Heritage establishes year-round access and resumes drilling at Melba

    TORONTO, ON – TheNewswire - July 21, 2026 – Heritage Mining Ltd. (CSE: HML FRA: Y66) (“ Heritage ” or the “ Company ”) is pleased to announce a major infrastructure milestone at its Melba Project and recommencement of its ongoing Diamond Drill Program, located ~22km northeast from Kirkland Lake and 90km southeast of Timmins in Northeastern Ontario, Canada.     For the first time in the project’s history, Heritage has upgraded approximately 5.5 km of the former winter access trail to support year-round access for diamond-drilling and exploration equipment and crews. This improvement materially enhances the Company’s ability to conduct systematic, multi-season exploration at Melba and to follow up on the property’s encouraging historical gold results without being restricted to a short winter operating window.   With access improvements now completed, diamond drilling has recommenced. Drill hole ML3800-002 has been completed and assays are pending, while ML3800-003 is currently in progress.   Melba Diamond Drill Program Highlights:   First-ever year-round access established , following improvements to approximately 5.5 km of the historical winter trail.   Year-round access is expected to improve operating flexibility, reduce seasonal limitations and support more efficient follow-up drilling.   The upgraded access provides Heritage with the ability to systematically test and expand upon historical gold-bearing structures and previously identified mineralized zones.   ML3800-002 completed — assays pending .   ML3800-003 currently being drilled .   Drilling is focused on advancing the Company’s understanding of the controls, continuity and potential scale of gold mineralization at the Melba Project through oriented core and structural study.     The establishment of permanent access represents an important step in unlocking the Melba Project’s exploration potential.

Historical work identified significant gold-bearing quartz-vein and structural targets; however, previous exploration was constrained by limited seasonal access. Heritage can now advance the project on a year-round basis and conduct more consistent drilling, geological mapping, geophysics and follow-up exploration.   “Establishing the first-ever year-round access to the Melba Project is a major milestone for Heritage. Historically, exploration at Melba was limited by seasonal access despite encouraging gold results and a compelling structural setting.

The upgraded access allows us to move beyond short winter campaigns and systematically test the project throughout the year. With drilling now recommenced, assays pending from ML3800-002 and ML3800-003 underway, we are well positioned to accelerate the evaluation of Melba’s gold potential.”” Commented Peter Schloo, President, CEO and Director of Heritage.   The Melba project is located ~22km northeast from Kirkland Lake and 90km southeast of Timmins in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. The project is comprised of ~3,886Ha.

Melba lies along the Ross Fault, which is a splay off the Porcupine-Destor Fault Zone and is associated with development-stage and historic producing gold mines: McEwen Mine (Grey Fox Mine, +1Moz Au) ~22km away, and the Ross Mine (+1Moz Au) ~16km away. Technical Program   Heritage Mining adheres to a strict QA/QC protocol for handling, sampling, sample transportation and analyses.  Chain-of-custody protocols are designed to ensure security of samples until their delivery at the laboratory.     Drill core was boxed, covered and sealed at the drill rig site. Core boxes were labelled with the official drillhole name and identified in numerical sequence starting from beginning of the hole to the end.

Wooden blocks with the corresponding down hole meterage were inserted after every drill run. Drill core boxes were transported by drilling contactors to the onsite logging facility where Company personnel would take over the core handling.   Sampling, Sub-sampling, and Laboratory Analysis for Heritage Mining Melba Project. All drilling at the Melba project recovers NQ core.

Drill core is systematically cut in half using a diamond saw. A qualified geologist examines the drill core, marking intervals for sampling and indicating the cutting line. Sample lengths are typically 1.0 metre, adjusted to a minimum length of 0.5 metre as necessary to respect lithological and/or mineralogical contacts and to isolate narrow veins or structures that may contain higher-grade mineralization.   Technicians saw the core along the cutting lines determined by the geologist.

One half of the core is retained as a witness sample, while the other half is submitted for analysis. Individual sample bags are securely sealed and placed into sealed rice bags, which are then clearly marked with their contents. Heritage Mining submits samples for gold determination by PhotonAssay to Paragon Geochemical - Timmins. (“Paragon”).

Paragon operates under a commercial contract with Heritage Mining. Drill core samples are shipped to Paragon for sample preparation at their facilities in Timmins, Ontario. Paragon is an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory for the PhotonAssay method in addition to a variety of diverse metal determination methods. Analytical Procedures The Paragon procedure for PhotonAssay involves lab applying preparation codes INV-SAM (sample logging via barcode), PREP-PKG (weigh, dry at 100C, crushing to 70% passing 2mm, riffle split ~500g into a PA jar and 250g for pulverization to 85% passing 75 micron) followed by analytical code Au-PA01 which is a non-destructive gold analysis method using high-energy X-rays with a gold detection range from 0.015 ppm to 350ppm. After gold assays are returned, Heritage then may choose to perform multi-element assays on selected samples based on the gold results first with Paragon. In these cases, an aliquot is taken from the previously prepared 250g split for analysis by 48MA-MS (4 acid digestion followed by multi-element ICP-MS analysis for a 48 element suite). ________________________________________ Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC).   The drill program design, QA/QC, and interpretation of results are performed by qualified persons employing a rigorous QA/QC program consistent with industry best practices.

Standards and blanks account for a minimum of 10% of the samples, in addition to the laboratories’ internal quality assurance programs. Quality Control data are meticulously evaluated upon receipt from the laboratories for any failures. Appropriate corrective action is taken if assay results for standards and blanks fall outside allowed tolerances.

All results disclosed by Heritage Mining have successfully passed the Company’s stringent quality control protocols. The Company does not recognize any factors of drilling, sampling, or recovery that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the assay data disclosed. The assay data disclosed in this press release have been verified by the Company’s Qualified Person against the original assay certificates.

Heritage Mining notes that it has not completed any economic evaluations of its Melba Project , and the project does not currently have any resources or reserves.   Qualified Person     Stephen Hughes, P Geo, Strategic Advisor for the Company, serves as a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release, approving the disclosure herein.    ABOUT HERITAGE MINING LTD.   The Company is a Canadian mineral exploration company advancing its Ontario Project Portfolio in Northwestern and Northeastern Ontario. The Drayton-Black Lake , Contact Bay and Scattergood projects are located near Sioux Lookout in the underexplored Eagle-Wabigoon-Manitou Greenstone Belt . The Melba Property is located near Ramore, Ontario.  All Projects benefit from a wealth of historic data, excellent site access and logistical support from the local community.   For further information, please contact: Heritage Mining Ltd.   Peter Schloo, CPA, CA, CFA President, CEO and Director Phone: (905) 505-0918 Email: peter@heritagemining.ca    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS   This news release contains certain statements that constitute forward looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws.

These statements relate to future events of the Company. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “predict”, “potential”, “targeting”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “should”, “believe”, “outlook” and similar expressions are not statements of historical fact and may be forward looking information. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements.   Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information.

Such risks include, among others, the inherent risk of the mining industry; adverse economic and market developments; the risk that the Company will not be successful in completing additional acquisitions; risks relating to the estimation of mineral resources; the possibility that the Company’s estimated burn rate may be higher than anticipated; risks of unexpected cost increases; risks of labour shortages; risks relating to exploration and development activities; risks relating to future prices of mineral resources; risks related to work site accidents, risks related to geological uncertainties and variations; risks related to government and community support of the Company’s projects; risks related to global pandemics and other risks related to the mining industry. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward‐looking information should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release.

The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update any forward‐looking information except as required by law.   This document does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities of the Company in Canada, the United States, or any other jurisdiction. Any such offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein will be made only pursuant to subscription documentation between the Company and prospective purchasers. Any such offering will be made in reliance upon exemptions from the prospectus and registration requirements under applicable securities laws, pursuant to a subscription agreement to be entered into by the Company and prospective investors.    NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES Copyright (c) 2026 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.

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