American Critical Minerals completes drilling at AP-S-02 Duma Point, confirms potash mineralization

American Critical Minerals Completes Drilling Operations at the AP-S-02 Duma Point Well Confirming Potash Mineralization and Deep Brine Aquifers

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / September 22, 2026 / American Critical Minerals Corp. ("American Critical Minerals" or the "Company") (CSE:KCLI)(OTCQB:APCOF)(Frankfurt:2P3) is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed drilling and coring operations at the Duma Point AP-S-02 well, located at the company's Green River Project located 20 miles west of Moab, Utah.

Highlights

The Duma Point AP S-02 well was strategically positioned approximately 2,000 ft from a historic oil and gas well to validate historical drill data that reported 5.9 m grading 24.3% KCl within Cycle 5.

The well is located at the northern portion of the project, near Anson Resources' Green River Lithium Project, which was recently permitted for production of up to 10,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) per year.

American Critical Minerals is pleased to confirm:

• The presence of sylvite mineralization within the Cycle 5 potash bed, supporting the historical potash data.
• The potential for lithium- and bromine-bearing brines within two prospective zones: the Paradox Formation and Leadville Formation. Brine samples from these zones have been collected and submitted for laboratory analysis.

The Duma Point AP-S-02 Well

The purpose of the Duma Point AP-S-02 well (the "well") was to validate historic drill data and test, through coring and brine sampling, the key Paradox formation potash horizons as well as the clastic brine-bearing zones for lithium and bromine in the Paradox and Leadville formations.

The Duma Point AP-S-02 reached a total depth of 2,818 metres (9,245 feet) on September 13, 2026, signaling a key milestone for the project and the Company. During initial on-site core handling and visual logging of the recovered core, the company confirmed the presence of sylvite mineralization within the Cycle 5 potash bed. The well also fully intersected the Paradox and the upper Leadville formations encountering all expected clastic and limestone units that could be sources of lithium and bromine bearing brine.

To complement the core recovery and aquifer identification, the company acquired a comprehensive suite of downhole wireline geophysical logs (elogs) to characterize the subsurface stratigraphy and support interpretation of the targeted potash and brine bearing intervals.

Potash

The completed wireline data provides positive support for the presence of the Cycle 5 potash unit consistent with historic drilling results from the Quintana Fed 1-1 well, located approximately 0.6 kilometres (~ 2,000 feet) east-northeast of the current well. The Quintana Fed 1-1 well intersected the Cycle 5 potash bed reporting a grade of 24.3% eKCl from elogs over a thickness of 5.9m (19.4 feet). Interpretation of the wireline geophysical responses from the Duma Point AP-S-02 well indicates that the targeted potash intervals occur at depths and apparent thicknesses consistent with those identified in the historically completed Quintana Fed 1-1 well. Initial analysis of the wireline geophysical logs from the Duma Point AP-S-02 well also shows strong correlation with the potash grades and thicknesses reported from the Cycle 5 potash bed from the Quintana Fed 1-1 well.

The Cycle 5 potash core is currently being logged, photographed, and prepared for shipment to the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) in Saskatoon, Sask., where it will undergo detailed geochemical analysis. The Company will provide updates as results become available.

Lithium and Bromine Aquifers

The downhole wireline geophysical logs also allowed for the interpretation of potential lithium and bromine brine aquifers within the Paradox and Leadville Formations. Two drill stem packer tests were completed targeting the Leadville Formation limestone unit, and lower clastic units of the Paradox Formation. These formations are the same geologic units that Anson Resources Ltd. has been developing as part of their lithium development projects contiguous to the northern and southern boundaries of the Company's Green River Project.***** Brine was successfully sampled from both of these units and will be submitted to ACZ Laboratories, Inc. located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The Company will provide updates as results become available.

The well has been cemented and abandoned according to requirements and stipulations found within the State permit for the well. It is expected that the rig will be demobilized by approximately September 25, 2026.

Dean Pekeski, President and CEO stated, "We are very happy to have completed our inaugural drill program at the Green River Project. I want to thank our technical team and drilling contractors for the safe, efficient and successful execution of this program, which recovered potash core as planned and anticipated. The potash core recovered and the positive gamma ray responses from elogs that appear to be consistent with historic results is a significant and positive milestone for our Company. We are also happy to report that possible lithium and bromine brine aquifers have been sampled. We look forward to final geochemical results in the near future."

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Dean Pekeski, President & CEO

About American Critical Minerals' Green River Potash and Lithium Project

The Green River Project is situated within Utah's highly productive Paradox Basin, located 20 miles northwest of Moab, Utah. It has significant logistical advantages including close proximity to major rail hubs, airport, roads, water, towns, and labour markets. It also benefits from close proximity to the agricultural and industrial heartland of America and numerous potential end-users for its products.

The history of oil and gas production across the Paradox Basin provides geologic data from historic wells across the Project, and the wider Basin, validating and de-risking the potential for high grade potash and large amounts of contained lithium. Wells in and around the project reported lithium up to 500 ppm, bromine up to 6,100 ppm and boron up to 1,260 ppm (Gilbride & Santos, 2012). This data is reinforced by nearby potash production and the advanced stage of neighbouring lithium projects. The Paradox Basin is believed to be one of the biggest sources of lithium brines in the United States. (Source: AnsonFastmarketsPresentation - https://wcsecure.weblink.com.au/pdf/ASN/02823465.pdf).*

The Company has disclosed targets for further exploration at the Green River Project consisting of 500 million to 950 million tonnes of sylvinite (the most important source for the production of potash in North America)**** grading from 12% to 18% potassium oxide based on elog (eK2O=19% to 29% potassium chloride based on elog (eKCl)). Its target for further exploration for Lithium and Bromine is 2.1 billion cubic meters brine volume grading 71.6 to 216.3 ppm Li and 3,656 to 4,741 ppm Br.**

The Company holds a 100% interest in eleven SITLA mineral and minerals salt leases covering approximately 7,050 acres, 1,094 federal lithium brine claims (BLM Placer Claims) covering 21,150 acres, and 11 federal (BLM) potash prospecting permits covering approximately 25,480 acres. Through these leases, permits and claims the Company has the ability to explore for potash, lithium, and potential by-products across the entire Green River Project (approx. 32,530 acres). The Company is authorized to drill a total of 7 drill holes across the Green River Project.

America's largest potash company and only U.S. domestic potash producer currently produces potash from its nearby Moab Solution Mine, which the Company believes provides strong evidence of stratigraphic continuity within this part of the Paradox Basin*****. Anson Resources Ltd. has advanced lithium development projects contiguous to the northern boundary of our Green River Project and neighbouring to the south.***** Anson has a large initial resource, robust definitive feasibility study and has recently completed successful piloting operations through its partnership with Koch Technology Solutions, as well as an offtake agreement with LG Energy Solution. The Anson exploration targets encompass the combined Mississippian Leadville Formation and the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation brine-bearing clastic layers, which also underlie American Critical Minerals' entire project area (www.ansonresources.com).***

The United States imports more than 90% of its potash demand (U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2025). In November 2025, the Department of Interior added potash to its list of Critical Minerals which already includes lithium. Recent market estimates suggest that the global potash market is over US$50 billion annually and growing at a compound annual growth rate ("CAGR") of close to 5%. Annual lithium demand is now estimated to be over 1 million tonnes globally and continuing to grow rapidly.****

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dean Besserer, P.Geo., the Chief Operations Officer of the Company and a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101.

* Historical data disclosed in this news release relating to historical wells from previous operators are historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a qualified person has yet verified this data and therefore investors should not place undue reliance on such data. The Company's future exploration work may include verification of the data. The Company considers historical results to be relevant as an exploration guide and to assess the mineralization as well as economic potential of exploration projects. Any historical well data disclosed are selective and may not represent true underlying mineralization. Please refer to the report titled "Amended and Restated NI 43-101 Technical Report, Green River Potash and Lithium Project, Grand County, USA' dated January 27, 2026, and available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

** The potential quantity and grades are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource, and, while reasonable potential may exist, it is uncertain whether further exploration will result in the determination of a mineral resource under NI 43-101. Targets for further exploration for potash, lithium and bromine at the Green River Project are used to provide a conceptual estimate of the potential quantity and grade of a mineral deposit, based on known and additional limited geological evidence. It is an early-stage assessment that will help to guide further exploration, but it is not a mineral resource or mineral reserve and should not be treated as such. The report titled "Amended and Restated NI 43-101 Technical Report, Green River Potash and Lithium Project, Grand County, USA' dated January 27, 2026, and available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca provides details of the basis on which the targets for further exploration have been determined.

*** American Critical Minerals' management cautions that results or discoveries on properties in proximity to the American Critical Minerals' properties may not necessarily be indicative of the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties.

**** United States Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2024 (https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2024/mcs2024-potash.pdf).

***** The Company has no affiliation to Intrepid Potash or the Moab Mine or Anson Resources.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable 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 discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, 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, to: statements with respect to the Company's future plans and potential of its mineral properties; anticipated drilling at the Green River Project; use of proceeds from the Offering; and prospective funding of the Company.

Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Forward-looking statements also involve 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 statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recently filed MD&A.

Forward-looking information contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contact:

1100-1199 West Hastings St.
Vancouver, BC Canada V6E 3T5
T 604 551 9665
E dpekeski@acmineralscorp.com

SOURCE: American Critical Minerals Corp.

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