Eskay Mining Corp. Establishes Rapid Turnaround Analytical Laboratory in Stewart, BC to Accelerate Gold Discovery using detectORE(TM) Technology

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / April 28, 2026 / Eskay Mining Corp. ("Eskay Mining" or the "Company") (TSXV:ESK)(OTC PINK:ESKYF)(Frankfurt:KN7)(WKN:A0YDPM) is pleased to announce that it is establishing a new, dedicated rapid turnaround analytical laboratory in Stewart, British Columbia. This facility is specifically designed to conduct detectORE^™ gold analysis on drill core samples from the Company's extensive 459 square kilometer land holding in the heart of British Columbia's Golden Triangle.

The establishment of this laboratory in Stewart directly addresses a primary challenge for exploration in northern British Columbia: the bottleneck imposed by the short operational summer field season. Historically, gold exploration in this region has been compromised by long turnaround times at conventional commercial laboratories, which often exceed several weeks or months. Such delays frequently result in the exploration season concluding before critical assay data can be used to refine targets or adjust drilling priorities.

Eskay's drill core will be flown out of the field on a daily basis to its road-accessible camp, and then conveyed by road to Stewart, where it will be logged and cut for sampling. By utilizing the detectORE^™ system developed by Portable PPB Pty Ltd and applied to drill core cuttings, Eskay will be able to receive gold analyses within 48 hours of the core having been cut. This "game-changing" time compression will allow the Company's geologic team to engage in fast, results-based decision-making, keeping the drill rig on gold-yielding targets while the season is still active.

The detectORE^™ system is a geochemical technology that enables the detection of low-level (ppb) and high-level gold concentrations in a field laboratory. The process involves:

• Leaching: Gold is leached from drill core cutting sludge samples using the proprietary GLIX-24^™ reagent system.

• Collection and Measurement: The leached gold is adsorbed onto a specialized collector device and then measured using a calibrated portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyzer, which, separate to the detectORE process, is also used to analyse for a suite of other elements, including copper and zinc.

• Reporting: Gold results are reported in detectORE^™ Units (dU), which serve as a semi-quantitative measure of gold in the sample. A detectORE unit represents the leached and collected gold in micro grams per kg of sample, which is effectively parts per billion. This is proportional to the sample's absolute gold level. Validation studies by other industry players have shown a strong linear correlation (up to 0.98 Pearson correlation coefficient) between detectORE™ dU results and certified Fire Assay values for drill core samples.

All laboratory equipment is currently being commissioned in Vancouver under the management of Mr. Stephen Cook, formerly chief geochemist with Teck Resources. Mr. Cook will be responsible for the transfer of the laboratory to Stewart, and for its quality control throughout the exploration season.

"The establishment of this lab in Stewart is a strategic milestone for Eskay Mining," stated Mac Balkam, CEO of Eskay. "By bringing detectORE^™ technology directly to the doorstep of our projects, we are effectively extending our functional exploration window. We no longer have to fly blind for weeks at a time; we can now use ‘gold to find gold' in real time, ensuring our capital is used as efficiently as possible during the critical summer months. This is a first for British Columbia, and we are proud of it".

By adopting this technology, Eskay Mining Corp. joins a growing number of exploration companies in other parts of the world which are successfully utilizing detectORE^™ to accelerate discovery. Kalo Gold Corp. has integrated the system into its routine operations at its Vatu Aurum Project in Fiji for the rapid on-site screening of rock, trench, and drill core samples. In Namibia, Ongwe Minerals Inc. recently employed the technology to identify a new 2km long bedrock gold anomaly at its Belmont prospect. Additionally, Ariana Resources has utilized detectORE^™ to enhance its exploration workflows and decision-making processes in Zimbabwe.

While detectORE^™ data provides essential vectoring and target refinement, the Company will continue to use certified Fire Assay results from accredited commercial laboratories as the basis for all reportable drill results under National Instrument 43-101.

Qualified Person

Clinton Smyth, P. Geo., Chief Geologist for the Company, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release.

About Eskay Mining Corp:

Eskay Mining Corp (TSXV:ESK) is a TSX Venture Exchange listed company, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Eskay is an exploration company focused on the exploration and development of precious and base metals along the Eskay rift in a highly prolific region of northwest British Columbia known as the "Golden Triangle," 70km northwest of Stewart, BC. The Company currently holds mineral tenures in this area comprised of 177 claims (52,600 hectares).

All material information on the Company may be found on its website at www.eskaymining.com and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com.

For further information, please contact:
Mac Balkam
President & Chief Executive Officer
T: 416 907 4605
E: Mac@eskaymining.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements: This Press Release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. When used in this document, the words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from the statements made, including those factors discussed in filings made by us with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties, such as actual results of current exploration programs, the general risks associated with the mining industry, the price of gold and other metals, currency and interest rate fluctuations, increased competition and general economic and market factors, occur or should assumptions underlying the forward looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, or expected. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Eskay Mining Corp.