Viva Gold completes 2026 RC drill program at Tonopah gold project, Nevada

Viva intercepts 35.1 m at Midway Hills averaging 1.62 g/t Au and 16.7 g/t Ag, including 1.5 m at 18.4 g/t Au and 76.9 g/t Ag, and bottoming in strong mineralization   VANCOUVER, BC – July 8 , 2026 – Viva Gold Corp ( TSXV: VAU; OTCQB: VAUCF ) (the “ Company” or “ Viva” ) has received the final assays for the last three drill holes in its 2026 spring reverse circulation (RC) drill program totaling 3,210 meters in nineteen drill holes at its 100% owned Tonopah Gold Project (“ Tonopah,” or the “ Project” ). Tonopah is located on the prolific Walker Lane Mineral Trend in western Nevada, approximately a 30-minute drive south of Kinross Gold’s Round Mountain Mine. These final assays complete a program that has materially expanded the gold footprint at Tonopah, both within and beyond the 2025 resource pit, and the results are now being incorporated into an updated resource model to underpin the Company’s ongoing pre-feasibility study.   Highlights   Nineteen holes totaling 3,210 m were completed in the 2026 spring RC program, with all results now being incorporated into an updated resource model to underpin the Company’s pre-feasibility study (PFS).   New Midway Hills discovery: TG2617 intercepted 35.1 m @ 1.62 g/t Au and 16.7 g/t Ag (including 1.5 m @ 18.4 g/t Au and 76.9 g/t Ag) and bottomed in strong mineralization.   A three-hole fence at Midway Hills cut a major new gold zone in the Ordovician Palmetto Argillite (OPA), with grade and thickness increasing to the west; the discovery remains open in all directions.   Resource growth: 16 holes were drilled in the main pit area – 12 with significant intercepts and all returning anomalous gold above 0.15 g/t Au – developing a new zone of continuous mineralization on the southeast side of the pit.   New high-grade intercepts were returned in areas previously classed as waste or inferred, supporting the conversion of inferred material to measured and indicated resources, and ultimately reserves, in the PFS.     “Our 2026 drill program was an outstanding success.

This program resulted in major new gold intercepts within the 2025 PEA resource shell in areas previously categorized as either waste or inferred mineralization. In the western portion of the resource pit, drilling returned one of the strongest holes drilled to-date in this area. These combined results will potentially add to high-grade mineralization that can be mined early in mine life and are likely to convert inferred mineralization to measured and indicated status while also adding new zones of inferred mineralization.

In the Midway Hills prospect area of the project a three-hole fence of drilling discovered a major new zone of mineralization that is showing both increased thickness and gold grade to the west and remains open in all dimensions. These results are currently being rolled into our resource model to support our continuing PFS work on the project. This program demonstrates the robust nature of the Tonopah gold resource along with the potential for increasing overall gold resources,” stated James Hesketh, President & CEO .   Program Highlights   Midway Hills Discovery Area Three vertical exploration holes totaling 628 meters were drilled in the Midway Hills prospect area that intercepted a major gold zone in OPA below prior drilling that had primarily targeted mineralization in overlaying tertiary volcanics (TVL):   TG2617 - 56.5 m @ 1.13 g/t Au and 11.3 g/t Ag in three zones commencing at 157 meters depth including 35.1 m @ 1.62 g/t Au and 16.7 g/t Ag, which included 1.5 m at 18.4 g/t Au and 76.9 g/t Ag starting at 202.7 meters depth in the OPA.