New soil results expand gold target at Lolworth

ECR Minerals PLC

09 September 2026

 

9 September 2026

ECR MINERALS PLC

("ECR Minerals", "ECR" or the "Company")

New soil results expand gold target at Lolworth

Strong gold anomalies identify broader structural system and new diamond core drill targets

ECR Minerals plc (AIM: ECR), the exploration and development company focused on gold in Australia, is pleased to announce highly encouraging results from its latest soil sampling programme at the Company's 100%-owned Lolworth Project in North Queensland, Australia ("Lolworth" or the "Project").

The latest soil sampling results provide important new evidence that the gold-bearing structural system previously identified through surface exploration and the Company's maiden drilling programme potentially extends significantly beyond the areas tested by drilling to date.

Highlights

·      31 soil samples returned gold values of 100 ppb Au or greater, including a peak result of 608 ppb Au.

·      Results support a broader NNW-trending gold-bearing structural system extending beyond the area tested by ECR's maiden RC drilling.

·      A second parallel gold trend has also been identified to the north-east of Uncle Terry.

·      Previous drilling confirmed shallow gold and silver mineralisation, including 2m @ 3.57 g/t Au and 4m @ 7.18 g/t Ag.

·      Results strengthen the case for a broader diamond core drilling programme to test the gold structures at depth and across their interpreted width.

·      The principal gold trend may extend south towards similarly orientated structures at Gorge Creek West.

Latest Soil Sampling Results

The Company has received the remaining 1,002 assay results from a broader test programme comprising approximately 1,500 soil samples collected across the Uncle Terry area.

The programme was designed to test for gold together with associated pathfinder elements and, importantly, to assess whether structures previously interpreted from field mapping and rock-chip sampling could potentially be identified beneath areas of surface cover.

Ground conditions at Uncle Terry include areas which are obscured by high grass for substantial periods of the year, in-turn limiting the effectiveness of conventional surface mapping. Soil geochemistry therefore provides an important additional tool for tracing mineralised structures where outcrop is limited.

Of the latest results, 31 samples returned gold values of 100 ppb Au or greater, which the Company's geological team considers to be a strong anomaly. The highest individual result was 608 ppb Au (see summary of soil samples in Table One).

Figure One: Plan of Uncle Terry showing reported soil Au results, previous drilling and interpreted structural trends

Improved Geological Interpretation

The Board considers that the latest soil results materially refine ECR's geological interpretation of the Uncle Terry area.

The principal NNW-trending structure is interpreted to be gold-bearing, while the NE-trending shear sets show a stronger association with silver mineralisation. The initial RC drilling was largely focused on these NE structures, meaning that the main NNW gold trend has not yet been comprehensively drill tested.

The soil results are also interpreted as defining a second parallel NNW-trending gold anomaly to the north-east, where previous mapping identified gold-bearing quartz stringer veins.

Importantly, the interpreted main NNW gold structure can be projected further south towards similarly orientated structures mapped at Gorge Creek West, supporting the potential for a broader mineralised system.

Previous Drilling

ECR completed its maiden RC drilling programme at Lolworth during 2025, comprising 28 holes for an aggregate 1,058 metres across the Uncle Terry and Gorge Creek West prospects.

The programme successfully demonstrated shallow gold and silver mineralisation, details of which were announced on 1 December 2025.

Notable gold intercepts included:

·      2m @ 3.57 g/t Au from 14m - LWDR012, Uncle Terry;

·      1m @ 2.04 g/t Au from 21m - LWDR026, Gorge Creek West;

·      1m @ 1.44 g/t Au from 7m - LWDR011, Uncle Terry; and

·      5m @ 0.47 g/t Au from 14m - LWDR025, Gorge Creek West.

Notable silver intercepts included:

·      4m @ 7.18 g/t Ag from 33m - LWDR006, Uncle Terry;

·      1m @ 15.0 g/t Ag from 11m - LWDR021, Uncle Terry;

·      1m @ 10.1 g/t Ag from 14m - LWDR012, Uncle Terry; and

·      4m @ 3.33 g/t Ag from 14m - LWDR025, Gorge Creek West.

These results established the presence of a shallow gold-silver mineralised system. The latest soil programme now indicates that the structural extent of the gold system is broader than the area tested by that initial drilling.

Next Steps

The Company's geological team will incorporate the new soil geochemistry into the existing structural model for Uncle Terry and Gorge Creek West.

On the basis of the results received to date, ECR considers that a broader diamond core drilling programme is warranted to test the interpreted NNW gold-bearing structures at depth and across their full width.

A potential future drilling programme would be designed to test:

·      the principal NNW gold-bearing structure at Uncle Terry;

·      the newly identified parallel NNW gold trend to the north-east;

·      the relationship between the NNW gold structures and the NE-trending silver-bearing shears; and

·      the potential southern continuation of the mineralised system towards Gorge Creek West.

Further details of the potential exploration programme will be provided as planning progresses.

ECR Chief Geologist Adam Jones commented: "These results significantly strengthen our understanding of the gold system at Uncle Terry. Our initial drilling in 2025 confirmed shallow gold and silver mineralisation, and the latest soil results now indicate a broader NNW-trending gold structure as well as a second parallel gold trend to the north-east.

"Importantly, these structures have not yet been fully tested by drilling. The next step would be a broader diamond core drilling programme to test the gold system at depth and across its interpreted width, including its potential continuation towards Gorge Creek West."

ECR Chairman Nick Tulloch added: "These are highly encouraging results from Lolworth and, importantly, they tell us considerably more than simply where gold is present in the soil.

"ECR considers that our maiden drilling programme established that we have a gold-silver mineralised system at Lolworth. What this latest work is now indicating is that the gold component of that system may be considerably broader than the area that we initially drilled, which is an exciting development for the Project.

"Lolworth covers 946 square kilometres, including a significant amount of highly prospective ground and remains one of the largest exploration opportunities within ECR's portfolio. We have always recognised its potential scale, but as our geological understanding improves, we are beginning to identify increasingly defined structures and clearer targets across the Project.

"The identification of two NNW-trending gold anomalies, alongside the previously established silver-bearing structures, gives us a much stronger geological framework for the next phase of exploration. We are very encouraged by what these results are showing, and we look forward to continuing to build our understanding of the wider potential at Lolworth."

Review of Announcement by Qualified Person

This announcement has been reviewed by Adam Jones, Chief Geologist at ECR Minerals Plc. Adam Jones is a professional geologist and a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG). He is a qualified person as that term is defined by the AIM Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies.

Table One: Best Gold Results => 100 ppb (Uncle Terry)

Sample	Easting	Northing	Au (ppb)
LWL7713	312265.97	7751946.98	608
LWL7636	312183.78	7752096.50	532
LWL6880	312431.24	7752071.22	373
LWL7604	312182.01	7752149.55	347
LWL7625	312184.95	7752117.02	285
LWL7635	312193.15	7752092.98	275
LWL7613	312195.47	7752134.02	247
LWL8930	312128.15	7752149.93	231
LWL7568	312350.93	7752377.20	222
LWL7605	312191.37	7752146.04	192
LWL7569	312340.94	7752376.79	181
LWL7620	312208.93	7752118.49	170
LWL7622	312211.71	7752106.96	168
LWL8950	312140.46	7752212.31	168
LWL7612	312204.84	7752130.51	163
LWL7546	312352.34	7752360.94	163
LWL8929	312133.50	7752158.38	150
LWL8905	312144.92	7752147.77	145
LWL8904	312150.27	7752156.21	143
LWL8862	312224.66	7752046.40	140
LWL7642	312169.16	7752091.51	135
LWL7616	312171.48	7752132.55	131
LWL8856	312207.19	7752041.22	121
LWL7431	312327.02	7752279.85	120
LWL7572	312343.49	7752386.46	119
LWL8874	312171.37	7752145.03	112
LWL7617	312180.85	7752129.03	106
LWL8880	312156.33	7752137.16	106
LWL7583	312336.05	7752395.72	106
LWL7614	312186.11	7752137.54	103
LWL8919	312152.58	7752174.19	103

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

ECR Minerals plc	Tel: [phone]
Nick Tulloch, Chairman Andrew Scott, Director	[e-mail]
Website: www.ecrminerals.com
Allenby Capital Limited	Tel: [phone]
Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker Alex Brearley / Nick Naylor / Vivek Bhardwaj (Corporate Finance) Kelly Gardiner (Sales and Corporate Broking)	[e-mail]
OAK Securities Joint Broker Jerry Keen / Robert Bell	Tel: [phone]
Axis Capital Markets Limited	Tel: [phone]
Joint Broker
Lewis Jones
SI Capital Ltd	Tel: [phone]
Joint Broker
Nick Emerson
Brand Communications	Tel: [phone]
Public & Investor Relations
Alan Green

ABOUT ECR MINERALS PLC

ECR Minerals is a mineral exploration and development company operating through four wholly owned Australian subsidiaries ECR Minerals (Australia) Pty Ltd ("ECR Australia"), ECR Minerals (Queensland) Pty Ltd ("ECR Queensland"), ECR Minerals (Raglan) Pty Ltd ("ECR Raglan") and ECR Minerals (Paleogold) Ltd ("ECR Paleogold").

ECR Paleogold has a 50% interest in the Maddens hard rock mining project in Northern Queensland where work is underway for production this year.  It also has a 20% interest in the Salt Bush shallow open cut mining project in South Australia where preparations are underway for production which is expected to commence around mid-2027.  ECR Paleogold also owns 80% of the Tuckanarra exploration project in Western Australia.

ECR Australia owns the Bailieston and Creswick gold projects in central Victoria, Australia as well as the Tambo gold project in eastern Victoria.

ECR Raglan has a mining lease at the Raglan alluvial gold project in central Queensland, Australia and ECR Queensland has two approved exploration permits over the nearby Blue Mountain alluvial gold project.   ECR is currently working to bring the Blue Mountain alluvial gold project into production.  ECR Queensland also has three approved exploration permits covering 946 km² over a relatively unexplored area in Lolworth Range in northern Queensland. Furthermore, it has also submitted a licence application at Kondaparinga which is approximately 120km² in area and located within the Hodgkinson Gold Province, 80km NW of Mareeba, North Queensland.

Following the sale of the Avoca, Moormbool and Timor gold projects in Victoria, Australia to Fosterville South Exploration Ltd (TSX-V: FSX) and the subsequent spin-out of the Avoca and Timor projects to Leviathan Gold Ltd (TSX-V: LVX), ECR Australia has the right to receive up to A$2 million in payments subject to future resource estimation or production from these projects. 

ECR Australia also has approximately A$77 million of unutilised tax losses incurred during previous operations.

Glossary

Ag:	Silver
Au:	Gold
g/t:	Grams per tonne (Metric)
km:	Kilometres (Metric)
km²:	Kilometre squared (Metric)
M:	Metres (Metric)
ppb:	Parts per billion (Metric)
RC:	Reverse Circulation

 

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