Christopher
CEO and President
902-405-3520
info@zontemetals.com
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