Vancouver, British Columbia — January 13, 2026 — Leads & Copy — AE Fuels Corporation (TSXV: AEF) has acquired 100% ownership of the South Woodie Woodie Manganese Project after paying the remaining A$450,000 and issuing 6,000,000 AEF shares. The company’s subsidiary, Advanced Energy Fuels, Inc. (“Advanced”) exercised its option with Trek Metals Ltd (“Trek”) to secure the interest, pursuant to an Option and Acquisition Agreement dated September 9, 2024.
Advanced now controls 517.5km2 of tenure in a prospective manganese province, encompassing exploration targets grading over 40% Mn, and a mineral resource estimate prepared in accordance with NI 43-101.
According to Gary Lewis, Chief Executive Officer and Director of AE Fuels, securing 100% ownership of South Woodie Woodie is a key step for AEF. Priorities for 2026 include progressing the PFS and environmental baseline studies, completing metallurgical testwork, and advancing the project toward commercialization and production of battery-grade manganese products. Discussions with government and potential supply chain partners will also progress.
South Woodie Woodie includes nine mineral exploration licenses covering 517.5km2. The Project hosts the Contact and Contact North manganese deposits and includes a suite of high-grade regional prospects. Historical drilling (418 drillholes for 39,920m) resulted in a NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource estimate of 11.3 million tonnes grading 15.0% Mn at a 10.1% Mn cut-off. Grades up to 42.8% Mn were recorded in resource drilling.
AEF has also undertaken an initial assessment of mining, processing and infrastructure considerations to guide ongoing technical work and prioritize value drivers. The company is advancing a staged, fully integrated development plan, targeting the production of High-Purity Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate (HPMSM). AEF has completed metallurgical testwork to assess beneficiation, leaching and purification pathways.
Additional programs are planned for 2026, including:
- Pyrometallurgical reduction, leaching and impurity removal on concentrate samples.
- Solvent extraction (SX) and crystallization from purified leach liquor, targeting production of battery-grade HPMSM.
- Engineering studies to advance project definition and support funding decisions.
AEF is building a battery minerals business focused on delivering high-purity manganese products into North American battery and technology markets. Manganese-based chemistries are essential for electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS) and are a key enabler for integrating intermittent renewable energy sources. AEF aims to become a supplier to North American battery and technology markets. The company will provide updates on project development milestones, supported by technical, commercial and financing workstreams.
John Levings, BSc FAusIMM., Technical Director, AE Fuels Corporation, is the Qualified Person responsible for the scientific and technical information in this release.
AE Fuels Corporation (AEF) is focused on the extraction and purification of minerals critical for the batteries that power electrification and energy storage. AEF has a multi-asset portfolio with manganese projects in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia and fluorspar prospects in New Mexico in the USA.
For further information, please contact:Gary Lewis, CEO and DirectorPhone: (+61 422 880 055) Email: gl@advancedenergyfuels.com
Source: AE Fuels Corporation
