VANCOUVER, BC — March 2, 2026 — Leads & Copy — Kootenay Silver Inc. has announced additional assay results from nine more drill holes at its Columba High-Grade Silver Project in Chihuahua, Mexico.
The staged 50,000-meter drill program is underway with approximately 17,000 meters completed and 24 holes reported. Recent financing allows for an additional 10,000 meters of drilling, bringing the total to 60,000 meters at Columba.
Expansion drilling is the focus, with systematic ~100-meter step outs from the known resource bodies, which remain open in two or three directions. These known resource bodies host an inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) totaling 54.1 Moz of silver based on 5.92 Mt at a grade of 284 gpt (see News Release June 17, 2025).
The results include four holes targeting the D Vein and five holes targeting the sub-parallel B2/Lupe Vein System.
Highlights include:
D Vein Trend:
Hole CDH-25-230, a step-out hole, and holes CDH-25-232 and 234, were drilled to test a 200m long zone in the central D Vein trend. CDH-25-230 intercepted a thin hanging-wall vein above the D Vein target grading 0.7m of 1,020 gpt silver, 0.6% lead, and 1.5% zinc. Hole CDH-25-232 intersected a broad low-grade section on the D trend with a thin high-grade footwall vein of 3,640 gpt silver over 0.3 meters.
CDH-25-230:
Hangingwall vein system shows some high grades, roughly 100m above the Main D Vein target zone, including 0.7 meters (0.42m estimated true width “etw”) grading 1,020 gpt silver and 0.7% lead.
CDH-25-232:
16.50 meters (12.64m etw) grading 76 gpt silver, 0.1% lead, and 0.2% zinc. Footwall Vein 0.3 meters (0.23m etw) grading 3,640 gpt silver, 1.2% lead, and 3.6% zinc from a downhole depth of 457.35 meters.
Lupe-B2 Trend:
The southeasterly extension of the F Vein trend, Lupe/B2 Veins, are hosted within a broad corridor of veining oriented to the east-southeast.
Five holes from this corridor are reported, two of which, CDH-25-233 and 235, represent the deepest intersections on the Lupe Vein to date, both returning >1000 gpt silver.
This corridor of veins shows excellent potential for strong widths and high grades and remains open along strike and to depth, showing strong growth potential.
CDH-25-233:
One of the deepest intercepts on the Lupe vein to date.
Three main silver-bearing structures were intercepted, including two blind veins related to the G Vein system, then Lupe Vein and B2 Vein deeper downhole. G Vein mineralization includes 1.15 meters of 106 gpt silver immediately above a second vein hitting 1.35 meters of 122 gpt silver (from 158.4 and 161.65 meters downhole respectively).
Lupe Vein System: 10 meters (5.30m etw) of 503 gpt silver, 0.1% lead, 0.6% zinc from 372 meters downhole, including 1.10 meters (0.58m etw) of 3,620 gpt silver, 0.1% lead, 0.8% zinc.
B2 Vein System: 4.80 meters (2.54m etw) averaging 78 gpt silver, 0.2% lead, and 0.6% zinc from 392 meters downhole, open along strike and to depth.
CDH-25-235:
One of the deepest intercepts on the Lupe Vein to date. Intersected the Lupe Vein on the westernmost end of the known Lupe structure to date.
Lupe Vein intercepted within a zone measuring 9.88 meters (6.08m etw) averaging 319 gpt silver, 0.1% lead, and 0.6% zinc from 423.67 meters downhole.
Includes: 0.80 meters (0.50 etw) of 946 gpt silver, 0.25% lead, and 1.1% zinc from 426.0 meters downhole; and 0.65 meters (0.40 meters etw) of 1,030 gpt silver, 0.3% lead, and 0.7% zinc from 430.9 meters downhole.
Drilling continues with two drills as Kootenay works to expand accommodation and core storage capacity at Columba. Upon completion, the Company intends to increase the number of drill rigs at the project.
Kootenay’s President & CEO, James McDonald states that drilling continues to deliver positive results at Columba, with holes hitting good wide mineralized vein and vein stockwork breccia at some of the deepest points tested thus far on the D Vein, leaving this area wide open to depth. He also noted the wide-open potential in the Lupe and B 2 veins.
The current phase of work comprises a planned total 60,000-meter program focused on expanding the size of the resource detailed in the Company’s recent 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE). Kootenay Silver is fully funded through the completion of the current exploration drill campaign.
The Columba project is a high-grade epithermal vein system, similar in character and size to other vein districts in Mexico known to have deposited significant resources of silver or gold. The veins cut every known rock type on the project. Silver grades increase with depth from background at higher elevations to highs of kilograms per tonne at depth.
Prior to Kootenay Silver, no exploration had occurred at Columba in nearly 40 years. Kootenay acquired 100% of the project and has completed detailed mapping, LiDAR, and airborne magnetic surveys across much of the vein system.
All technical information for the Columba exploration program is obtained and reported under a formal quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program. Samples are delivered by the Company to ALS Minerals (ALS) in Chihuahua, with analysis by ALS Global in Vancouver, B.C.
Qualified Persons
The mineral resource was estimated by Ben Eggers, MAIG, P.Geo. of SGS Geological Services, an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. The Kootenay technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Dale Brittliffe, BSc. P. Geol., Vice President, Exploration of Kootenay Silver.
Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico.
Source: Kootenay Silver Inc.
