2025 Operational Highlights

ECR Minerals PLC

23 December 2025

 

23 December 2025

ECR MINERALS PLC

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

2025 Operational Highlights

ECR Plans to Advance Towards First Gold Production in 2026

ECR Minerals plc (AIM: ECR), the gold exploration and development company focused on Australia, is pleased to provide a year-end operational update on recent achievements across its Queensland portfolio, together with the key milestones that the Company aims to deliver in early 2026.

2025 Operational Highlights

Blue Mountain - Strong Alluvial Results & Visible Gold

ECR delivered some of its strongest alluvial drilling results to date, including visible coarse gold at Upper Kariboe Creek, high-grade intersections up to 6.52 grammes/bank cubic metre (g/bcm), and wash-plant trials at Lower Patterson, averaging 0.35 g/bcm under real-world conditions. Multiple unmined creek flats are now identified as potential start-up production zones.

Lolworth - Maiden Drilling Confirms Gold-Silver System

The maiden drilling programme returned multiple shallow gold and silver intercepts, including 2m @ 3.57 grammes/tonne (g/t) Gold and 4m @ 7.18 g/t Silver, indicating a broader mineralised system with strong upside and several follow-up drill targets now defined. Silver mineralisation has now been mapped well beyond the areas drilled.

Raglan - Acquisition Pending Completion & Production Pathway Secured

ECR has entered into a legally binding contract for the acquisition of the fully permitted Raglan alluvial gold project, securing a mining lease, 60-tonnes per hour wash plant, camp and mobile fleet. Following completion of the acquisition, Raglan is expected to enter production ahead of Blue Mountain and strengthen the Company's broader Queensland production strategy.  Completion of the acquisition remains expected to take place before the end of 2025.

As part of preparations for its next phase of growth, ECR has also launched a refreshed and updated website, reflecting the Company's progression from a pure explorer towards gold production.

Expected 2026 Operational Milestones

ECR enters the new year with a focused and deliverable plan:

·      Raglan: Commencement of first alluvial gold production, following completion of acquisition, site preparation and mobilisation of personnel.

·      Blue Mountain: Progression towards early-stage production, building on visible gold, expanding mineable corridors and further wash-plant trials.

·      Operational integration between Raglan and Blue Mountain, seeking to establish a scalable, repeatable alluvial production model.

·      Lolworth: Ongoing exploration for gold, silver and REE targets.

·      Progression of the proposed Creswick JV discussions with Bold Gold.

·      Strategic use of the aggregate A$76m of ECR and Raglan tax losses, expected to materially enhance early-stage future profitability for Raglan and Blue Mountain.

ECR Chairman Nick Tulloch commented: "2025 has been a pivotal year for ECR. Across the portfolio we have delivered meaningful progress: Blue Mountain continues to outperform expectations with visible coarse gold and expanding mineable areas; Lolworth has confirmed itself as a multi-metal system with gold, silver and rare earth potential; and the forthcoming completion of our Raglan acquisition gives us a fully permitted, turnkey alluvial gold operation ready to move towards production. Together, we consider that these milestones place ECR in its strongest operational position in recent years.

"We believe that the year ahead will see ECR evolve from a pure explorer into a company with nearer-term production and cashflow potential, supported by two complementary alluvial projects and substantial tax losses that enhance early economics. We enter 2026 with alignment, momentum and a clear plan to deliver a step-change year for the business.

"On behalf of the Board, I would like to wish all our shareholders, partners and stakeholders a safe and happy Christmas. We greatly appreciate your continued support and look forward to a transformational year ahead for ECR Minerals."

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 is 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.

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	[e-mail]
Alex Brearley / Nick Naylor / Vivek Bhardwaj (Corporate Finance)
Kelly Gardiner (Sales and Corporate Broking)
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 two wholly owned Australian subsidiaries ECR Minerals (Australia) Pty Ltd ("ECR Australia") and ECR Minerals (Queensland) Pty Ltd ("ECR Queensland").

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

ECR Queensland has two approved exploration permits over the Blue Mountain alluvial gold project in central Queensland, Australia, which it is currently working to bring into production.  It also has three approved exploration permits covering 946 km² over a relatively unexplored area in Lolworth Range in northern Queensland. Furthermore, ECR Queensland 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$75 million of unutilised tax losses incurred during previous operations.

 

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