VANCOUVER, BC — January 8, 2026 — Leads & Copy — Kootenay Silver Inc. has announced additional assay results from nine drill holes completed as part of its staged 50,000-meter drill program at the Columba High Grade Silver Project in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Drilling is focused on expanding known resource bodies that remain open in all directions. The Columba vein system hosts an inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) totaling 54.1 Moz of silver based on 5.92 Mt at a grade of 284 gpt, according to a news release dated June 17, 2025.
The release highlights ongoing systematic step-out and extension drilling at Columba, including four holes targeting D Vein and five holes targeting the sub-parallel B2/Lupe Vein System. These holes are testing extensions of known mineralized structures at a nominal 100m spacing. The company is experiencing longer than usual assay turnaround times from the laboratory.
Highlights from the D Vein Trend show all holes representing aggressive extension drilling, targeting intercepts approximately 100 meters beneath the existing known extents of mineralization. The vein remains open at depth and along strike. Deeper holes on cross section show the dip of the veins flattening, consistent with structural measurements at surface that predict tighter (compression zones) areas with less mineralization. Areas where the vein dip steepens will be more open (extensional) and more strongly mineralized. The company expects this pattern to repeat itself deeper.
CDH-25-225 highlights:
- Hangingwall (blind) vein system shows some high grades, roughly 100m above Main D Vein target zone includes 7.0 meters (4.97m estimated true width “etw”) grading 186 ppm Ag, 0.1% Pb and 3.8% Zn from 405 meters downhole
- Includes 2.0 meters (1.42m etw) grading 573 gpt Ag. 0.2% Pb and 12.7% Zn
- Includes 1.0 meter (0.71m etw) grading 1,040 gpt Ag, 0.3% Pb and 21% Zn
- D Vein interval 12.9 meters (9.16m etw) meters averaging of 87 gpt Ag, 0.3% Pb and 1.5% Zn
- Sub interval 1.9 meters (1.35m etw) grading 157 gpt Ag, 1.3% Pb and 4.8% Zn.
- About 75 meters vertically deeper than CDH-25-198 grading 65 gpt Ag and 3% Pb+Zn over 9.25 meters (6.10 m etw).
CDH-25-223 highlights:
- 14.83 meters (8.75m etw) grading 135 gpt Ag, 0.1% Pb and 1.1% Zn.
- Includes 4.5 meters (2.66m etw) of 232 gpt Ag, 0.4% Pb and 1.6% Zn.
- About 100 meters vertically deeper than CDH-25-199 grading 16.5 meters (5.78m etw) of 691 gpt Ag and 4.62% Pb+Zn with 5.5 meters (1.93m. etw) of 1,725 gpt Ag and 11.6% Pb+Zn.
The vein is wide open to depth and along strike.
Highlights from the Lupe-B2 Trend show southeasterly extension of the F Vein trend. Lupe/B2 Veins are hosted within a broad corridor of veining oriented to the east-southeast. The corridor of veins is showing excellent potential for strong widths and high grades and remains open along strike and to depth.
CDH-25-222 highlights:
- Several silver bearing structures intercepted include a new blind vein high in the system, a hanging wall structure, the Lupe Vein and B2 Vein.
- “Blind vein” encountered at 131.52 meters downhole, very high in the system well above the “grade line” where high grade is expected. Thus the 2.48 meters grading 38 gpt Ag holds good potential for new high grade slightly deeper.
- Hangingwall vein; 5.59 meters (3.35m etw) of 172 gpt Ag from 221.06 meters downhole.
- Lupe Vein System; 7.6 meters (4.56m etw) averaging 299 gpt Ag, 0.5%Pb and 1.0% Zn from 379.4 meters downhole, sub interval of 0.45 meters (0.27m etw) of 1,830gpt Ag, 5.0% Pb and 6.2% Zn)
- Open along strike and to depth.
- B2 Vein System; 4.53 meters (2.72m etw) averaging 390 gpt Ag, 0.2% Pb and 0.7% Zn from 435.85 meters downhole within a wide 31 meters (18.6 meters etw) of 92 gpt Ag, 0.1% Pb and 0.2% Zn, sub interval of 1.12 meters (0.67m etw) of 882 gpt Ag, 0.4% Pb and 1.2% Zn.
- The combined Lupe/B2 vein intercepts sit within a low-grade envelope of 100.5 meters (60.3m etw) averaging 56 gpt Ag, 0.1% Pb and 0.1% Zn.
CDH-25-221 highlights:
- Lupe and B2 Veins hit good grading intercepts close to each other within a broad low-grade envelope.
- Lupe-B2 Veins were intercepted within a zone measuring 9.61 meters (7.88m etw) averaging 160 gpt Ag, 0.1% Pb and 0.3% Zn from 304.7 meters downhole.
- Lupe vein included 0.40 meters (0.33 m etw) of 537 gpt Ag, 0.1% Pb and 0.7% Zn from 304.7 meters.
- B2 Vein zone intercept of 3.47 meters (2.85 m etw) averaging 315 gpt Ag, 0.3% Pb and 0.5% Zn from 310.84 meters downhole, includes 0.52 meters (0.43m etw) of 1,295 gpt Ag, 1.3% Pb and 1.1% Zn
- The Lupe and B2 intercepts are enveloped by 61.83 meters of 49 gpt Ag and 0.1% Zn.
- Holes CDH-25-219, 221 and 222 intercepted both the Lupe and B 2 veins.
- Holes CDH-25-224 and 226 were drilled well above the grade line for both the Lupe and B 2 veins to confirm dip orientation before drilling deeper.
The company continues drilling with two drills as it expands accommodation and core storage capacity at Columba. After completion, the company intends to increase the number of drill rigs at the project.
James McDonald, President & CEO of Kootenay, said drilling continues to deliver positive results at Columba. Holes CDH-25-220, 223 and 225, along with previously announced 216, are hitting wide mineralized vein and vein stockwork breccia at some of the deepest depths tested thus far on the D Vein, leaving this area wide open to depth. He added that the wide-open expansion potential in the Lupe and B 2 veins is also impressive.
According to Dale Brittliffe, VP Exploration, the high-grade veins enveloped by wide zones of low grade underscore the huge amount of silver in the Columba vein system. He added that the company is pleased to see continued success in expansion drilling along the B2/Lupe corridor, with intervals similar to those in D Vein, characterized by broad zones of well mineralized stockwork veining either side of the high-grade vein within the main structure.
Dale Brittliffe, BSc. P. Geol., Vice President, Exploration of Kootenay Silver, 604-601-5655
Source: Kootenay Silver Inc.
