White Gold Corp. commences 2026 Yukon exploration program

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / May 28, 2026 / White Gold Corp. (TSXV:WGO)(OTCQX:WHGOF)(FRA:29W ) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of its fully funded 2026 exploration program on its district scale land package in the emerging White Gold District in Yukon, Canada. The primary objectives will be resource growth and expansion within, adjacent and in close proximity to the Company's known gold resources comprised of the Golden Saddle, Arc, Ryan's Surprise, and VG deposits. All four deposits remain open for expansion along strike and down-dip.

In addition to resource growth, a portion of the exploration program will be focused on further advancing discovery-stage targets, as well as towards evaluating high priority early-stage prospects for discovery potential. The fully funded exploration program supported by strategic partners including Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (TSX:AEM, NYSE:AEM) will include the largest diamond drilling campaign in company history. The Company is also continuing to advance its maiden Preliminary Economic Assessment on the White Gold Project, which is expected to be released in the near term.

White Gold Corp's property portfolio (Figure 1) includes 15,362 quartz claims across 21 properties covering ~300,000 hectares (3,000 km2), and hosts numerous prospective gold and critical mineral targets in addition to the Company's flagship White Gold Project which comprises 1,732,300 ounces of gold in the Indicated Resource category (35.2 million tonnes averaging 1.53 g/t Au) and 1,265,900 ounces of gold in the Inferred Resource category (32.3 million tonnes averaging 1.42 g/t Au) (1)(2) and remains open for further expansion (Figure 2 and 3). "We are incredibly excited to be embarking on the largest diamond drill program in White Gold Corp's history, and believe 2026 has the potential to be a transformational year for the Company. This program builds directly on the success of our very modest 2025 exploration campaign which delivered outstanding results - extending the high-grade core at Golden Saddle and successfully intersecting gold mineralization on our initial step-down holes at the Arc deposit.

Those results gave us additional confidence in the depth and strike potential of these systems, and now, with a fully funded and significantly larger program, we have the opportunity to meaningfully move the needle for growth on all four deposits simultaneously. Our objective is clear: grow ounces at Golden Saddle, Arc, Ryan's Surprise, and VG, while also advancing our most exciting near-deposit and discovery-stage targets. If the geological story continues to unfold the way the data suggests it could, we have every reason to believe that there can be significant growth and more discoveries to be made" stated Dylan Langille, Vice President of Exploration for White Gold Corp. "2026 has the potential to be a defining year for White Gold Corp. With three drill rigs turning across our flagship gold project which ranks among Canada's highest-grade undeveloped open-pit gold resource, and multiple high-priority discovery targets, this program is designed to pursue meaningful resource growth while continuing to unlock the broader potential of our district-scale land package in an emerging mining jurisdiction with exceptional geological potential.

Coupled with the anticipated release of our maiden Preliminary Economic Assessment, and upcoming spin-out of critical mineral projects, we are entering into a catalyst rich period for potential value creation and as we work to further establish White Gold as one of Canada's premier emerging gold exploration and development companies with exceptional projects backed by the right people, in the right place at the right time," stated David D'Onofrio, Chief Executive Officer of White Gold Corp. Highlights Launch of largest exploration drill program in Company history Initial drilling will focus on resource growth around all four open pit gold deposits which comprise the White Gold Project - Golden Saddle, Arc, Ryan's Surprise and VG (QV Property). Golden Saddle - Testing expansion of the high-grade core (1.1 million ounces Indicated (12.3 Mt @ 2.84 g/t Au) and 93,000 ounces Inferred (1.4 Mt @ 2.03 g/t Au), parallel zones of mineralization in both the hanging wall and footwall, and extension toward Golden Saddle West. Arc - Testing extension, both down-dip and along strike, of mineralization that is currently defined along a 1.5 km strike length but only down to 100-meters average vertical depth.

Ryan's Surprise - Expand mineralization along strike, both east and west away from currently defined mineralization VG - extend mineralization down plunge and along strike toward the east. Continued relogging and sampling of unsampled core belonging to the footwall and hanging wall host rocks at the Golden Saddle, which were not assayed in historical drilling but may bear additional mineralization potential Continued exploration across the portfolio of properties, advancing discovery-stage targets as well as assessing early-stage prospects for discovery potential. Maiden Preliminary Economic Assessment on the White Gold Project underway, and to be delivered near term.

Completion of W2 Critical Minerals Corp transaction to Spin-out of significant critical mineral assets (see Company press release dated May 5, 2026) designed to unlock the value of White Gold's critical mineral project portfolio by transferring its portfolio of copper, molybdenum, tungsten and other critical mineral properties into a dedicated, standalone publicly listed vehicle with shares to be distributed to White Gold shareholders. Resource Growth Opportunities All four of White Gold's near-surface deposits, which form the White Gold Project, are interpreted to represent structurally controlled orogenic gold systems. These deposits collectively form the Company's gold resource base in the heart of its extensive land package and all remain open for expansion.

Additional information on each of these deposits can be found below. Golden Saddle Deposit The Golden Saddle contains an open-pit resource of 1.614 M oz Indicated (31.03 Mt @ 1.62 g/t Au) and 268.7 k oz Inferred (7.84 Mt @ 1.07 g/t Au) defined by 210 drill holes for a total of approximately 61,000 m (1)(2) . Significant growth opportunity exists with parallel zones of mineralization in the hanging wall and footwall zones, the plunge of the high-grade ore shoots, and extension along strike toward Golden Saddle West and beyond.

Golden Saddle Main Zone hosts a consistent high-grade core containing 1,100,000 oz Indicated (12.3 Mt @ 2.84 g/t Au) and 93,000 oz Inferred (1.4 Mt @ 2.03 g/t Au) at a 1.0 g/t cut-off. At a 3.0 g/t cut-off, this core contains 695,000 oz Indicated (4.4 Mt @ 4.88 g/t Au) and 35,000 oz Inferred (269 kt @ 4.07 g/t Au), underscoring the robust grade profile of the deposit. Arc Deposit The Arc deposit contains 115,800 oz Indicated (4.113 Mt @ 0.88 g/t Au) and 397,000 oz Inferred (12.25 Mt @ 1.01 g/t) across a 1.5 km strike length and down to an average vertical depth of approximately 100 m defined by 73 drill holes for a total of approximately 15,000 m (1)(2) .

Limited drilling on mineralization, particularly below 120 m vertical, presents a significant potential growth opportunity to add additional ounces to the mineral resource estimate in additional to expansion in other directions. VG Deposit The VG deposit is located 11 km north of the Golden Saddle deposit. Gold mineralization at the VG deposit is hosted in quartz ± carbonate veins, stockwork and breccia zones, and pyrite veinlets, including cubic pyrite and visible gold, associated with intense-quartz-carbonate-sericite alteration, pervasive K-spar and hematite emplaced along en-echelon faults or shear zones.

Visually, the style of gold mineralization and alteration appears very similar to the Golden Saddle deposit, along with similar dominant host rocks of biotite-feldspar (± augen)-quartz gneisses. To date, the VG deposit comprises 296,000 oz Inferred (6.285 Mt @ 1.46 g/t Au) defined by 65 drill holes for a total of approximately 7,600 m (1)(2) . Gold mineralization is modelled to a maximum vertical depth of 200 m, with the geometry of the modelled mineralization being cone shaped due to limited drilling across the deposit.

A large drill campaign in 2026 will look to deliver meaningful growth to the existing resource estimate as well as explore additional targets on the QV Property, including the Chris Creek target. Ryan's Surprise Deposit Ryan's Surprise is located 1.5 km west of the Golden Saddle deposit, along a 6.5 km long x 1 km wide north-northwest trend of anomalous gold and arsenic in soils ("Ryan's Trend"), which also hosts several other prospective early-stage targets in close proximity with significant surface gold mineralization and represent further potential for expansion of this project. Gold mineralization at the Ryan's Surprise deposit is primarily hosted within a meta-sedimentary sequence dominated by banded (graphitic) quartzite and interbedded pelitic biotite schist cross-cut by numerous felsic - intermediate dikes and sills.

Gold mineralization appears to be focused within breccia and shear zones that have been affected by hydrothermal alteration and sulphide mineralization. The mineralization footprint at the Ryan's Surprise deposit measures approximately 550 m north-south by 500 m east-west to a vertical depth of 650 m remains open along strike and at depth. To date, the Ryan's Surprise deposit contains 280,300 oz Inferred (5.693 Mt @ 1.53 g/t Au) defined by 35 drill holes for a total of approximately 8,370 m (1)(2) .

Overall, given the relatively under drilled nature of each deposit and the understanding of structurally controlled and hosted orogenic gold deposit models, significant growth potential remains untested at depth and along strike across all zones. Near Resource Growth Opportunities VG East Target (Figure 4) Situated roughly 1.3 km ENE of the currently defined nearly 300,000 ounce Au VG Deposit, this target sits on the south side of the same structure responsible for the mineralization seen at VG. A 500-meter by 200-meter high Au-in-soil anomaly that remains yet to be drilled.

Golden Saddle 2.0 The Golden Saddle 2.0 target represents one of the highest-priority near-resource growth opportunities on the White Gold Project. Located approximately 2.5 km east-south-east of the Golden Saddle deposits, this target sits on the south side of the east-west strike-slip sinistral fault that acts as a primary structural control on the Golden Saddle and Arc deposits (Figure 5). Extensive spatial and geophysical analysis reveals that Golden Saddle 2.0 possesses a geological and geophysical signature remarkably similar to Golden Saddle.

The target is defined by distorted, high-gradient magnetic signature where north-south trending magnetic lineaments - interpreted as thrust faults - intersect the main east-west sinistral fault. This fault-intersection geometry creates a classic dilatational "sweet spot" for orogenic gold mineralization, characterized by near-fault brecciation and a low-pressure environment ideal for fluid flow and gold precipitation. The area is further supported by mapped ultramafic units and a robust gold-in-soil anomaly that trends east west, similar to Golden Saddle.

Ulli's Ridge and Ryan's Trend Ryan's Trend is a highly prospective, 6.5-kilometre-long by 1-kilometre-wide north-northwest trending structural corridor located just 1.5 kilometres west of the Golden Saddle deposit. This extensive corridor is defined by coincident anomalous gold and arsenic in soils and hosts the Ryan's Surprise deposit (280,300 oz Au Inferred), which remains open along strike and at depth (Figure 6). Ulli's Ridge is a standout discovery-stage target along this trend, situated approximately 3 kilometres southwest of Golden Saddle and 1 kilometre south of Ryan's Surprise deposit.

The target is characterized by a strong, multi-element soil geochemical anomaly and sits within a structurally complex zone where the regional north-northwest trend interacts with cross-cutting features. Previous drilling at Ulli's Ridge has demonstrated the presence of significant high-grade gold mineralization, highlighted by historical intercepts including 45.4 g/t Au over 1.5 m (WHTULR21D004) which was encountered within a broader 6.94 g/t Au over 19.50m, and 1.36 g/t Au over 18.50m including 5.19 g/t Au over 3.50m (WHTULR21D005). The 2026 exploration program will focus on testing the strike and depth extensions of known mineralization at Ulli's Ridge and other high-priority targets along Ryan's Trend.

The objective is to define additional near-surface ounces that complement the existing resources at Ryan's Surprise and Golden Saddle, further demonstrating the district-scale potential of this prolific structural corridor. Discovery-Stage Properties Chris Creek Trend The Chris Creek target forms a 2.2 km+ long east-northeast trending gold-in-soil anomaly, located approximately 9 km northwest of the VG deposit and appears to be similar geochemically to the Company's VG and Golden Saddle deposits. The anomaly was originally identified in 2023 and follow-up exploration work early in the 2024 field season included infill and extension soil sampling, rock sampling, and 2D inversions of ground VLF-EM survey lines.

A maiden 2024 diamond drill program at Chris Creek identified a broad zone of gold mineralization dipping moderately (30°) to the NNW (see Company press release dated February 27, 2025). The geological features of Chris Creek closely resemble those of the Golden Saddle and VG deposits, all of which remain open for expansion. At Golden Saddle and VG, gold is hosted within brittle-ductile fault zones, quartz vein breccias, and stockwork veining, like the structures seen at Chris Creek.

Initial rock sampling results suggest Chris Creek shares many of the same features as the Golden Saddle and VG deposits. The strong similarities between Chris Creek, which remains underexplored and open for expansion, and the established Golden Saddle and VG deposits, represent substantial potential for future discoveries within the Chris Creek system. The initial 2024 diamond drilling program at the Chris Creek target encountered a broad near surface gold-bearing structure injected with high density quartz veining and silica flooding.

With multiple mineralization styles (Au-Te-Ag, As-Sb, Mo-bearing quartz-carbonate veins, and skarn) across a large structural corridor, there is significant opportunity for continued geophysical surveys, trenching, and drilling to further define and expand the mineralized zones. Betty Property The Betty Property represents one of the Company's most strategically positioned and geologically compelling discovery-stage assets in the White Gold District. Located along the eastern strike extension of the Coffee Creek Fault - the principal structural control on Fuerte Metals' (TSX.V: FMT) multi-million-ounce Coffee deposit - Betty occupies a highly prospective corridor between the Coffee gold deposit and Western Copper and Gold's (TSX: WRN NYSE: WRN) Casino porphyry system.

Drilling at the Betty Ford target which is located in close proximity to the Coffee Project and contiguous to Fuerte's property package has consistently returned broad zones of near-surface high grade gold mineralization hosted within polylithic breccia units along east-west splay structures related to the Coffee Creek Fault. Recent diamond drilling has delivered multiple significant intercepts including: 3.38 g/t Au over 53 m 2.96 g/t Au over 46.5 m including 5.03 g/t Au over 25 m 5.04 g/t Au over 20.85 m 3.46 g/t Au over 50 m 8.94 g/t Au over 18.29 m Mineralization remains open for expansion, with gold traced approximately 175 m along strike and to 75 m vertical depth to date. The scale and consistency of near-surface mineralization suggest strong potential for a bulk-tonnage style system with room for expansion.

Beyond Betty Ford, the property hosts multiple additional high-priority targets including Betty Ford West, Mascot, Black Betty, and Betty White East - each defined by strong gold-in-soil anomalies and structural controls along the Coffee Creek Fault corridor. The Betty Property offers exposure to multiple deposit styles including orogenic gold, intrusion-related gold systems, and porphyry copper-gold mineralization, positioning it as a potential new district-scale discovery opportunity within the Company's broader land package. Vertigo The Vertigo target, located on the JP Ross property approximately 75 km south of Dawson City, represents an advanced discovery-stage gold system characterized by multiple mineralized structures over a 1.5 km by 650 m corridor.

Vertigo comprises at least six west-northwest striking, steeply south-dipping mineralized structures consisting of quartz veining, brecciation, and fracture-controlled sulphide mineralization including arsenopyrite, galena, and pyrite with locally visible gold. Historical RAB and RC drilling has returned significant near-surface high-grade intercepts including: 23.44 g/t Au over 24.38 m from surface 9.46 g/t Au over 22.86 m from surface 14.23 g/t Au over 6.10 m 8.11 g/t Au over 18.29 m More recently, diamond drilling confirmed the presence of broader bulk-tonnage style mineralization, including: 1.4 g/t Au over 58.4 m, including 9.10 g/t Au over 2.85 m and 6.68 g/t Au over 4.80 m Structural reinterpretation has identified multiple vein arrays with varying orientations, suggesting previous drilling only partially tested the system. The target remains largely shallow-tested and open along strike and at depth.

Given the combination of high-grade vein zones and emerging bulk-tonnage potential, Vertigo represents a compelling 2026 drill candidate with significant discovery upside. Qualified Person The technical content disclosed in this press release was reviewed and approved by Dylan Langille, P.Geo. and Vice President of Exploration for the Company, and a "qualified person" as defined under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects and has reviewed and approved the content of this news release. Assay Methodology & QA/QC Diamond drilling on the White Gold Property will consist of NQ size drill core and will be cut in half on site using a diamond saw.

Analytical work on the half core will be performed by Bureau Veritas, an internationally recognized analytical services provider, at its South Vancouver, British Columbia laboratory. Sample preparation will be carried out at its Whitehorse, Yukon prep facility and then shipped to BV's Vancouver, BC facility for analysis. All diamond drill core samples will be prepared using the PRP70-250 package, where samples are weighed, dried, and crushed to greater than 70% passing a 2mm sieve, then pulverized to greater than 85% passing 75 microns.

Samples will be analyzed by method FA430 (30g fire assay with AAS finish) for gold, and by package MA250 (0.25g, 4 acid digestion and ICP-MS analysis) for ultra-trace multi-element ICP. The work will be completed using industry standard procedures, including a quality assurance/quality control ("QA/QC") program consisting of insertion of standard, blank, and duplicate samples into the sample stream. BV also runs a comprehensive QA/QC program of standards, duplicates, and blanks within each sample stream.

About White Gold Corp. The Company owns a portfolio of 15,364 quartz claims across 21 properties covering 305,102 hectares (3,051 km 2 ) representing approximately 40% of the Yukon's emerging White Gold District. The Company's flagship White Gold project hosts four near-surface gold deposits which collectively contain resource estimate of 1,732,300 ounces of gold in indicated resources (35.2 million tonnes grading 1.53 grams per tonne gold) and 1,265,900 ounces of gold in inferred resources (32.3 million tonnes grading 1.22 g/t Au) (see the Company's news release dated October 6, 2025) (1)(2) . Regional exploration work has also produced several other new discoveries and prospective targets on the Company's claim packages which border sizable gold discoveries including the Coffee project owned by Fuerte Metals with Measured and Indicated Resources of 80.0.2 Mt grading 1.15 g/t Au for 2.96 million ounces of gold, and Inferred Resources of 21.2 Mt grading 1.17 g/t Au for 0.80 million ounces gold (3)(4) , and Western Copper and Gold Corporation's Casino project which has Measured and Indicated Resources of 2,490.7 Mt grading 0.18 g/t Au, 0.14% Cu for 14.8 million ounces of gold and 7.6 billion pounds of copper, and Inferred Resources of 1,412.5 Mt grading 0.14 g/t Au, 0.10% Cu for 6.3 million ounces of gold and 3.1 billion pounds of copper (4)(5) .

For more information visit www.whitegoldcorp.ca. (1) White Gold Corp. "White Gold Corp. Files Technical Report Demonstrating Significant 44% Increase in Indicated Resources to 1,732,300 oz Gold (35.2 million tonnes grading 1.53 g/t) and 13.4% Increase in Inferred Resources to 1,265,900 oz Gold (32.2 million tonnes grading 1.22 g/t) at its Flagship White Gold Project, Yukon, Canada" Press Release 6 Oct, 2025. https://www.whitegoldcorp.ca/news/white-gold-corp-files-technical-report-demonstrating-significant-44-increase-in-indicated-resources-to-1732300-oz-gold-352-million-tonnes-grading-153-gt-and-134-increase-in-inferred-resources-to-1265900-oz-gold-322-million-ton (2) All numbers are rounded. Overall numbers may not be exact due to rounding. (3) See Fuerte Metals press release titled "Fuerte Announces Transformational Acquisition of the Coffee Project from Newmont Corporation" dated September 15, 2025. (4) The QP has been unable to verify the information. The information is not necessarily indicative to the mineralization on the properties that are subject of the disclosure. (5) See Western Copper and Gold Corporation technical report titled "Casino project, Form 43-101F1 Technical Report Feasibility Study, Yukon Canada", Effective Date June 13, 2022, Issue Date August 8, 2022, NI 43-101 Compliant Technical Report prepared by Daniel Roth, PE, P.Eng., Mike Hester, F Aus IMM, John M. Marek, P.E., Laurie M. Tahija, MMSA-QP, Carl Schulze, P.Geo., Daniel Friedman, P.Eng., Scott Weston, P.Geo., available on SEDAR+.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "proposed", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, the Company's objectives, goals and exploration activities conducted and proposed to be conducted at the Company's properties; the proposed spin-out of its critical minerals portfolio; future growth potential of the Company, including whether any proposed exploration programs at any of the Company's properties will be successful; exploration results; and future exploration plans and costs and financing availability. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Such factors, among other things, include: The expected benefits to the Company relating to the exploration conducted and proposed to be conducted at the White Gold properties and the proposed spin-out of its critical minerals portfolio;; failure to identify any additional mineral resources or significant mineralization; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, including to fund any exploration programs on the Company's properties; business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining and mineral exploration; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); the unlikelihood that properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated; soil sampling results being preliminary in nature and are not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit; title to properties; and those factors described under the heading "Risks Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated July 29, 2020 available on SEDAR+. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information.

There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

For Further Information, Please Contact: Contact Information: David D'Onofrio Chief Executive Officer White Gold Corp. (647) 930-1880 ir@whitegoldcorp.ca SOURCE: White Gold Corp. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire ACCESS Newswire May 28, 2026 - 3:30 AM PDT News by QuoteMedia www.quotemedia.com