Valkea Resources Commences Exploration of New Paana Project Targets

Valkea Resources Corp., a geoscience-led exploration company focused on making new gold and base metals discoveries in Northern Finland's prospective Central Lapland Greenstone Belt, has commenced systematic exploration of its 24 new, high-ranking prospects. The company's 100% owned Paana Project comprises four licence areas totaling 93 square kilometers, which includes Paana Central, Paana West, Paana W2, and Paanapyytö. Paana hosts 12 of the 24 new targets identified by Valkea using geophysics (aeromagnetics, EM, and VTEM), structural analysis, and existing base of till (BoT) anomalism (Au).

The systematic exploration has begun with diamond drilling of the first new target, Kari, which was completed in August. The diamond drilling of Kari, the first new target, was prioritized due to its all-season access, and an initial program of 1,275 meters drilled in five holes was conducted along an E-W profile, located 2.5 kilometers south of known mineralization at Aarnivalkea West. The drilling provided an opportunity to drill-test the regional Muusa Shear, intercepting a variably deformed succession of rocks, dominated by intermediate or mafic volcanics, including pillow basalts, interbedded volcaniclastic sediments, cherty intervals, and relatively thin ironstones. The drilling returned evidence of disseminated sulphide mineralization within the more deformed host lithologies in three out of five drillholes.

Drilling of Kari was completed in August, and assays are expected in Q4 2026. The interpretation of the geological findings will inform further exploration targeting in Paana Central. The company's leadership and technical team includes key contributors to the multi-million-ounce Ikkari gold discovery made in 2020. Work is underway to make a new discovery using the same systematic and disciplined approach to identifying targets with the best potential for meaningful size and the possibility of becoming mines of the future.

Valkea's initial focus is on Paana Central, where the company has identified 12 of the 24 new targets. Previously, BoT and diamond drilling almost entirely focused on the Paana Central's Aarnivalkea West discovery. Over 17,000 meters of diamond drilling delineated a 1.3-kilometer north-trending corridor of deformed and altered greenstones associated with broad zones of gold mineralization. Updated aeromagnetic surveys have now been flown, and BoT drilling has commenced on the wider Paana licences, with an additional BoT rig scheduled to come online in October. The goal is to identify the best 5-10 targets for diamond drilling over the winter season.

Valkea's leadership and technical team includes key contributors to the multi-million-ounce Ikkari gold discovery made in 2020. Work is underway to make a new discovery using the same systematic and disciplined approach to identifying targets with the best potential for meaningful size and the possibility of becoming mines of the future. Valkea's 350 square kilometers of land package includes six principal project areas that span highly prospective regional geological structures.