Red Pine Begins Surface Trenching, Sampling at Wawa Gold Project’s Potential Open Pit Locations

10/09/2025 – 07:15 AM

TORONTO – Red Pine Exploration Inc. (TSXV: RPX, OTCQB: RDEXF) has initiated a new surface trenching and geological mapping program at its Wawa Gold Project, signaling a strategic push to refine the definition of gold mineralization within areas showing open-pit mining potential. This development follows the company’s previous announcement on May 8, 2025, outlining its intentions for the project.

Figure 1 – Plan map showing location of surface stripping.

Michael Michaud, President and CEO of Red Pine, stated that the surface trenching program is underway in the northern zone, targeting a potential open pit supported by recent drilling results indicating higher-grade gold intersections. The company believes that the mapping and sampling of near-surface mineralization offers a cost-effective avenue for gathering critical data concerning the distribution and geometry of gold mineralization. This data will be instrumental in informing future mining assessments.

Red Pine anticipates the release of an updated mineral resource estimate and preliminary economic assessment (PEA) in the first half of 2026. This PEA will incorporate the potential identified in the northern area.

North Pit Area Trenching Program: Strategic Focus

The North Pit area, situated at the northernmost section of an ore shoot in the Jubilee Shear, features the relatively uniform dioritic and tonalitic intrusions of the Jubilee Intrusive Stock. The geological consistency of the stock facilitated the development of substantial fractures, subsequently filled by gold-mineralized quartz veins both within and above the Jubilee Shear. This activity resulted in a broad zone of gold mineralization, enriched in localized areas.

The mechanized trenching operation will target the surface projection of high-grade gold mineralization across approximately 60 meters along the strike of the Jubilee Shear, within existing mining patents and leases. The company also plans to conduct smaller satellite trenches beyond the main trench, targeting significant veins to potentially extend the known mineralization. A focus will be placed on detailed geological mapping and systematic channel sampling of major quartz veins. Key drilling intersections in the North Pit area include:

• 45.38 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) over 3.13 m core length, including 141.00 g/t Au over 0.88 m in hole SD-25-559 (see press release of June 18, 2025)
• 14.51 g/t Au over 4.81 m, including 90.40 g/t Au over 0.67 m in hole SD-25-552 (see press release of May 12, 2025)
• Previous intersections from the same area reported in the National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report dated September 30, 2024 include:
  • 109.00 g/t Au over 0.86 m in historical hole U0590L3;
  • 176.00 g/t Au over 0.78 m in hole SD-16-45.

Environmental Baselines and Future Studies

Red Pine is concurrently conducting baseline studies, which include the installation of eight monitoring wells and packer testing within drill holes located in areas earmarked for potential open-pit development. These activities aim to better understand groundwater movement. Additional data collection efforts are focused on local fauna. These comprehensive environmental studies are crucial for responsible project development.

The company’s mineral resource estimation, alongside mine design and metallurgical studies, will be incorporated into the anticipated PEA, scheduled for release in the first half of 2026. These studies are designed to optimize the project’s technical and economic viability.

QA/QC Protocol

Red Pine adheres to a stringent Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) protocol. This includes meticulous labeling and sawing of drill core samples. Half-core samples are placed in numbered plastic bags, while remaining half-cores are stored at the Wawa Gold project site. Quarter-core duplicates are taken from select samples to assess gold distribution variability. Samples are transported by commercial carrier to Activation Laboratories Ltd. (Actlabs) in Ancaster, Ontario, for analysis. The company utilizes both 50-gram fire assays with an AA finish and 1-kilogram metallic screen fire assays. The latter is employed when coarse gold is suspected or when initial fire assay results exceed 2.25 g/t Au.

The QA/QC program includes the insertion of external gold standards and blanks every 20 samples, with blanks routinely placed after visually identified gold samples. Furthermore, approximately 5% of the pulps and coarse rejects analyzed at Actlabs are sent to Agat Laboratories in Thunder Bay for umpire testing. This integrated QA/QC system ensures data integrity throughout the exploration process.

Qualified Person Review

Jean-Francois Montreuil, P.Geo., and Vice President, Exploration of Red Pine, in his capacity as the Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release.

Red Pine Exploration: Company Overview

Red Pine Exploration Inc., based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a gold exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (RPX) and OTCQB Markets (RDEXF). The Wawa Gold Project is situated in the Michipicoten Greenstone Belt of Ontario, a region attracting significant producer investment. Red Pine controls over 7,000 hectares, encompassing numerous historic gold mines, positioning the company as a mineral exploration and development player within the Michipicoten region.

Red Pine’s continued exploration and evaluation of the Wawa Gold Project will be watched by investors and industry analysts as they move toward the PEA in 2026. Success in defining the open pit potential of the Northern zone could significantly improve the project’s economics, making Red Pine an acquisition target for larger mining companies looking to expand their presence in the prolific Michipicoten Greenstone Belt. The project’s strategic location and the company’s systematic approach to exploration suggest a promising future, contingent on further positive results from ongoing and planned work programs.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company. Investors are cautioned that these statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. The Company does not assume any obligation to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.