NGEx Reports 2025 Results; Solidifies Lunahuasi as a Globally-significant High-grade System; Announces New Board Appointment
Summary of Highlights
Highlights for the three months and year ended
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8-rig drill program underway at Lunahuasi, following multiple new discoveries made during Phase 3 program completed earlier in the year. The Company's Phase 4 drill program at Lunahuasi commenced in
October 2025 and reached steady-state drilling with eight rigs by mid-November. To date, the Phase 4 campaign has completed approximately 88% of its targeted 25,000 metres, with assay results received and released thus far confirming the system's high grades, size and continuity. The current campaign is planned to continue untilMay 2026 , and builds on a highly successful Phase 3 program completed in 2025, which confirmed two new discoveries at Lunahuasi, a copper-gold porphyry system and a unique style of mineralization comprised of ultra high-grade gold in quartz veins, in addition to significantly extending and defining the high-grade copper, gold and silver vein mineralization that comprises the original discovery. -
Environmental approval received for a proposed Lunahuasi exploration adit. In
March 2026 , subsequent to the 2025 year-end,NGEx Minerals received approval from theMining Authority of San Juan Province ,Argentina , for a proposed exploration adit at the Lunahuasi project. Approval of the Environmental Impact Statement ("DIA", or Declaración de Impacto Ambiental) for the adit, is a crucial next step in the Lunahausi story, which will enable the Company to proceed with underground development once additional sectoral permits are received. When complete, the adit is expected to provide a platform to conduct exploration and definition drilling, metallurgical sampling, and geotechnical assessment, which are all key inputs for future technical studies and project evaluation. The approval significantly increases NGEx's optionality for future exploration and development at the project. -
Treasury strengthened with oversubscribed$175 million private placement. OnOctober 15, 2025 , the Company closed a non-brokered private placement of common shares, successfully raising gross proceeds of$175 million . The financing was upsized from its initial amount of$100 million in response to strong investor demand. Net proceeds from the financing further bolstered the Company's strong treasury position, which consisted of$132.1 million in cash and short-term investments as atSeptember 30, 2025 . Net proceeds from the financing will fund the Company's activities well beyond its current work programs, as well as provide financial flexibility to expand the current Lunahuasi campaign or undertake additional work, such as the development of an exploration adit. -
Spin-out of royalty company to shareholders. On
October 23, 2025 , the Company closed its spin-out of an 80.1% ownership interest in LunR Royalties Corp. ("LunR") to its shareholders by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act such that effectively, among other things, each registered shareholder of common shares of NGEx would receive 1/4 of a common share of LunR for each common share of NGEx held as of end of day onOctober 22, 2025 . LunR was incorporated by the Company inJuly 2025 as a wholly-owned subsidiary, which acquired a 1.38% net smelter returns ("NSR") royalty on the concessions underlying the Company's Los Helados project inChile (the "LunR-Los Helados Royalty") and a 1% NSR royalty on the Argentine concession on which the Lunahuasi deposit is currently defined (the "LunR-Lunahuasi Royalty"). Immediately following the closing of the spin-out, NGEx retained 13,370,107 common shares of LunR, representing a 19.9% ownership interest in LunR at the time, which are still held byNGEx Minerals as at the date of this News Release.
In addition, we have also continued to deliver on our core business of exploration in the rapidly-evolving Vicuña district. Following a successful Phase 3 program at Lunahuasi completed in
NGEx Announces New Appointment to its Board of Directors
NGEx is also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Peter J O'Callaghan to its Board of Directors, effective
2025 Operating Highlights and Outlook
Phase 4 Lunahuasi Program Builds on Highly Successful Phase 3 Campaign
In
- Delivery of some of the highest-grade copper, gold, and silver intercepts drilled globally in 2025;
- Consistent intersection of high-grade, high-sulphidation vein mineralization across considerable widths and strike length, which significantly improved the Company's geological understanding of three initial zones, named Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, each representing a significant volume of contiguous high-grade mineralization. Additional significant intersections outside of these three zones point to the likely presence of other discreet high-grade zones which have the potential to be defined with additional drilling;
- Confirmation of two new discoveries at Lunahuasi, a new copper-gold porphyry system (see News Release dated May 21, 2025) and ultra high-grade gold in quartz veins (see News Release dated July 8, 2025), which respectively represent the third and fourth distinct types of mineralization identified to date at the project; and
- Expansion of the mineralized volume drilled to date at Lunahuasi to minimum dimensions of 1,100 metres by 1,200 metres by 1,200 metres, which remains open in all directions and is marked by high-grade intercepts at the northern, southern and western boundaries of the drill pattern as of the conclusion of the Phase 3 program.
Following the highly successful Phase 3 program, in
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Short-range Definition: Define and expand the Mars, Saturn and Jupiter zones.
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Mid-range Step-out: Extend mineralized intersections and discover new high-grade zones in the deposit beyond the three zones noted above.
- Long-range Exploration: Test anomalies and district scale targets to discover new components of the Lunahuasi system and demonstrate its true potential.
To date, over 22,000 metres have been drilled, representing 88% of the target for Phase 4, with initial holes focusing on short-range definition and closer step-outs to test the geological interpretation and potential for expansion of Lunahuasi's Mars, Jupiter and Saturn zones. The Saturn zone was intersected by numerous holes, including most notably DPDH048, DPDH051 and DPDH057, while holes such as DPDH054 and DPDH060 successfully tested the
- Saturn zone: Successful expansion and continued intersection of high-grades throughout
DPDH048 intersected 649.00 metres at 1.64% copper equivalent ("CuEq") (0.73% Cu, 1.00 g/t Au, and 20.1 g/t Ag), including 126.55 metres at 5.09% CuEq (2.16% Cu, 3.30 g/t Au, and 59.2 g/t Ag) in the Saturn zone 100m below DPDH046 drilled during Phase 3.
DPDH051 intersected 327.40 metres at 3.74% CuEq (2.43% Cu, 1.53 g/t Au, and 21.8 g/t Ag), which is punctuated by multiple very high-grade sub-intervals such as 7.30 metres at 14.50% CuEq (10.98% Cu, 2.49 g/t Au, and 193.3 g/t Ag) and 5.80 metres at 14.40% CuEq (11.97% Cu, 2.73 g/t Au, and 50.8 g/t Ag). DPDH051 was drilled north to south to test the geometry of the Saturn zone perpendicular to most other holes, and its results were consistent with the zone's geological interpretation with high-grade gold intervals correlating well with other holes.
DPDH057 successfully expanded the Saturn zone vertically above the mineralization intersected previously in hole DPDH049, intersecting 131.00 metres at 5.09% CuEq (3.10% Cu, 2.03 g/t Au, and 58.2 g/t Ag), including 30.00 metres at 7.91% CuEq (4.00% Cu, 4.58 g/t Au, and 64.5 g/t Ag) and 40.20 metres at 6.09% CuEq (4.41% Cu, 1.48 g/t Au, and 68.8 g/t Ag).
- Mars zone: Outlining of a potentially very high-grade core within an expanding envelope
DPDH054 intersected 94.00 metres at 8.99% CuEq (3.88% Cu, 6.66 g/t Au, and 29.6 g/t Ag), including 21.70 metres at 31.92% CuEq (12.70% Cu, 25.21 g/t Au, and 95.5 g/t Ag). This wide and high-grade interval correlates well with DPDH024 and DPDH035 completed during Phase 3 drilling, outlining the potential for a very high-grade core to a much wider envelop of good grade.
DPDH060 successfully confirmed an interpreted extension of the Mars zone to the northeast by approximately 70 metres, intersecting 32.30 metres at 4.95% CuEq (3.13% Cu, 2.18 g/t Au, and 26.5 g/t Ag).
To date, 20 drill holes have been completed in Phase 4, with assay results released for 10 holes. Assay results are now steadily being received, and will be released once analyzed and confirmed by the Company. Exact timing will depend on drilling rates and assay turn-around times.
Environmental Approval Received on Proposed Lunahuasi Exploration Adit
Subsequent to the 2025 year-end,
With receipt of the DIA, the Company is moving forward with required preparatory work for the exploration adit, including detailed engineering, contractor selection, preparation of surface facilities, and other on‑site readiness activities. A geotechnical drillhole was completed along the centerline of the proposed exploration adit as part of this work. Additional sectoral permits are required prior to the start of construction and these will also continue to be progressed in coordination with provincial and national authorities. NGEx is targeting the fourth quarter of 2026 to start underground development subject to timely receipt of the remaining permits and regulatory and board approvals.
2025 Corporate Highlights
Completion of
On
Net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used towards furthering exploration programs at the Lunahuasi project, continued exploration and maintenance of the Company's Los Helados project located in Region III, Chile, as well as for general corporate and working capital purposes.
Completion of Spin-out of LunR Royalties
On
The Arrangement was approved by the NGEx Shareholders at the special meeting of NGEx Shareholders held on
- Each common share of
NGEx Minerals (each, a "NGEx Share") outstanding at the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the Effective Time was redesignated and exchanged as part of a reorganization of the share capital ofNGEx Minerals , and in accordance with section 86 of the Income Tax Act (Canada ), for (i) one (1) new common share ofNGEX Minerals (each, a "New NGEx Share"), which such New NGEx Share being identical to the NGEx Shares immediately prior to the Effective Time and (ii) 1/4 of a LunR Share; and - Each outstanding stock option of
NGEx Minerals (each, a "NGEx Option") that was outstanding immediately before the Effective Time was exchanged for (i) one (1) replacement stock option ofNGEx Minerals (each, a "NGEx Replacement Option") to purchase fromNGEx Minerals one New NGEx Share having an exercise price (rounded up to the nearest whole cent) equal to the product of the exercise price of each NGEx Option so exchanged immediately before the Effective Time multiplied by the fair market value of a New NGEx Share at the Effective Time divided by the total of the fair market value of a New NGEx Share and the fair market value of 1/4 of a LunR Share at the Effective Time, and (ii) one (1) fully-vested stock option of LunR (each, a "LunR Option") to acquire 1/4 of a LunR Share, each whole LunR Option having an exercise price (rounded up to the nearest whole cent) equal to the product of the exercise price of the NGEx Option so exchanged immediately prior to the Effective Time multiplied by the fair market value of 1/4 of a LunR Share at the Effective Time divided by the total of the fair market value of one New NGEx Share and 1/4 of a LunR Share at the Effective Time.
Pursuant to the provisions above, it was determined that the exercise price of each NGEx Replacement Option would remain the same as the respective, underlying NGEx Option for which it was exchanged pursuant to the Arrangement.
In conjunction with the spin-out of the LunR Shares to NGEx Shareholders,
LunR Shares commenced trading on the
The terms of the Arrangement can be found in NGEx's management information circular dated August 12, 2025, which is available on NGEx's website and under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Financial Results
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(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts) |
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Three months ended |
Year ended |
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|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
2025 |
2024 |
2025 |
2024 |
|
Exploration and project investigation |
|
29,853 |
27,195 |
99,997 |
63,750 |
|
General and administration ("G&A") |
|
7,767 |
3,522 |
29,558 |
13,393 |
|
Net loss |
|
38,144 |
26,427 |
123,336 |
63,597 |
|
Basic and diluted loss per share |
|
0.18 |
0.13 |
0.61 |
0.33 |
|
The financial information in this table was selected from the Company's consolidated financial statements for the year ended |
Selected Financial Information
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(In thousands of Canadian dollars) |
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|
|
|
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|
|
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
192,536 |
|
153,368 |
|
Investment in LunR |
|
174,480 |
|
- |
|
Short-term investments |
|
80,735 |
|
45,185 |
|
Working capital |
|
436,475 |
|
188,944 |
|
Mineral properties |
|
6,213 |
|
6,271 |
|
Total assets |
|
456,611 |
|
208,563 |
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The financial information in this table was selected from the Financial Statements, which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and the Company's website www.ngexminerals.com . |
The Company incurred a net loss of
For 2024, the Company reported a net loss of
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As at
About
NGEx owns 100% of Lunahuasi and is the majority partner and operator for the Los Helados project, subject to a Joint Exploration Agreement with
On
The Company's common shares are listed on the TSX under the symbol "NGEX" and also trade on the OTCQX under the symbol "NGXXF". NGEx is part of the
Additional information relating to NGEx may be obtained or viewed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Additional Information
The information contained in this news release was accurate at the time of dissemination but may be superseded by subsequent news release(s). The Company is under no obligation, nor does it intend to update or revise the forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.
Qualified Persons and Technical Notes
The scientific and technical disclosure for the
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made and information contained herein in the news release constitutes "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking information"). All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this document constitute forward-looking information, including but not limited to, statements regarding: exploration and development plans and expenditures, including the size, scope, nature, timing and focus of the Company's future exploration programs, particularly at Lunahuasi; the commencement date and duration of underground development with respect to an underground adit, if ultimately pursued; the anticipated future benefits of an underground adit, or its development, such as access to bulk material, optionality to undertake year-round drilling, and improved drilling efficiency; that all remaining steps leading to the commencement of underground development will be successful, including preparatory work, receipt of requisite sectoral permits, and final requisite internal approvals; the geological interpretation of the Lunahuasi system which is expected to evolve with additional drilling, including whether current interpretation of the exploration and/or drill results to date at Lunahuasi will be confirmed by future work; the ability of future drilling to convert exploration potential to a Mineral Resource Estimate; the ability of future drilling to make additional discoveries at Lunahuasi; the scale, grade, or significance of the discovery of a copper-gold porphyry system and visible gold in quartz veins at the project; the future potential or value of common shares of LunR held by the Company and if/when the Company will dispose or otherwise divest of its interest in LunR; anticipated benefits of the Arrangement to NGEx and/or NGEx Shareholders; the future uses of the Company's cash and working capital; the closing of Lundin Mining's acquisition of an interest and a royalty on Los Helados, including the timing thereof, and the implications to the Company as the majority partner and operator of Los Helados; the success of future exploration activities; potential for the discovery of new mineral deposits or expansion of existing mineral deposits; ability to build shareholder value; expectations with regard to adding to Mineral Resources through exploration; expectations with respect to the conversion of Inferred Resources to an Indicated Resource classification, or the conversion of Indicated Resources to a Measured Resource classification; ability to execute the planned work programs; estimation of commodity prices, Mineral Resources, estimations of costs, and permitting time lines; ability to obtain surface rights and property interests; currency exchange rate fluctuations; requirements for additional capital; government regulation of mining activities; environmental risks; unanticipated reclamation expenses; title disputes or claims; limitations on insurance coverage; assumptions that the Company will be able to carry out exploration program at Lunahuasi as planned; fluctuations in the current price of and demand for commodities; and material adverse changes in general business and economic conditions, particularly in
Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon various estimates and assumptions including, without limitation, the intended use or deployment of the Company's treasury balance, and the nature, scope and timing of the work to be undertaken to advance the
The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as at the date of this news release. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update and/or revise any of the included forward-looking information, whether as a result of additional information, future events and/or otherwise. Forward-looking information is provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of the Company's operating environment. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. All the forward-looking information contained in this document is qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof.
Cautionary Note to
Information concerning the mineral properties of the Company contained in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ in material respects from the requirements of securities laws of
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