Critical One Expands Howells Lake Property by 67% to Cover Numerous Newly Defined, High-Priority Antimony and Gold Targets

Core Viewpoint - Critical One Energy Inc. has expanded its land holdings at the Howells Lake Antimony-Gold Project by 67%, enhancing its position as the owner of Canada's largest undeveloped antimony deposit [1][3]. Group 1: Expansion Details - The company has acquired an additional 9,979 hectares, bringing the total land package to 24,887 hectares [6]. - The expansion is based on a review of the Government of Ontario's soil sample analysis, revealing high-priority antimony and gold anomalies in unexplored areas [2][4]. - Soil samples from up to 5 km west of known mineralization returned the highest antimony values in a dataset of over 3,600 samples [2]. Group 2: Geological and Resource Potential - The Howells Lake Project hosts a historical resource of 1.7 million tons at a grade of 1.4% antimony, with associated gold mineralization [6]. - Previous drilling at the V-3 grid area intersected up to 75% antimony within a core interval of 5.37% antimony over 8.35 meters [2]. - Newly staked areas cover extensions of known mineralization and untested geochemical targets, with historical assay intervals grading as high as 59.2% antimony and 14.19 grams per tonne gold [6][8]. Group 3: Strategic Positioning and Market Context - Antimony prices have surged over 550% since 2015 due to global supply constraints and China's 2024 export ban, positioning Critical One to address critical mineral supply chain challenges [6]. - The company is advancing its exploration program with plans for follow-up drilling to delineate and expand the antimony-gold resource [9]. - A recent private placement of CDN$3.3 million supports the company's near-term exploration efforts [9].