The Smart Creek Project in Montana is operated by Domestic Metals Corp. under a joint venture agreement in which Rio Tinto retains a 40% interest. Rio Tinto contributed extensive historical drilling data, including 109.73 meters averaging 0.75% copper (with an 89-meter intercept at 0.97% Cu), and provided strategic support for target refinement. This ownership structure positions Rio Tinto to leverage newly acquired surface sampling results and planned geophysical and drilling programs without additional equity dilution.

During the 2025 field campaign, Domestic Metals collected and analyzed 310 surface rock samples across known and newly identified targets. Notable assays included up to 102 g/t gold, 23.1% copper with 424 g/t silver, and 13.8% copper with 3,810 g/t silver. In total, 39 samples exceeded 0.5 g/t gold, 43 samples surpassed 1% copper, and 35 samples yielded over 30 g/t silver. These high-grade values were returned from outcrops, trenching and historic mine dumps at zones such as Sunrise Mine, Smart Creek and Radio Tower, significantly expanding all major target areas.

Building on the positive surface assay results, Rio Tinto and Domestic Metals will deploy targeted magnetotelluric and induced-polarization surveys to refine subsurface models and vector toward conduits of porphyry and carbonate-replacement mineralization. Diamond drilling is scheduled to commence in Q1 2026, with initial hole collars designed to test extensions of high-grade surface anomalies and porphyry signatures. The integrated approach aims to delineate economic mineralization and support a potential resource estimate by late 2026.