St. George's, Newfoundland and Labrador--(Newsfile Corp. - September 29, 2026) - Atlas Salt Inc. (TSXV: SALT) (OTCQX: SALQF) (FSE: 9D00) ("Atlas Salt" or the "Company") announces positive results from a bench scale beneficiation program completed by Dorfner Anzaplan GmbH ("Anzaplan") of Hirschau, Germany on a bulk nepheline syenite sample from the Company's Black Bay property in southern Labrador ("Black Bay").

Summary of Key Points:

• Magnetic separation alone reduced iron oxide, the principal impurity in Nepheline Syenite deposits, from 2.84 weight per cent ("wt.%") in the feed to between 0.01 and 0.03 wt.% in product, at a combined mass recovery of 87.7 wt.%.
• The chemical composition of the samples meets typical published industry specifications for both glass and ceramic use. Iron oxide impurities are significantly below typical industry limits and below all comparable commercial reference products.
• Atlas Salt is advancing a maiden diamond drilling program at Black Bay, the first test of the occurrence at depth.

Nolan Peterson, CEO of Atlas Salt, commented:

"The results of this beneficiation program, carried out by Anzaplan, are the results we were hoping for when we sent this sample to Germany. A simple magnetic circuit - no flotation and no acid - took the iron down to a tenth of the maximum limits the glass and ceramic markets will accept, and it held close to 88 per cent of the mass while doing it. Nepheline Syenite deposits are geologically uncommon on a global scale and where favourably located. high purity, low iron deposits of significant commercial interest - North America has one nepheline syenite mine in production. Black Bay sits six kilometres from tidewater on a paved highway providing excellent access."

While the Company is encouraged by the early positive results of this beneficiation testwork, Black Bay remains a non-core but high potential asset. The Company's primary focus and management attention remain on the Great Atlantic Salt Project. The Black Bay program is being carried out with its own dedicated exploration funding.

Beneficiation Testwork

The Company retained Anzaplan on June 8, 2026, and shipped approximately 105 kilograms of nepheline syenite. This material was drawn from a 3.5 tonne bulk sample collected during the 2017 outcrop channel sampling program. Head analysis of the feed returned 58.3 wt.% silica (SiO₂), 22.6 wt.% alumina (Al₂O₃), 9.82 wt.% sodium oxide (Na₂O) and 4.72 wt.% potassium oxide (K₂O), all typical constituents of nepheline syenite. Iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) accounted for 2.84 wt.% and was the main impurity to be removed for industrial use.

Dry and wet magnetic separation reduced iron oxide to 0.01 wt.% in the coarse product and 0.03 wt.% in the fine product, which Anzaplan reports as significantly better than typical industry limits and substantially better than all comparable commercial reference products. An optimized dry test held iron oxide at 0.03 wt.% while lifting stage mass recovery to 90.0 wt.%, giving a combined overall mass recovery of 87.7 wt.% of the feed.

Anzaplan identified dry magnetic separation as the preferred beneficiation method due to producing a high-quality product with coarse fraction being treatable strictly dry using belt magnetic separators as well as being operationally less complex than flotation.

The testwork was carried out at bench scale on a single bulk sample collected from surface, and the results may not be representative of the occurrence as a whole. Black Bay is an early-stage exploration property. No mineral resource or mineral reserve has been estimated for it, no economic study has been completed on it, and nothing in this news release establishes that the occurrence is economically viable. Anzaplan has recommended variability testwork, a heavy mineral identification program and a market study before process design advances further.

Significance

Anzaplan reports that the samples satisfy the chemical requirements typically specified for glass grade nepheline syenite, and that alumina above 23 wt.% and total alkali (Na₂O + K₂O) content of 15 wt.% enable a lower melting temperature and reduced energy consumption in glass melting and ceramic firing. Two filler grades ground from the combined product returned brightness of 84.6 and 87.4 per cent, the finer grade above the typical industry specification of 85 per cent, with oil absorption below the typical industry range.

The most notable characteristic of the samples produced is the low iron content. Fe₂O₃ concentrations of 0.01 to 0.03 wt.-% are substantially lower than those reported for all reference products and significantly below typical industry standards. This potentially represents a competitive advantage as iron is a critical contaminant in glass applications. Elevated levels of iron concentration can cause unwanted discoloration, reduce optical quality, and limit the suitability of a product for demanding applications.

Maiden Diamond Drilling Program

The Company's Black Bay claims have never been drilled. The Company staked the ground in 2016 on the strength of a surface showing, and all results reported to date rests on material collected from surface. The program, as designed, comprises up to 1500 metres of diamond core drilling. Core will be logged and transported to the Company's facility at St. George's, Newfoundland, for sampling. The program is intended to establish whether the grades and mineralogy measured at surface continue at depth, to collect data for a possible future mineral resource estimate, and to provide material from across the occurrence for the variability and customer qualification testwork Anzaplan has recommended.

Exploration Approval for diamond drilling has been issued by the Department of Energy and Mines. Site access work is underway, and a diamond drilling contractor has been engaged, with drilling expected to begin in Q4 2026 The $1,250,000 flow-through private placement the Company completed in May 2026 funds the program, together with funding approved under the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador's Junior Exploration Assistance 2026 program. The Company has engaged with the NunatuKavut Community Council and with Nunacor Development Corporation regarding the proposed drilling and intends to continue that engagement as the program proceeds.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Colin Hayes, P.Geo, Chief Geologist, who is a "qualified person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Atlas Salt

Atlas Salt Inc. (TSXV: SALT) (OTCQX: SALQF) (FSE: 9D00) is developing the Great Atlantic Salt Project, a wholly-owned, high-purity rock salt project on the west coast of Newfoundland, Canada, uniquely positioned to become North America's first new salt mine in nearly three decades. The Project is expected to produce 4.0 million tonnes of road salt annually for the import-dependent Eastern Canadian and U.S. Northeast markets. The 2025 Updated Feasibility Study outlines robust economics, including a 24.3-year mine life, C$188 million in average annual after-tax free cash flow, C$920 million of after-tax NPV8, a 21.3% post-tax IRR, and a 4.2-year payback. Designed as a highly electrified, low-emission operation, Great Atlantic's annual Scope 1 emissions are anticipated to equal just four Newfoundland households. Atlas is committed to responsible mining, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.

The Company also holds the Black Bay nepheline syenite property in southern Labrador, located about six kilometres from tidewater on the Trans Labrador Highway. Nepheline syenite is used as a source of alumina and alkalis in glass, ceramics and functional fillers; commercial deposits are uncommon and North America has one mine in production.

We seek safe harbour.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

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 news release. This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: the results of the Anzaplan beneficiation test program and the interpretation of those results; the potential to produce nepheline syenite products meeting industry specifications; the timing, scope, cost and results of the proposed diamond drilling program at Black Bay; the receipt of the remaining permits and completion of site access; the recommended further testwork and market study; and analysis and assumptions related thereto. Forward-looking information is generally identifiable by use of the words "believes", "may", "plans", "will", "anticipates", "intends", "could", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "projects" and similar expressions, and the negative of such expressions. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking information. The Company's forward-looking information is based on the assumptions that: bench scale results on a single surface sample are indicative of the occurrence more broadly; the Company will obtain the remaining permits and approvals required for the drilling program; a drilling contractor and the necessary site access will be available as scheduled; general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; and the Company will be able to obtain financing as required. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to: the sample tested may not be representative of the occurrence; results at bench scale may not be reproduced at larger scale; failure or delay in obtaining permits, approvals or site access, and the drilling program has previously been planned and deferred; the absence of any mineral resource or economic study for the property; the lack of an established market or off-take for any product; changes in general economic, business and political conditions; changes in applicable laws and regulations; and other risks described in the Company's public disclosure documents filed on SEDAR+. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

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Source: Atlas Salt Inc.