KO Gold Reports Assay Results from 2026 Smylers Drilling Program

KO Gold Inc. has announced assay results from its 2026 reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling programs at its 100%-owned Smylers Gold Exploration Permit (Smylers EP) in the Otago Gold District, South Island, New Zealand. The company completed a total of 23 RC drill holes and 2 diamond drill holes, totaling 2,070.7 meters between May and August 2026.

The results confirm the presence of broad, structurally controlled gold mineralization along the southeast extension of the Hyde-Macraes Shear Zone (HMSZ) corridor, consistent with the style and grade of gold mineralization that characterizes the Otago Gold District and the gold deposits presently being mined at OceanaGold's Macraes gold mine.

Notable highlights from the drilling include: - Diamond drill hole SD0046 returned 0.82 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 8.0 meters, including 4.09 g/t gold over 0.6 meters. - Diamond drill hole SD0047 returned 0.75 g/t gold over 5.9 meters, including 2.60 g/t gold over 1.3 meters. - RC drilling intersected zones of continuous gold mineralization along the HMSZ corridor, including 1.07 g/t gold over 2.0 meters (SMRC0071), 1.05 g/t gold over 4.0 meters (SMRC0084), 1.64 g/t gold over 2.0 meters (SMRC0083, including 2.60 g/t gold over 1.0 meter), 2.34 g/t gold over 1.0 meter (SMRC0084), and 1.28 g/t gold over 2.0 meters (SMRC0086).

All samples were analyzed by SGS at Macraes Flat, New Zealand, using the Chrysos PhotonAssay™ method, a non-destructive technique in which the entire jarred sample charge is analyzed for gold. Composite assay results are shown in Table 1 below.

Drilling at the Smylers EP is complete, and drilling has now commenced on private land at the Company's 100%-owned Carrick Exploration Permit, marking the first modern drill testing of the historic Carrick Goldfield.

The 2026 drilling program at the Smylers EP was designed to test two targets. At Smylers East, RC drilling tested geochemical anomalies interpreted to outline the extension of the HMSZ in that area. At Smylers Main, RC and diamond drilling tested the continuity and down-dip extension of gold mineralization intersected by the Company's 2021 drilling along the principal HMSZ corridor.

Drilling at Smylers Main was successful, with mineralization intersected in all but three holes, which were abandoned due to excessive groundwater and faulted ground. The two diamond holes returned the strongest results of the program. Smylers East drilling confirmed gold mineralization in a concordant structure above the main HMSZ. One hole in the eastern zone drilled basalt to the target depth.

Sampling, QA/QC, and laboratory analysis were carried out under the supervision of Nick Whetter, KO Gold's Country Manager and Senior Geologist. Samples were sealed in security-tagged bags at the drill site and transported under the Company's chain-of-custody procedures directly to the laboratory. All samples were submitted to SGS Macraes Mineral Services at Macraes Flat, New Zealand, a commercial laboratory operated by SGS and independent of KO Gold.

The Company's quality assurance and quality control (QAQC) program comprised the insertion of certified reference materials, blank material, and field duplicates, each at a rate of one in every 25 samples, giving a combined quality control insertion rate of approximately 12 percent. Eight certified reference materials with PhotonAssay™-certified values spanning a range of approximately 0.1 to 11.7 g/t gold were used, together with barren basalt blank material. Consistent with common practice for PhotonAssay™, the certified reference materials and blanks were pre-jarred and retained at the laboratory for insertion into the sample stream at intervals specified by the Company and are accordingly not blind to the laboratory. Field duplicates, taken as splitter duplicates for RC samples and as quarter-core duplicates for diamond drill core, are submitted blind. SGS additionally inserts its own internal monitoring standards, blanks, and duplicates. All quality control results were reviewed by the Qualified Person and were within acceptable limits.

Drilling at the Carrick Exploration Permit has commenced, with diamond drilling targeting the historic Carrick Goldfield. The current phase of drilling is being undertaken on private land within the permit, where all drilling access agreements with the relevant landowners have been completed. The program comprises 5 planned diamond core holes totalling approximately 800 meters.