First Drill Hole Confirms High-Grade Copper Skarn Mineralization at the Birch Project

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yukon Metals Corp. (CSE: YMC, FSE: E770, OTCQB: YMMCF) (“Yukon Metals” or the “Company) is pleased to announce initial results from the 2025 drill program at its 100% owned Birch Copper-Gold Project (“Birch”), located 65 kilometers northeast of Burwash Landing, Yukon. The Company has received assays from the first drill hole, BR25-001, along with promising surface sample results from prospecting a geochemically anomalous zone 2 kilometers south of the drilling.

Highlights:

The initial drill hole encountered stacked skarn horizons containing copper mineralization over lengths of up to 21.2 meters, including multiple intervals over 3.1% copper equivalent. Drilling intersected skarn horizons extending along a 750-meter strike east-west (Figure 1); Hole 3, a 250-meter step-out to the east, encountered near-surface mineralization beginning at ~25 meters and a 46-meter thick, continuous interval of intensely skarn altered rock from 256.5 to 302.5 meters (News Release September 3, 2025). Prospecting 2km south of the drill pad returned up to 16g/t Au, 1,825 g/t Ag, and 0.43% Cu, in surface rock samples from an area coincident with a large molybdenum soil geochemical anomaly (Figure 6).

“Our team is very encouraged by results from the first of six drill holes at Birch,” said Rory Quinn, President & CEO. “We are seeing clear evidence of a copper-gold skarn system, with high-grade zones and strong alteration along intrusive contacts. Early signs of a porphyry-style source are compelling, and we are particularly eager to see what emerges from Holes 3 and 4, spaced 750 meters apart within the 1400-meter-long skarn trend, with Hole 4 located within a surface high-grade gold anomaly.”

Drill Results

The 2025 drill program at Birch consisted of 1,685m of HQ diamond drill core in six holes off 4 pads (Figure 1). Highlights from Hole BR25-001:

21.2m of 0.30% Cu (0.41% CuEq*) from 138.8m to 160m including 2.5% Cu with 0.55 g/t Au and 18.5 g/t Ag (3.2% CuEq) from 145.45–146.00m and 2.7% Cu with 0.55 g/t Au and 24.1 g/t Ag over 1.0m (3.5% CuEq) from 150.0–151.0m (Figure 2).

Figure 1 –2025 Drill Location Map with Overlain 2024 Soil Copper Anomaly.

BR25-001 intersected several copper and gold bearing skarn horizons hosted in schist units adjacent to intrusive contacts. These high-grade zones occur within foliated skarn units containing disseminated and banded sulfides.

Table 1: Highlighted Drill Hole Assay Intervals

Hole IDFrom_mTo_mLength_mCu %Au g/tAg g/tCuEq_%*BR25-001138.8160.021.20.300.083.810.41and incl145.5146.00.62.500.5518.53.20incl150.0160.010.00.390.105.760.53and incl150.0151.01.02.700.5524.13.45and283.0283.90.90.001.500.251.43and285.4286.00.60.450.455.200.93

Notes:True widths are not yet known but are estimated to be near true thickness based on current geological interpretation.*Copper equivalent (CuEq %) values have been calculated using the formula: CuEq % = Cu % + (Au g/t × 0.95) + (Ag g/t x 0.0095), based on metal prices of US $4.00/lb Cu, $3,000/oz Au, US $40/oz Ag. Recovery factors of 92% copper, 80% gold, and 60% silver were assumed based on a review of similar projects. No metallurgical test work has yet been completed at Birch.

Figure 2 – Hole BR25-001 at 149m: close-up of massive pyrrhotite > chalcopyrite within skarn horizon grading 2.7% Cu, 0.55% Au, and 24.1 g/t Ag.

Figure 3 – Cross Section View of Hole BR25-001 with Copper Equivalent and Geologic Interpretation.

Figure 4 – Hole BR25-001 from 144m. Massive pyrrhotite > chalcopyrite zones within skarn horizons hosting up to 2.7% Cu and 0.55 g/t Au.

In addition, BR25-001 contained a particularly interesting section at around 311m depth, consisting of a crowded porphyritic intrusion with pervasive silica alteration (Figure 6). The interval hosts minor disseminated sulphides that returned geochemically anomalous copper values ranging from 350 to 575 ppm. Early interpretations suggest the unit dips south and may be related to subcropping mineralized dykes mapped approximately 2 km to the south and identified during the 2025 prospecting program.

Figure 5 – Hole BR25-001 around 311m. Crowded porphyritic intrusion unit with minor disseminated sulphides and anomalous copper values.

Prospecting Results South of Birch Drill Area

Prospecting 2km south of the drill pad returned up to 16g/t Au, 1,825 g/t Ag, and 0.43% Cu, in surface rock samples from an area coincident with a large molybdenum soil geochemical anomaly.

A total of 133 rock samples were collected across the Birch property during the 2025 program, including 43 samples from an area located approximately 2 km south of the drilling area (Figure 4). This southern target, first identified by a molybdenum-in-soil anomaly in a 2012 grid and partially confirmed by Yukon Metals’ 2024 soils (News Release, October 16, 2024), is underlain by a potassium/thorium low in airborne geophysical surveys and has limited bedrock exposure. Sampling focused on float and subcrop boulders, which are considered near-source given the absence of glacial till overburden and low downslope transport of frost-heaved blocks.

Of the 43 samples collected in this region, 13 returned anomalous values in one or more of Au, Ag, Cu, Mo, Pb, W, or Zn (Table 2). Highlights from Birch Sampling Program:

16.0 g/t Au, 667 g/t Ag, 0.027% Cu, 81 ppm Mo, and 1.53% Pb from quartz-carbonate vein float with arsenopyrite, pyrite, and sulfosalts. 9.3 g/t Au, 1,115 g/t Ag, 0.20% Cu, and 5.96% Pb from a vein in subcrop with 10–15% sulfides, dominated by arsenopyrite and sulfosalts. 7.73 g/t Au, 1,825 g/t Ag, 0.43% Cu, and 1.58% Pb from vein float containing arsenopyrite, pyrite, galena, and sulfosalts. 2.98 g/t Au, 573 g/t Ag, 0.07% Cu, and 0.75% Pb from a quartz-epidote vein with arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, and sulfosalts. 2,320 ppm Mo, 0.1% Cu, and 1% pyrrhotite from a skarn horizon developed in limestone subcrop.

The diversity of lithologies and mineral associations, including quartz-carbonate and quartz-epidote veining, altered diorite, schist, and skarn horizons, points to a broad hydrothermal footprint with multiple mineralizing pulses.

High silver and lead values correlate with sulfosalt and galena-rich samples, while molybdenum enrichment and associated copper in skarn float suggest proximity to a porphyry-style source. This southern anomalous area is interpreted as potentially linked to the mineralized skarn horizons intersected in the 2025 drilling, possibly marking a feeder zone or the outer expression of a buried porphyry system.

Figure 6 – Location of 2025 Rock Samples collected near the soil molybdenum anomaly on the southeast portion of the Birch property. 2024 Rock Samples are shown with triangle symbols.

Table 2 – Highlighted 2025 Rock Samples from Southeast Birch

SampleAu g/t Ag g/t Cu % Mo ppm Pb ppm Sb ppm W ppm Zn ppm TypeLithologyK15534610,00052,890SubcropQuartz VeinK1553552.19870.03206,070255581SubcropQuartz VeinK1553571.526020.0212517,400268572SubcropQuartz VeinK1553620.3630.00171507542FloatDioriteK1553650.02