Azimut Accelerates District-Scale Gold Exploration at Wabamisk

LONGUEUIL, Québec, Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Azimut Exploration Inc. (“Azimut” or the “Company”) (TSXV: AZM) (OTCQX: AZMTF) is pleased to report significant progress from its ongoing 2026 exploration program on the wholly owned Wabamisk Property in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Québec.

The objective is to accelerate exploration across a prospective gold corridor 30 kilometres long by 2 to 2.5 kilometres wide, supported by highly favourable geological, geophysical and geochemical data.

Azimut intends to conduct a minimum 7,000 metres diamond drilling program along this corridor following the current preparatory work phase, which includes prospecting, mechanical stripping, soil geochemical and induced polarization surveys (see below).

PROPERTY-SCALE SALIENT FACTS (see Figures 1 to 6, and 12 to 15)

• Work conducted over the Rosa Zone and the Dome Sector now provides evidence that these two areas are likely part of the same broad, gold-bearing, east-west-trending structural corridor (see Figure 6).
  
• Recently completed drilling and extensive surface sampling on the Rosa Zone, along with a detailed reinterpretation of historical results from the Dome Sector, strongly support this assessment. These areas share comparable features, including gold-bearing quartz vein networks subparallel to shears with small amounts of sulphides, and tourmaline alteration. Drill core, channel and grab samples have yielded high-grade gold grades (up to 155 g/t Au over 1.0 m in drill core). Mineralized sectors have been documented mainly along sheared lithological contacts (metagraywacke/basalt; gabbro/basalt; ultramafic facies/basalt; graphitic shales/basalt).
  
• The magnitude of the combined Rosa-Dome area (2 to 2.5 km wide) strongly supports the prospectivity of the 30-kilometre-long corridor outlined on the Property, which includes, further east, the Fortin Zone, the Latour showing and other gold prospects. The corridor, which largely straddles the La Grande–Opinaca tectono-metamorphic subprovince boundary, correlates well with extensive arsenic-antimony geochemical anomalies in soil and continuous induced polarization anomalies (“IP”). The Fortin Zone, located 14 km east of the Rosa-Dome area, appears as a highly unusual 1.8-km-long antimony-gold mineralized body hosted within a thick albitic unit, interpreted as the result of large-scale hydrothermal fluid flow. The entire Wabamisk corridor remains mostly underexplored. The structural context also suggests strong potential for kilometre-scale continuity at depth.
  
• Wabamisk displays one of the strongest footprints for gold at the scale of the James Bay region, based on Azimut’s predictive analysis over a 167,500 km² surface area using the proprietary AZtechMine^TM expert system. The regional prospectivity model correlates spatially with major east-west shear zones identified on the Property. Recent exploration successes, highlighted by the Rosa and Fortin discoveries, further validate this model. The shape and strength of this footprint and its expected related mineral potential may be explained by the distinctive geometry of the Opinaca–La Grande boundary on the Property, which appears as a digitation of the Opinaca into the La Grande capable of channelling large-scale hydrothermal fluid flow. For comparative purposes only, the footprints of the Eleonore Mine (Dhilmar) and the Cheechoo Deposit (Sirios), both covered by the same regional analysis, are also displayed (see Figure 12).
  

INTENSIVE SAMPLING AT ROSA (see Figures 6 to 11, Table 1)

• Mechanical stripping using two excavators opened 10 trenches. The outcrops were extensively sampled along 101 channels, yielding 562 sawed samples for a cumulative sampled length of 540.9 metres. The 1-metre-long samples (on average) were collected perpendicular to the general geological strike and the main mineralized quartz vein system.
  
• The channels yielded 64 samples above 1.0 g/t Au, and 14 exceeding 5.0 g/t Au, including one grading 55.8 g/t Au over 1.0 m. Previous channel results were reported on October 28, 2025ⁱ. The highlights for the new channels are as follows:
  

WR02 Trench

• • 34.0 g/t Au over 3.0 m, including 43.1 g/t Au over 1.0 m and 55.8 g/t Au over 1.0 m
  • 12.6 g/t Au over 2.0 m, including 23.7 g/t Au over 1.0 m
  • 5.94 g/t Au over 2.0 m, including 9.6 g/t Au over 1.0 m
  • 1.72 g/t Au over 4.0 m
    

Dom Trench

• • 3.03 g/t Au over 5.0 m, including 5.49 g/t Au over 1.0 m
  • 1.69 g/t Au over 5.0 m, including 5.33 g/t Au over 1.0 m
  • 1.50 g/t Au over 8.0 m, including 8.45 g/t Au over 1.0 m
  • 8.71 g/t Au over 1.0 m
    

WR07 Trench

• • 2.72 g/t Au over 8.0 m, including 5.85 g/t Au over 3.5 m
  • 20.82 g/t Au over 1.0 m
  • 1.5 g/t Au over 5.0 m
  • 1.1 g/t Au over 5.0 m
    

Gesu Trench

• • 1.81 g/t Au over 4.0 m
  • 1.35 g/t Au over 4.0 m
    

• The size of several trenches was constrained by the overburden thickness. As a result, channel sampling may not fully represent the width of the mineralized system. The trenches were dug along a lateral distance of 620 metres along the mineralized zone. A few trenches returned modest or slightly anomalous results (WR10, WR09, WR08, WR01) although holes drilled below the trenches returned significant intercepts, possibly indicating that the mineralized zone widens with depth. This is exemplified by the following previously reported drill results:
  
  • 46.41 g/t Au over 3.50 m, incl. 155.0 g/t Au over 1.0 m        Hole WR26-40 below trench WR09
    
  • 7.13 g/t Au over 2.50 m, incl. 11.80 g/t Au over 1.0 m          Hole WR26-45 below trench WR01
  • 1.21 g/t Au over 10.0 m, incl. 3.64 g/t Au over 2.95 m          Hole WR26-44 below trench WR01
    

• Reconnaissance prospecting was conducted along an additional 1.5-kilometre strike of IP anomalies recently identified over the western extension of the 1.4-kilometre-long Rosa Zone (press release of May 26, 2026ⁱⁱ). A total of 114 grab samples were collected primarily along this trend. An excavator was used to reach the bedrock in nine (9) sites within this poorly outcropping area.
  The work identified three (3) new gold showings spatially correlated with IP anomalies (see Figure 6), respectively located 200 m, 1,000 m and 1,600 m west of drill hole WR25-15, the westernmost hole testing Rosa:

• • 2.36 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Au, 1.26 g/t Au (quartz veinlets with pyrrhotite in metasedimentary rocks);
  • 2.88 g/t Au (quartz veinlets with traces of pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite in metasedimentary rocks); and
  • 0.51 g/t Au (quartz veinlets and disseminated pyrite-pyrrhotite in amphibolite).
    

These results, though preliminary, reinforce the potential for a kilometre-scale extension of the Rosa Zone. Grab samples are selective by nature, unlikely to represent average grades, and may not represent true underlying mineralization.

ROSA ZONE – UPDATED KEY FEATURES

• Mineralization and alteration
• A quartz vein system with iron carbonate and minor disseminated sulphides (pyrite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite), locally displaying brecciated textures.
  
• Visible gold, including coarse gold, in quartz veins and immediate wall rocks.
  
• Multiple high-grade gold results (see press releases of September 29, 2025ⁱⁱⁱ, October 28, 2025, May 26, 2026).
  
• Alteration characterized by tourmaline and chlorite, mostly bordering quartz veins.
  

• Geometry
• The vein system, interpreted as extensional, displays two attitudes: east-west strike with a steep dip to the south, and subhorizontal to shallowly dipping to the south.
  
• Drilling and surface sampling outline a minimum 1,400-metre east-west gold-bearing strike related to shearing and quartz veining, which correlates well with the continuous IP axis.
  
• Results to date indicate good lateral and vertical continuity of the gold zone. Drilling indicates a mineralized envelope up to 20-25 metres wide along the core axis, with a steep dip to the south.
  
• A second subparallel gold-bearing trend, identified by prospecting approximately 120 metres south of Rosa, has been confirmed by drilling over a 750-metre strike length and remains open. Hole WR26-40, which delivered the best drill intercept at Rosa so far (46.41 g/t Au over 3.5 m), may be part of this trend.
  

• Geological context
• An Archean greenstone belt in the volcano-plutonic La Grande Subprovince, close to the tectono-metamorphic boundary with the metasedimentary Opinaca Subprovince. The metamorphic grade is upper greenschist facies.
  
• A quartz vein system within a sheared envelope, principally hosted in metasedimentary rocks (arenite, graywackes) and intermediate to mafic tuffaceous metavolcanics. The polarity is oriented northward.
  

• Exploration upside
  The Rosa Zone is characterized by four features indicating excellent exploration upside: 1) The large size of the system: minimum kilometre-scale with two subparallel mineralized structures 100 metres apart; 2) A continuous gold-bearing system with native gold regularly observed (in 19 of 46 drill holes), so far only tested at very shallow depths (down to 100 m); 3) A strong relationship between gold mineralization and a continuous trend of IP anomalies; and 4) A westward continuation of the trend along an additional 1.5-kilometre-strike with strong untested IP anomalies, supported by the discovery of new gold showings.

WORK UNDERWAY AND PLANNED WORK (see Figures 13 to 15, Photos 1 and 2)

• Soil survey (B horizon): 1,444 samples collected to date, including 212 for which results are pending; 4,150 additional samples in three areas where work is underway.
  
• Prospecting of new targets (326 rock grab samples collected to date); the collection of at least 1,000 rock samples is planned in 2026. A newly discovered mineralized showing on the Property displays unusual semi-massive to massive arsenopyrite mineralization associated with ankerite and tourmaline (see Photos 1 and 2). Field sampling is actively ongoing to expand this highly prospective sector.
  
• Mechanical stripping and channel sampling over new targets.
  
• IP survey to the west of Fortin, to the south of Rosa, and over the Dome Sector.
  
• Diamond drilling (minimum of 7,000 m) starting later this year: continuation of delineation drilling at Rosa, testing of the Rosa western extensions, the Dome Sector and new targets.
  

About Wabamisk

The Wabamisk Property is a wholly owned project comprising 711 claims covering 376.5 km². The contiguous Wabamisk East Property (205 claims, 108.5 km²) is concurrently explored for both its gold and lithium potential. Together, the Wabamisk and Wabamisk East projects provide exposure to a strategic 51-kilometre-long strike position in one of the most prospective belts in the James Bay region.

Wabamisk lies 13 kilometres east of the Clearwater Property (Fury Gold Mines Ltd), 42 kilometres northeast of the Whabouchi lithium deposit (Rio Tinto – Nemaska Lithium), and 70 kilometres south of the Eleonore gold mine (Dhilmar Ltd). Major powerlines pass through or close to the Property’s eastern end, and the North Road highway passes 37 kilometres to the south. The nearest town is Nemaska, a Cree municipality 55 kilometres to the southwest.

Analytical protocols and project management

Sawed channel samples and grabs were sent to Actlabs Laboratories in Val-d’Or, Quebec. Several batches of rock samples were also sent to MSALABS in Val-d’Or. Gold was analyzed using PhotonAssay™ technology, a non-destructive X-ray analytical method that directly measures gold content in crushed rock samples. Samples were also analyzed for a 48-element suite using ICP. Azimut applies industry-standard QA/QC procedures to its drilling and prospecting programs. All batches sent for analysis included certified reference materials, blanks and field duplicates. Soil samples were sent to Actlabs Laboratories for analysis using method 1A6-50, using a 50 g sample with cyanide extraction and ICP-MS finish for gold, and method UT-2-30g (aqua regia digestion with ICP and ICP-MS finish) for trace elements.

The project is under the direction of Alain Cayer (P.Geo.), Azimut’s Project Manager.

Qualified person

Dr. Jean-Marc Lulin (P.Geo.), Azimut’s President and CEO, prepared this press release and approved the scientific and technical information disclosed herein, including the previously reported results presented in the figures and table supporting this press release. He is acting as the Company’s qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Azimut

Azimut is a leading mineral exploration company with a solid reputation for target generation and partnership development. The Company controls strategic land positions for gold, copper, nickel and lithium in Quebec. Azimut is focused on several key high-impact projects:

• Wabamisk and Wabamisk East (100% Azimut), which host the Fortin Zone (antimony-gold), Rosa Zone (gold), Dome Sector (gold), and Lithos Zone (lithium);
• Elmer (100% Azimut), which hosts the resource-stage Patwon Deposit (gold) (311,200 oz Indicated and 513,900 oz Inferred^iv); and
• Kukamas (KGHM option), which hosts the Perseus Zone (nickel-PGE).
  

Azimut uses a pioneering approach to big data analytics (the proprietary AZtechMine™ expert system), enhanced by extensive exploration know-how. The Company’s competitive edge is based on systematic, regional-scale data analysis. Azimut maintains rigorous financial discipline and a strong balance sheet.

Azimut has two strategic investors among its shareholders, Centerra Gold Inc. and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, which hold approximately 12.67% and 11%, respectively, of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares.

Contact and Information
Jean-Marc Lulin, President and CEO
Tel.: (450) 646-3015 – Fax: (450) 646-3045
Jonathan Rosset, Vice President Corporate Development
Tel.: (604) 202-7531
info@azimut-exploration.com		www.azimut-exploration.com

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company’s current expectations regarding future events related to the drilling results from the Wabamisk Property. To the extent that any statements in this press release contain information that is not historical, the statements are essentially forward-looking and are often identified by words such as “consider”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “estimate”, “intend”, “project”, “plan”, “potential”, “suggest” and “believe”. The forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause such differences, particularly volatility and sensitivity to market metal prices, the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, imprecision in reserve estimates, recoveries of gold and other metals, environmental risks including increased regulatory burdens, unexpected geological conditions, adverse mining conditions, community and non-governmental organization actions, changes in government regulations and policies, including laws and policies, global outbreaks of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities, as well as other development and operating risks. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this document. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required to do so by applicable securities laws. The reader is directed to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in our most recent Annual Report filed on SEDAR+ for a fuller understanding of the risks and uncertainties that affect the Company’s business.

Neither 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 release.

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i Azimut Obtains High-Grade Gold Results from Channel Sampling on the Rosa Zone, Wabamisk Project, James Bay, Quebec
ii Azimut Drills 46.41 g/t Au over 3.50 m, incl. 155 g/t Au over 1.0 m on Rosa Zone, Wabamisk Property, James Bay, Québec
iii Azimut Starts Drilling High-Grade Gold Zone at Wabamisk, James Bay Region, Québec
iv Technical Report and Initial Mineral Resource Estimate for the Patwon Deposit, Elmer Property, Québec, Canada, prepared by Martin Perron, P.Eng., Chafana Hamed Sako, P.Geo., Vincent Nadeau-Benoit, P.Geo. and Simon Boudreau, P.Eng. of InnovExplo Inc., dated January 4, 2024. The initial MRE comprises Indicated resources of 311,200 ounces in 4.99 million tonnes grading 1.93 g/t Au and Inferred resources of 513,900 ounces in 8.22 million tonnes grading 1.94 g/t Au.