KO Gold Inc. provided an update on its 2026 drilling and exploration campaign across its 100%-owned exploration permits in the Otago Gold District, South Island, New Zealand. Reverse circulation (“RC”) drilling at the Company’s Smylers Gold Exploration Permit (“Smylers EP”) is at present progressing on schedule. In addition, multiple work programs, including both RC and DD drilling are advancing at the same time at the Carrick, Hyde, Glenpark, and Carrick Range permits.

Highlights

• 21 RC holes have been completed and 1,554.4 metres have been drilled at the Smylers EP since drilling commenced on May 5, 2026. A total of 24 holes have been planned for the Smylers East and Smylers Main targets at the Smylers EP (Table 1).
• Drilling on the Smylers East target is complete, and the rig has been moved to the Smylers Main target for step-out drilling along the principal Hyde-Macraes Shear Zone (“HMSZ”) corridor.
• RC drilling samples are being submitted for analysis and initial assay results are anticipated in Q3 2026.
• Landowner access at the Smylers EP has been granted and private-landowner access negotiations at Carrick and Hyde are progressing constructively and full access is expected within days.
• A diamond drilling rig has been secured from Eco Drilling for the Carrick EP core drilling program, which is expected to commence shortly.
• An antimony exploration program has been initiated at the Carrick EP. Antimony is a designated critical mineral in Canada, USA, UK, EU, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Passive seismic data at Hyde EP is being interpreted by Resource Potentials Pty Ltd of Perth, Western Australia to map depth-to-basement and structural offsets along the western extension of the HMSZ and prioritize drill targets ahead of rig mobilization.

Greg Isenor, President and CEO of KO Gold, commented, “Our 2026 campaign is advancing on multiple fronts with drilling progressing well at our Smylers EP. At Smylers East, we are drill testing the eastern extension of the HMSZ and at Smylers Main we are testing the continuity and extension of our previous gold intercepts. At Carrick, we will be core drilling to validate high grade historical gold intersections as a start to identify and validate mineralized shoots. A diamond drill rig has been secured for Carrick and access arrangements are moving forward. The antimony potential at Carrick has been identified by recent compilation and prospecting and parallel antimony exploration is underway. The team has built real momentum, and we look forward to delivering our Smylers assay results in the third quarter of 2026.”

Exploration and Drilling Program Update

Drilling is being undertaken by Eco Drilling, an experienced New Zealand-based contractor, under a fully implemented health, safety, and environmental management system. Drill collar locations and access at the Smylers EP were finalized with private landowners in accordance with the Company’s permit conditions granted by NZP&M.

Smylers – The current program consists of both drill testing the eastern geochemical anomalies interpreted to lie on hanging-wall structures of the HMSZ and also step out drilling along the principal HMSZ corridor to test continuity of gold mineralization on the significant intersections returned by KO Gold’s 2021 drilling. Concurrent soil geochemical sampling is being conducted to refine targeting on adjacent untested areas with 250 soil samples collected to date.

Table 1: 2026 drill collar table to date

Note: assay results for these drill holes are still pending from the laboratory.

Carrick – The Carrick drilling program aims to twin and validate key historical intersections within the historical Carrick Goldfield, an area that despite past production has never been systematically tested with modern techniques or deeper drilling. A structural geology review and field mapping are underway to support drill planning and Department of Conservation (“DoC”) access arrangements are in progress. The Mineral Impact Assessment for the permit remains valid through November 2026 and notification of fieldwork commencement has been provided to DoC.

Hyde – Landowner liaison is progressing positively on the eastern side of the permit and approximately 3 line-kilometres of passive seismic data will provide target generation along the western extension of the HMSZ. A total of five drill holes are planned to test the presence of HMSZ. Exploration drilling is now being carried out by other operators on both the east and west extensions of the Hyde permit.

Glenpark – Targeting of a down-dip northeastern HMSZ extension is being progressed with drilling planned subject to scheduling and access.

Carrick Range – Over the Carrick Range application area, an initial soil geochemical sampling program has been completed with samples undergoing portable XRF and laboratory analysis to support the technical work plan. Showings of both Gold and Antimony are being prospected, sampled, and mapped at present.

Antimony Potential — Carrick EP

The Carrick Goldfield has a documented history of areas of small-scale antimony mining alongside gold, and KO Gold has begun work to assess the antimony potential of its Carrick EP through rock-chip sampling and mapping, with further work and drill testing to follow. The recent inspection and sampling of the old showing within the Carrick EP known as Pipe Clay Gully has mineralization historically assaying 25% stibnite and this area will be mapped to determine the extent of the mineralization and drilling.

Antimony has become strategically important as it is a designated critical mineral in Canada, USA, UK, EU, Australia, and New Zealand, and is used in defence, energy storage, semiconductors, and flame retardants. China is the world’s largest producer and introduced export controls in August 2024. Prices have risen sharply and Western countries have intensified the search for new supply. This work is at an early stage, no drilling has yet tested the antimony mineralization on the Company’s permits, and it remains secondary to KO Gold’s primary focus on gold.