Aztec Step-Out Drilling Extends Oxide Au/Ag Zone on Strike to +1km at Tombstone Project, Arizona; Drills 44.1m of 1.16 gpt Au and 77.7 gpt Ag (159.0 gpt AgEq) including 3.04 m of 7.5gpt Au & 465.5 gpt Ag (990.8 gpt AgEq)

• Strong oxide gold silver results from step-out drilling in the Southern portion of the Contention Target Area extend the Au/Ag Zone on strike to over 1km

• Drill hole TR25-31 intersected 44.1 meters averaging 158.97 gpt AgEq (77.7 gpt Ag and 1.161 gpt Au) including 3.0 m averaging 990.78 gpt AgEq (465.5 gpt Ag and 7.504 gpt Au)

• Drill hole TR25-27 intersected 51.7m averaging 72.7 gpt AgEq (42.87 gpt Ag and 0.427 gpt Au)

• Drill hole TR25-28 intersected 62.3m averaging 41.3 gpt AgEq (28.7 gpt Ag and 0.18 gpt Au) from surface

• 45 RC holes have now been drilled in the 2025-2026 drill program with 15 RC holes pending release as the campaign continues

• Core hole TC25-04 continues to be drilled to depth, penetrating the southern NSAMT (natural source audio-frequency magneto-telluric) target

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / January 27, 2026 / Aztec Minerals Corp. (TSXV:AZT)(OTCQB:AZZTF) ("Aztec" or the "Company") announces it has received the results from an additional five RC drill holes from its reverse circulation ("RC") portion of the 2025 drilling program at the Tombstone Property in Southeastern Arizona. The 2025-2026 drilling program has now completed 48 combined RC and core drill holes. The results from 5 RC holes drilled in the historic southern Contention Mine Area of the Contention Target are announced herein. The successful drilling of the step out drill holes south of the previous "South Spoke" Target of the Contention pit are a significant milestone indicating a much larger N-S strike extend of Mineralization than had previously been demonstrated by drilling. The strong, wide, shallow oxide gold-silver intersections have extended the Ag/Au zone from the northern property limit to now over 1km N-S on strike. Pending drill results include additional Southern Extension drill targets as well as several step out targets drilled in the immediate, westerly extension of the North Contention zone and first pass targets in the Westside Area zone.

Highlights from the RC drilling reported from the southern portion of the Contention Target include:

• RC drill hole TR25-31 was collared in the center of the southern portion of the Contention Target area and intersected 44.1 meters of oxidized mineralization averaging 158.97 gpt AgEq (77.7 gpt Ag and 1.161 gpt Au) including3.0 m averaging 990.78 gpt AgEq (465.5 gpt Ag and 7.504 gpt Au) andalso 25.8 meters from the collar averaging 17.05 gpt AgEq (13.48 gpt Ag and 0.051 gpt Au)

• TR25-27 was collared north of the center of the southern portion of the Contention Target area and intersected two zones of oxidized mineralization, from surface 51.7 meters averaging 72.74 gpt AgEq (42.87 gpt Ag and 0.427 gpt Au) and then from 62.3 m to 86.6 m (TD) 24.3 meters averaging 109.15 gpt AgEq (85.94 gpt Ag and 0.332 gpt Au). The drill hole intersected two notably mineralized zones totaling 76 meters along its 86.6m length (87.8% mineralized)

• Drill hole TR25-28 was collared adjacent to TR25-27 testing deeper, north of the center of the southern portion of the Contention Target area and it intersected two zones of oxidized mineralization, from surface 62.3 meters averaging 41.26 gpt AgEq (28.69 gpt Ag and 0.18 gpt Au) and then from 97.3 m to 112.5 m 15.2 meters averaging 13.71 gpt AgEq (11.15 gpt Ag and 0.037 gppt Au). The drill hole intersected 77.5m of notably mineralization in the first 112.5m (68.8% mineralized) from surface

All of the five RC drillholes intersected Ag-Au mineralization and expanded the southern portion of the Contention target area extents to the west, south and to depth. The majority of the intercepts show broad continuity of mineralization. All reported intersection lengths are apparent widths of mineralization, not true widths, which can range at the property from 30% to 100% of apparent widths.

Tombstone 2025-2026 Drilling Plan Completed and Pending

Core Drilling Update

The core drilling portion of the program in 2026 continues to advance the drill hole TC25-04 targeting the large, southern NSAMT target. Currently it is at 714.3 m depth within the upper portion of the NSAMT target. Increasing frequency of intersections of hydrothermal breccias, skarning and occasional "B-type" porphyry veinlets have been observed with depth. The RC precollar portion of 91 meters from this drill hole have been shipped to the analytical laboratory for geochemical analysis.

The core rig is continuing to test into at depth the previously identified southern AMT target in the Lower Cretaceous sedimentary Bisbee formation's hornfels and quartzites and is advancing towards the thick Paleozoic carbonate formations below. Aztec has previously identified several large, strong, conductive bodies, underneath the historic gold-silver district through NSAMT (natural-source audio-frequency magneto-telluric surveys) anomalies¹.

The continued, successful drilling of the Contention pit area was supported by Aztec's 3D geologic and underground workings model that was constructed to assist in targeting potential expansion of the Contention system. The overall Contention system has yet to be defined and marks the confluence of other mineralized zones including the Westside Anticline.

Detailed Drillhole Summary Highlights (see Table 1 & 2 below):

• Hole TR25-31 - Was collared south of the center of the southern portion of the Contention Target area to test the Grand Central portion of the Contention system. It was drilled westerly and to a depth of 117 meters. The drill hole intersected two zones of oxidized mineralization, from surface 25.8 meters averaging 17.05 gpt AgEq (13.48 gpt Ag and 0.051 gpt Au) and then from 94.2 m to 138.3 m, 44.1 meters averaging 158.97 gpt AgEq (77.7 gpt Ag and 1.161 gpt Au), including 3.0 meters from 126.2 to 129.2 meters of 990.78 gpt AgEq (465.5 gpt Ag and 7.504 gpt Au). The drillhole leaves the mineralization open to depth and to the west.

View drill sections here:
Link to section view holes TR25-27/28
Link to section view hole TR25-29
Link to section view hole TR25-30
Link to section view hole TR25-31

Table 1A: Drill Results Currently Reported

Note 1: Gold and Silver equivalents are calculated using a 70:1 silver:gold ratio for holes reported since November 2025, 90:1 in 2025 prior to November, 80:1 in 2023 and 2024, and a 70:1 silver:gold ratio in 2021.

The 45 RC drill holes in the current program completed to date primarily are part of a "fan grid pattern" being drilled in the Contention area since 2020. Most of the RC drill holes are oriented to test for extensions on the western, eastern borders, the southern extensions, and underneath the north-trending main Contention target zone which hosts the historic underground and open pit Contention mine. One RC drill hole tested a projected dike and fissure vein intersection under mineralized outcrops and historic shafts. The drill program has continued to identify to depth and horizontally pervasively oxidized and hematite-rich, silicified hydrothermal breccias composed of quartz feldspar porphyry dike and Bisbee Group clastic sedimentary fragments, typical of the material mined historically at the Contention Mine.

Additional mineralization types continued to be outlined by the current drilling including: manganese replacements in limestone beds and skarns, quartz veinlets, oxidized sulfide relicts as disseminations, silicification of altered hornfels, quartz feldspar porphyries and hydrothermal breccias. For the 2025 program, TR25-09 is the deepest RC hole drilled, it has an inclination of -60 degrees and was drilled to a depth of 274.4m (237.7 m vertical) remaining in mineralized and oxidized rocks most of its length.

The drilling results showed that the Contention area mineralization is still open at depth and the mineralized volume is expanding.

2025-2026 RC and Core Drill Program

The RC drilling program is targeting shallow zones associated with surface exploration and 3D geological modelling, prospective for wide oxide gold-silver mineralization, and drilling pre-collars for the deeper CRD targets. The drill program has completed 2 RC drill holes since the start of 2026, focusing on testing both the Contention Main and Southern Extension areas as step out targets and Westside Area first pass targets, with results from the first 29 holes now announced. Initial assay results continue to validate the oxide gold-silver geological setting as outlined in Aztec's geological exploration model. One core hole (TC25-03) has been successfully completed to target depth in the northern portion of the project and another (TC25-04) is currently being advanced (714.3 m) testing the southern AMT target.

The primary objectives of the 2025 drilling program were to: Expand the known mineralization horizontally to the west, north and south, and down dip beyond the holes drilled by Aztec in 2020-24 at the Contention Pit with step outs to enlarge the shallow, broad, bulk tonnage gold-silver mineralization discovered there; test by core drilling the initial deep CRD targets and also, to explore with first pass drilling new targets identified in the Westside area.

Table 1B: Tombstone 2025 Previously Reported Results