Vior Gold expands Kinebik exploration; acquires properties

BROSSARD, Québec, June 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VIOR GOLD CORPORATION INC. (“Vior Gold Corporation”, “Vior” or the “Corporation”) (TSXV: VIO, OTCQB: VIORF, FRA: VL5) is pleased to provide an update on exploration activities for the second half of 2026. The Corporation expected to initiate its drilling program on the Kinebik project, located 40 kilometers northeast of the town of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, in early July, pending wood cutting permits. A first drill rig is expected to be mobilized during the first week of July and the second one during the third week of July.

Drilling will focus on the high-priority target of Cameron Main, located directly to the southeast of the Cartwright showing. Drilling conducted in 2024 and 2025 by O3 Mining Inc. returned values of 5.07 g/t Au over 2.8 meters and 2.44 g/t Au over 5.6 meters (Cameron Main, drillhole O3KN-24-011 unpublished by O3 Mining Inc. from SIGEOM: GM 74516). Mineralization at Cameron Main is mainly controlled by millimetric to centimetric quartz veins hosted in highly magnetic basalts strongly sheared and strongly altered in silica, sericite and ankerite.

Mineralization occurs as disseminated pyrite ranging from 1 to 5% pyrite. The mafic rocks are cross-cut by felsic porphyry dykes that are mineralized with pyrite and crosscut by quartz veins that can also carry gold mineralization. The Cameron Main zone has been traced laterally over a length of approximately 1 kilometer and vertically to 300 meters and remain open in both directions.

The second priority target will test the Florence area, that historically returned 6.56 g/t Au over 5.0 meters including 30.0 g/t Au over 1.0 meters (from SIGEOM: GM47626) and 2.26 g/t Au over 3.8 meters including 7.25 g/t Au over 1.0 meters (from SIGEOM: GM47626). Mineralization at Florence occurs in millimetric to centimetric quartz-carbonate veins in intermediate to mafic volcanic rocks altered with carbonate, chlorite and sericite and also in granodiorite. Fine grained disseminated pyrite-pyrrhotite averaging 1% is associated with veining.

Mathieu Savard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vior Gold Corporation, commented “We are thrilled about the upcoming drilling program on Kinebik, a district scale project that straddles over 55 kilometers of the scarcely explored Cameron Break. This first phase of drilling will include 15,000 meters of drilling that will focus on the Cameron Main and Florence targets. We are confident that our systematical and aggressive drilling approach can rapidly return results on the poorly explored Cameron fault.

This major fault zone has seen significantly less historical work than the Larder Lake-Cardillac or Destor-Porcupine fault zones, and remains highly prospective area for orogenic gold deposits.” Magnetic and Electromagnetic Surveys at Kinebik, Launay and Peacock (Ligneris) Between February 7 th to May 9 th , 2026 a VTEM survey flown with traverse line spacing of 100 meters was completed over the Kinebik project. A total of 4,047 line-kilometers was surveyed. In addition, a high-definition magnetic survey is in progress and is expected to be completed during the first week of July.

The survey is flown at a 50 meters line spacing and a 500 meters tie-line spacing for a total of 14,546 line-kilometers. A high-definition survey is also in progress on recently acquired claims located approximately 9 kilometers to the southwest of the Ligneris project and on two separate blocks of claims of the Peacock project north of Ligneris. Between the three blocks, the survey totalized 4,628 line-kilometers with traverse line surveyed at 50 meters line spacing.

Finally, a drone magnetic survey is in progress on the Launay project. The survey totalized approximately 5,400 line-kilometers at a 35 meters spacing. Approximately 96% of the survey has been completed.

These vast surveys cover areas with poor electromagnetic and magnetic data which will allow Vior to efficiently screen large areas for potential mineral deposits while refining the geological map. This data acquisition is crucial for the next targeting phase that will take place during the next few months. Prospecting and Mapping Programs The summer surface programs initiated in May are progressing well with a team of 10 people.

The focus remains prospecting the recently acquired projects, namely Kinebik Peacock (Ligneris) and Launay, while also covering other generative projects. Mining Rights Acquisition on Ligneris and Kinebik The Corporation consolidated small group of exclusive exploration rights (formerly known as claims) located within Vior’s Ligneris and Kinebik properties, in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue region, Québec. On December 15, 2025, Vior entered into an option agreement to acquire a total of 26 exclusive exploration rights from a group of prospectors in the Ligneris area (the “Ligneris EER”).

As consideration for a 100% interest in the Ligneris EER, Vior agreed to pay the Prospectors: (i) $20,000 in cash, payable upon signature date; (ii) 373,833 common shares of the Corporation issuable upon receiving TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange”) approval to the transaction. The prospectors will retain a 1.0 % Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalty, of which 0.5% (50%) may be repurchased by Vior for $750,000. On June 18, 2026, Vior entered into a purchase agreement with Val-d’Or Mining Corporation (the "Vendor") to acquire a 100% interest in 2 exclusive exploration rights located in the Kinebik area for a purchase price consisting of: (i) an advance royalty payment of $2,500; (ii) 250,000 common shares of the Corporation issuable upon receiving Exchange approval.

The Vendor will retain a 2.0 % Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalty, of which 1.0% (50%) may be repurchased by Vior for $2,000,000. The Corporation has also agreed to make yearly advance royalty payments of $2,500, which payments are creditable against future royalty payments owing to the Vendor. The property acquisitions remain subject to Exchange approval, and all common shares to be issued by the Corporation in connection with these acquisitions will be subject to a regulatory hold period of four months and one day from their date of issuance.

Historical results on Kinebik described in this news release are from public sources and the Qualified Person responsible for the review and approval of the technical information disclosed in this news release (see details below) has not verified the information relating to these historical results. Consequently, such information is not necessarily indicative of mineralization of the Kinebik Project. Extension of the Option Agreement with Les Mines J.A.G.

Ltd. Effective on July 1, 2026, Vior entered into an amendment to the option agreement signed on January 28, 2021 (the "Option") with Les Mines J.A.G. Ltd. ("JAG"), as amended, to extend the final payment of $2,000,000 to June 30, 2027. Vior will pay JAG $25,000 in cash per quarter until June 30, 2027.

These payments will be deductible from the final payment of $2,000,000. All other terms of the Option remain unchanged and refer to the January 28, 2021 news release of the Corporation. Qualified Person The technical content disclosed in this news release was reviewed and approved by Pascal Simard, Vice-President Exploration at Vior Gold Corporation, Qualified Person as per NI 43-101.

About Vior Gold Corporation Inc. Vior Gold Corporation is a junior mineral exploration corporation based in the province of Quebec, Canada, whose corporate strategy is to generate, explore, and develop high-quality precious metals projects in the proven and favorable mining jurisdiction of Quebec. Through the years, the Corporation’s management and technical teams have demonstrated their ability to discover several multi million ounces gold deposits in Quebec. For further information, please contact: Mathieu Savard President and CEO 418-670-1448 msavard@vior.ca www.vior.ca SEDAR+: Vior Gold Corporation Inc. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates, projections, and interpretations as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the closing of the property acquisitions, the ability to obtain the required approvals of the TSX Venture Exchange, the significance of the Corporation's expansion of the Ligneris and Kinebik district, the Corporation's planned exploration activities and long-term objectives, the potential of the Ligneris and Kinebik properties, the ability of exploration (including drilling) to accurately predict mineralization, production being achieved at any of the Corporation's properties, the significance of previous exploration results at the Ligneris and Kinebik properties, and the Corporation's ability to deliver returns to its shareholders and long-term benefits to its stakeholders. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "interpreted", "management's view", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "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 information and are intended to identify forward-looking information.

This forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Corporation, at the time it was made, involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the companies to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the parties cannot assure shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither the Corporation nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. The Corporation does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law.

A PDF accompanying this announcement is available at  http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/c9ef9e81-68bc-4b54-ac9a-69e739a23af5 Globe Newswire June 30, 2026 - 4:00 AM PDT News by QuoteMedia www.quotemedia.com