VANCOUVER, BC — February 23, 2026 — Leads & Copy — Rio Grande Resources Ltd. (CSE:RGR)(OTCQB:RGRLF) has engaged Precision GeoSurveys Inc. to conduct a high-resolution airborne magnetic survey at the Winston Gold-Silver Project in New Mexico.
The survey will cover the entire 19.2 square kilometers of claim blocks at the Winston Project, located in the Black Range Mountains of Sierra County. This follows recently reported high-grade surface sampling results, which showed gold values up to 41.2 g/t Au and silver values up to 1,435 g/t Ag. These results confirmed an approximately 2.0 kilometre north-south structurally controlled mineralized corridor across the property.
The survey is scheduled to begin in late February 2026, contingent on weather and operational conditions. It will be flown at 50-metre line spacing across the Winston claim block, with tie lines collected at wider spacing to support data quality control.
According to Jason Barnard, President and CEO of Rio Grande Resources, the engagement of Precision represents an important step in unlocking the potential scale of the Winston Project. Barnard noted that airborne geophysics is a powerful tool for mapping structures beneath surface cover.
The data obtained from the survey is expected to help Rio Grande Resources better define the fault architecture across the property and refine priority targets. The company aims to use the data to refine its property-wide exploration model and prioritize follow-up work, as multiple mineralized zones have been confirmed across both historically developed workings and previously unsampled areas.
The airborne magnetic data is expected to help define the broader structural corridors that may control mineralization, identify branching splays and areas of structural complexity, delineate key lithological contacts and potential intrusive features, and evaluate whether interpreted trends extend between the Ivanhoe, Emporia, Little Granite and Poverty Creek areas.
Rio Grande Resources intends to integrate the survey results with its existing mapping and sampling datasets to focus future ground validation and drill planning on the most technically compelling targets.
The Winston Project is interpreted to host a structurally controlled low-sulfidation epithermal system centered along the Paymaster Fault corridor and subsidiary splays. Recent high-grade assays have confirmed mineralization across multiple structural trends, expanding the mineralized footprint beyond historically developed workings.
Upon completion, the magnetic data will be processed and leveled to produce total magnetic intensity and derivative maps. These maps will be integrated with surface mapping, channel sampling, and rock chip assay results and compared against historic workings and known high-grade zones.
The data will also be used to identify structural offsets, concealed splays, and undrilled extensions.
The goal is to generate a prioritized list of structurally coherent targets that demonstrate alignment with high-grade surface mineralization, structural continuity along the 2 km corridor, evidence of dilation zones or structural complexity, and favorable geometry for drill testing.
Following interpretation of the survey results, Rio Grande Resources intends to complete targeted ground validation and build detailed structural mapping where required to refine and prioritize targets in advance of future drill testing. Further updates will be provided as results are received and interpreted.
Mr. Jacob Anderson, a qualified person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in the release.
Rio Grande Resources is focused on unlocking the high-grade gold and silver potential within its 3,000-acre drill-ready property in the Black Range of Sierra County, New Mexico. The company holds 100% interest in the Winston project group, which includes the 2 patented historic Ivanhoe & Emporia Claims, and Little Granite mines.
Source: Rio Grande Resources
