• Assays to 842.65 m depth for drill hole HER-25-18 have been received, returning the longest interval to date at Hercules:

  • 670.44 m of 0.45% Cu, 4.0 g/t Ag, 95 ppm Mo

  • including 212.81 m of 0.67% Cu, 10.2 g/t Ag, 128 ppm Mo

• Represents a 200 m step-out southwest of recently reported drill hole HER-25-15, which intersected 420.62 m of 0.60% Cu, 6.0 g/t Ag, 65 ppm Mo.

• Hole now being extended beyond 842.65 m as part of the 2026 campaign.

• Upon completion of HER-25-18's extension, a further 200 m step-out will be drilled from pre-collared hole HER-25-21.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2026) - Hercules Metals Corp. (TSXV: BIG) (OTCQB: BADEF) (FSE: C0X) ("Hercules" or the "Company") is pleased to report additional drill results from its 2025 exploration campaign at the Leviathan porphyry copper system, located on its 100%-owned Hercules Property in western Idaho (the "Property").

Drill hole HER-25-18 has returned the longest mineralized interval encountered to date at Leviathan, intersecting 670 metres grading 0.45% copper, 4.0 g/t silver, and 95 ppm molybdenum, including 212.81 metres grading 0.67% copper, 10.2 g/t silver, and 128 ppm molybdenum. The intercept begins at a true vertical depth of approximately 150 metres below surface and remains open further down hole, with drilling currently being extended beyond 842.65 metres.

HER-25-18 was drilled as a 200 metre step-out to the southwest of previously reported hole HER-25-15 and now demonstrates strong continuity of copper mineralization across the rapidly growing footprint of the Leviathan system. The hole intersected sustained copper mineralization over a broad interval, with higher-grade zones occurring on either side of a larger mineralized envelope, consistent with the Company's evolving porphyry model.

Drilling remains ongoing in HER-25-18, which was paused in mineralization at the end of the 2025 season. A further 200 metre step-out is planned to be completed next, using pre-collared drill hole HER-25-21, to target the continuation of mineralization along the same southwest trend.

Chris Paul, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hercules Metals, "HER-25-18 represents a significant leap forward in terms of scale and continuity at the Leviathan system. Intersecting 670 metres of continuous mineralization in a 200 metre step-out demonstrates dimensions well beyond our previous understandings of the system.

"In addition, we are now further extending the high-grade upper portion of the system, where mineralization begins at relatively shallow depths, and continuing to see strong potential for continued growth along strike to the southwest.

"With additional step-outs planned at Leviathan and a growing pipeline of high-priority targets across several kilometres of untested strike, we are focused on continuing to systematically expand the Leviathan discovery while vectoring in on new and exciting targets across our broader land package this season."

Figure 1: Drill plan with MT depth slice at 800m below surface. Hotter colours are more conductive. Copper grades shown in orange and molybdenum grades in blue. Section line D-D' for figure 2 cross-section shown.

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Table 1: Highlight Intervals

Figure 2: Cross-section D-D', showing drill hole HER-25-18.

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2025 Reconnaissance Drilling

A series of reconnaissance drill holes were completed south of Leviathan, following an initial Phase I magnetotelluric ("MT") survey completed at the start of the 2025 field season. The Phase I survey outlined a corridor of elevated conductivity associated with the Leviathan copper porphyry system, which also extends for another 5 kilometers to the south.

Subsequent Phase II MT surveying, completed at higher resolution at the end of 2025, refined this anomalous corridor into a series of discrete, vertically extensive conductive centers. One of the most prominent, the Southern Flats target, has emerged west of the 2025 reconnaissance holes HER-25-06, HER-25-16, HER-25-22, and HER-25-23 (Figure 1).

HER-25-06, the westernmost hole for which assays have been received, did not reach the intended target depth for porphyry mineralization but was drilled immediately adjacent to the newly delineated Southern Flats conductive center and returned significant silver-lead-zinc mineralization within the overlying cover sequence, including the following previously reported intervals:

• 10.7 m of 257.2 g/t Ag, 2.18% Pb, and 4.62% Zn (420.5 g/t AgEq)
• Within 119.9 m grading 31.2 g/t Ag, 0.29% Pb, and 0.86% Zn (59.7 g/t AgEq)

Drilling to the east, in other reconnaissance holes HER-25-16, HER-25-22, and HER-25-23, encountered strong concentrations of epithermal pathfinder elements in the cover sequence, and distal skarn alteration in the underlying porphyry target sequence, consistent with the outer margins of a potential porphyry copper center.

Interpretation of these reconnaissance holes, in conjunction with the newly delineated Southern Flats conductive center, signals a vector toward increased prospectivity to the west, as is now being tested by the currently in-progress drill hole, HER-25-25.

Table 2: Distal silver-lead-zinc grades in 2025 reconnaissance drill holes

Surveyed Drill Collar Locations

Table 3: Surveyed collar data for drill holes reported in this release

Tabulated collar survey data in Table 3 of the Company's February 2, 2026 news release are repeated in Table 4 below to correct for numerical errors. For clarity, the drill hole locations presented were accurately represented in both the plan and cross-section figures in that release.

Table 4: Corrected collar survey information for tabulated data presented in February 2, 2026 news release

Sample Analysis and QAQC

All drill core samples were prepped and analyzed at MSA Labs in Elko, Nevada and/or Langley, British Columbia, an ISO 17025 and ISO 9001 certified laboratory. Samples were dried and crushed to 2 mm, from which a 250 g sub-sample split was then pulverized to 85% passing a 75 micron sieve. Following preparation, assays were determined by the IMS-230 method. A 0.25 g aliquot of the prepared pulp was digested in a 4-acid solution consisting of hydrochloric, nitric, perchloric and hydrofluoric acids. 4-acid is a near total digest and only the most highly resistant minerals are not dissolved. The resulting solution was analyzed via ICP-MS and ICP-ES for 48 elements and was corrected for inter-element spectral interferences. Lower detection limits for this procedure are 0.01 ppm for silver, 0.5 ppm for lead, 2 ppm for zinc, and 0.2 ppm for copper. Mercury is not reported due to volatilization in reaction with hydrofluoric acid and gold is not reported due to the small, 0.25 g aliquot size being insufficient to overcome the nugget effect.

Samples with initial results beyond the upper detection limit of the IMS-230 method were analyzed by procedures ICF-6Ag, ICF-6Cu, ICF-6Pb and ICF-6Zn. The thresholds are 100 ppm for silver, and >1% for copper, lead and zinc.

A 30-50 g split from the crushed and pulverized samples are composited into larger 300-500 g composite samples (consisting of ten continuous samples) and analyzed for gold utilizing CPA-Au1 photon assay method. Certain material gold results from the composite samples are then selected for re-analysis, by individual sample, as a 30 g fire assay (FAS-111 Method).

MSA Labs employs internal quality control standards, duplicates and blank samples at set frequencies.

Blind certified reference materials (CRMs) and blank samples were systematically inserted by the Company into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company's quality assurance/quality control protocol.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved for disclosure by Dillon Hume, P.Geo. and Vice President, Exploration for the Company. Mr. Hume is a "Qualified Person" for Hercules Metals within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Hercules Metals Corp.

Hercules Metals Corp. (TSXV: BIG) (OTCQB: BADEF) (FSE: C0X) is an exploration Company focused on developing America's newest porphyry copper district, in Idaho.

The 100% owned Hercules Project, located northwest of Cambridge, hosts the newly discovered Leviathan porphyry copper system, one of the most important new discoveries in the country to date. The Company is well positioned for growth through continued drilling, supported by a strategic investment from Barrick Mining Corporation.

With the potential for significant scale, the Company's management and board of directors aims to deliver value to shareholders through proven discovery success.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. Any securities referred to herein have not and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws of an exemption from such registration is available.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain information that may be deemed "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may include, without limitation, the expected execution of future exploration programs on the Property; assay results of future drill holes; results of operations, and the expected financial performance of the Company.

Although the Company believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by its nature, forward-looking information involves assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions; the Covid-19 pandemic; adverse industry events; the receipt of required regulatory approvals and the timing of such approvals; that the Company maintains good relationships with the communities in which it operates or proposes to operate, future legislative and regulatory developments in the mining sector; the Company's ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; mining industry and markets in Canada and generally; the ability of the Company to implement its business strategies; competition; the risk that any of the assumptions prove not to be valid or reliable, which could result in delays, or cessation in planned work, risks associated with the interpretation of data, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as other assumptions risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company, including as set forth in the Company's public disclosure documents filed on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF HERCULES METALS AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE HERCULES METALS MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

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

¹ The intervals reported represent drill intercepts and insufficient data are available at this time to state the true thickness of the mineralized intervals.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/290394

Source: Hercules Metals Corp.