North Sky Metals Completes Maiden Drill Program at the Natlan Project, British Columbia; Assays Pending

North Sky Metals completed 4,372 metres of drilling at Natlan; assays are pending.

What the company is saying

North Sky Metals Corp. is announcing the completion of its 2026 diamond drill program at the Natlan Project in British Columbia, highlighting that 12 holes totaling 4,372 metres were drilled across the Ace and West targets. The company emphasizes that this is the first-ever drilling at the Ace porphyry copper-molybdenum target and a follow-up at the West gold target, both defined by strong geochemical and geophysical anomalies. Management, led by President and CEO Scott Ansell and Exploration Manager Arron Albano, frames the program as a milestone following three years of systematic mapping, sampling, and geophysics, and stresses that the project is fully permitted for further exploration. The narrative is data-driven, specifying the number of samples (2,286 core and 384 QA/QC) delivered for assay and the technical basis for target selection. The company also notes ongoing engagement with the Gitxsan Nation Hereditary Chiefs and support from local businesses. The tone is confident but measured, with clear next steps focused on integrating pending assay results and planning for a first drill test at the East target in 2027.

What the data suggests

The company drilled 12 diamond drill holes totaling 4,372 metres in 2026, split between the Ace target (six holes, 2,507 metres) and the West target (six holes, 1,865 metres). At Ace, drilling tested a 1.75 km by 0.9 km copper-molybdenum soil anomaly with associated gold and silver, supported by IP and magnetic anomalies; high-grade grab samples from Ace returned up to 2.12% copper, 0.83% molybdenum, 13.3 g/t gold, and 1,800 g/t silver. At West, drilling targeted a 900 m by 550 m gold-arsenic soil anomaly, with 2022 grab samples returning gold grades of 10.7, 5.26, 3.38, and 2.95 g/t, and recent samples up to 1.72 g/t gold. The undrilled East target, permitted for a 2027 drill program, has grab samples up to 3.0% copper, 1.25% molybdenum, 21.9 g/t gold, 224 g/t silver, and tungsten up to 0.134% W in rock and 0.052% W in talus fines. A total of 2,286 core samples and 384 QA/QC samples were delivered for assay, with results pending. Permits are in place for up to 100 drill sites and 115 line-km of IP surveys, valid to March 2031 for Natlan and March 2030 for Ace. The company has completed a 360 line-km airborne magnetic survey and 24 line-km of IP, and the project covers 10,065 hectares across 14 mineral tenures. No resource estimate or economic study is disclosed; all current results are pre-assay and pre-resource.

Analysis

The announcement is factual and proportionate, focusing on the completion of the 2026 drill program at the Natlan Project and providing extensive operational detail: 12 holes drilled (4,372 metres), samples delivered for assay, and completion of geophysical surveys. Most claims are realised and supported by specific numerical data. Forward-looking statements (e.g., first drill test at East target in 2027, pending assay results) are clearly separated from realised milestones and do not dominate the narrative. There is no exaggerated language or overstatement of future value; the tone is positive but restrained, with no claims of imminent resource estimates or economic studies. The capital intensity is not flagged, as the disclosed activities (drilling, sampling, surveys) are typical for an exploration-stage company and are already completed. The gap between narrative and evidence is minimal, with the only forward-looking elements being routine next steps for an explorer.

Risk flags

• ●Assay results from the 2026 drill program are pending, so there is no confirmation yet of mineralization at depth or over mineable widths; this creates uncertainty about the project's potential value.
• ●All high-grade figures cited are from grab samples, which may not be representative of the broader mineralized system; there is a risk that drilling may not intersect similar grades or continuity.
• ●The East target, while permitted and showing promising surface geochemistry, remains undrilled and untested, so its actual potential is speculative until drilling occurs in 2027.
• ●The project is located within the traditional territory of the Gitxsan Nation, and while engagement is ongoing and described as positive, long-term social license and permitting could be impacted by changes in community priorities or relationships.
• ●No financial data, cost disclosures, or funding details for ongoing exploration are provided, so the company's ability to sustain multi-year programs depends on future financing or capital availability.

Bottom line

North Sky Metals has completed a substantial 2026 drill program at its Natlan Project, with 12 holes totaling 4,372 metres across two key targets and a third target fully permitted for drilling in 2027. The technical groundwork is strong, with systematic geochemistry, geophysics, and community engagement, and the company has delivered 2,286 core samples for assay, which will be the next major catalyst. All high-grade numbers so far are from grab samples, not drill core, so the true scale and continuity of mineralization remain unproven until assays are released. Permitting is robust, with multi-year access secured, but the absence of financial disclosures leaves questions about funding for future work. Investors should focus on the upcoming assay results and the planned 2027 East target drilling as the main value inflection points. The most important takeaway is that while operational progress is real, the project's economic potential will only become clear once drill assays are reported.

Announcement summary

(TSXV:NSKY) North Sky Metals Corp. announced the completion of its 2026 diamond drill program at the Natlan Project, located in west-central British Columbia, approximately 24 km northeast of New Hazelton. The company drilled 12 diamond drill holes totaling 4,372 metres to test two targets: the Ace porphyry copper-molybdenum target (with associated gold and silver) and the West gold target. At Ace, six holes totaling 2,507 metres were drilled to test a 1.75 km by 0.9 km copper-molybdenum soil anomaly, which also has associated silver and gold values, IP chargeability highs, a ring-shaped magnetic high, and mapped potassic and phyllic alteration. At West, six holes totaling 1,865 metres were drilled to follow up on historical drilling and test approximately 350 metres of a 900-metre-long by 550-metre-wide gold-arsenic soil anomaly with coincident chargeability and resistivity anomalies. The undrilled East target, an approximately 2.5 km long copper-molybdenum-gold-silver trend with a tungsten geochemical anomaly, is fully permitted for its first drill test planned in summer 2027. A total of 2,286 half-core samples and 384 QA/QC samples have been delivered to ALS for gold fire assay and multi-element analysis. Multi-year area-based (MYAB) permits cover follow-up drilling at Natlan to March 2031 and at Ace to March 2030, authorizing up to 100 helicopter-supported drill sites and 115 line-km of IP surveys across Ace, West, and East. High-grade grab samples at Ace have returned up to 2.12% copper, 0.83% molybdenum, 13.3 g/t gold, and 1,800 g/t silver. At the East target, grab samples have returned up to 3.0% copper, 1.25% molybdenum, 21.9 g/t gold, and 224 g/t silver, with tungsten in rock samples up to 0.134% W (1,340 ppm) and in talus fines up to 0.052% W (520 ppm). At West, 2022 grab samples returned gold grades of 10.7, 5.26, 3.38, and 2.95 g/t, and follow-up sampling in 2024 and 2025 returned up to 1.72 g/t gold. North Sky has also completed a helicopter-borne MobileMT electromagnetic and magnetic survey over the entire Natlan Project, with interpretation of the final data underway. The Natlan Project consists of 14 contiguous mineral tenures covering 10,065 hectares, with North Sky owning 100% of the Ace claims and holding an option to earn a 100% interest in the Natlan claims. The project is located within the traditional territory of the Gitxsan Nation, and North Sky maintains ongoing engagement with the Hereditary Chiefs Luutkudziiwus and Yagosip, including regular meetings and helicopter visits. The 2026 program was supported by local and regional businesses, including Raven 37 for field labour and Skookum Daxgyet Services for drill pad construction. The scientific and technical information in the release was reviewed and approved by Arron Albano, B.Sc., P.Geo., Exploration Manager for North Sky Metals Corp., who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

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