Crescent Energy (NYSE:CRGY) has agreed to acquire rival Vital Energy (TSXV:VUX,OTC:SNYXF) in an all-stock, US$3.1 billion transaction that will vault the Houston-based firm into the ranks of the 10 largest independent oil and gas producers in the United States.

The combined company will hold operations across several major US oil basins, including the Eagle Ford, Permian, and Uinta, with more than a decade of high-quality drilling inventory.

Crescent said it intends to apply its “lower activity, higher free cash flow” approach to the newly acquired assets, targeting improved investor returns through disciplined capital allocation.

The company projects US$90 million to US$100 million in immediate annual synergies from the merger. It also highlighted plans to divest up to US$1 billion in non-core assets to strengthen its balance sheet and improve capital flexibility.

The deal will create the largest US liquids-weighted producer without an investment grade credit rating, but management signaled that a stronger balance sheet and synergies will push the company closer to that status.

Under the terms of the agreement, Vital shareholders will receive 1.9062 shares of Crescent Class A common stock for each Vital share, representing a 15 percent premium to Vital’s 30-day average trading price as of Friday (August 22).

When the deal closes, Crescent shareholders will own about 77 percent of the combined company and Vital shareholders roughly 23 percent.

“This transaction is transformative for Crescent and consistent with our strategy,” said Crescent Chairman John Goff. “Crescent’s impressive trajectory of returns-driven growth through M&A has cemented the company as a top ten independent, with line of sight to an investment grade credit rating.”

Crescent CEO David Rockecharlie called the deal “compelling value for all shareholders,” stressing the company’s free cash flow model and US$1 billion divestiture pipeline will drive sustainable growth.

Shares of Vital Energy rose more than 10 percent on Monday (August 25) to US$17.43 following the announcement, while Crescent stock fell 7.6 percent to US$9.19.

For Crescent, the acquisition marks another step in its M&A-driven growth strategy.

Last year, the company completed its US$2.1 billion merger with SilverBow Resources, significantly expanding its position in the Eagle Ford Shale.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Earthwise Minerals Corp. (CSE:WISE)(FSE:966) (‘Earthwise‘ or the ‘Company‘) has completed the first part of its two-phase 2025 field program at the Iron Range Gold Project (‘the Project’) in southeastern British Columbia. The program, led by TerraLogic Exploration Inc., included the collection of 538 soil samples over 13.5 line-km and 15 rock samples, along with structural mapping and prospecting across key target zones. Analytical results are pending and will be released once received, compiled, and interpreted.

Earthwise holds the exclusive option to acquire up to an 80% interest in the Iron Range Gold Project, which is 100% owned by Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSXV:EPL) (‘EPL‘ or ‘Eagle Plains‘), with part of the property subject to an underlying 1.0% Net Smelter Royalty.

The 2025 field program advanced geochemical and mapping work across multiple targets at Iron Range:

• Sampling: A total of 538 soil samples were collected along 13.5 line-km, together with 15 rock samples.
• Soil Coverage: Tight-spaced grids were completed within known geochemical anomalies and extended into new areas, including fault splays and gold-in-till anomalies identified by Eagle Plains.
• Mapping & Prospecting: Geological mapping and prospecting were carried out at the Pyromorphite Zone and DIP Zone, with additional sampling at Golden Cap and Star West.
• Next Steps: All samples have been submitted for analysis, with results to be disclosed once received, compiled, and interpreted.

EXPLORATION ZONES – 2025

Pyromorphite Zone (BC MinFile 082FSE141): Mineralization was first discovered in 2009 when logging road construction exposed sheared and brecciated sediments hosting cm-scale quartz veins bearing pyromorphite (lead) mineralization. No significant work has been carried out at the zone since its initial discovery by the previous tenure holder. Historic rock (grab) samples include SK10-207, which reported 27.0 g/t Au, 173.0 g/t Ag, and 13.4% Pb, and MK10-170, which reported 54.7 g/t Au, 42.2 g/t Ag, and 2.8% Pb (BC Assessment Report 31659).

Golden Cap (BC MinFile 082FSE014): Tight-spaced soil sampling in 2025 was designed to test cross-fault intersections along the main Iron Range Fault Zone. Historical soil sampling by Eagle Plains at this area returned values up to 230 ppb Au.

DIP Zone (Dakota – BC MinFile 082FSE023; Idaho – BC MinFile 082FSE024; Pacific – BC MinFile 082FSE025): Soil sampling in 2025 was conducted over an area with a historical multi-element soil geochemical anomaly that had not previously been analyzed for gold.

Star West (BC MinFile 082FSE089): Soil sampling in 2025 was conducted over an area with a historical multi-element soil geochemical anomaly that had not previously been analyzed for gold.

HISTORIC DRILLING & PROJECT OVERVIEW

Drilling at Iron Range in 2010 resulted in the discovery of the Talon Zone, where drill-hole IR10-010 intersected 2 intervals of strong and continuous mineralization including 14.0m grading 5.1g/t gold, 1.86% lead, 2.1% Zinc, 75.3g/t silver and 7.1m grading 8.13g/t gold, 2.84% lead, 3.07% zinc, 86.6g/t silver (Eagle Plains news release December 21st, 2010). Previous drilling 10km north of the Talon Zone in 2008 by Eagle Plains intersected gold mineralization in drill-hole IR08006 which assayed 7.0m grading 51.52g/t (1.50 oz/ton) gold (Eagle Plains news release dated April 20th, 2009).

All of the exploration data collected by Eagle Plains since 2001, as well as all of the available historic data, has been integrated into a GIS database, which is used to prioritize areas for ground follow up. Drill targeting at the Talon Zone discovery in 2010 was based on the presence of an extensive multi-element soil geochemical anomaly associated with a structural splay from the regional Iron Range Fault System. Drill hole locations and depths were successfully refined using Induced Polarization (IP) geophysics.

The 21,437ha Iron Range Project is considered by management of both Eagle Plains and Earthwise to hold excellent potential for the presence of structurally controlled gold-silver mineralization, iron-oxide copper-gold (‘IOCG’) and Sullivan-style lead-zinc-silver sedimentary-exhalative (‘sedex’) mineralization. The property is owned 100% by Eagle Plains, with a portion of the property subject to an underlying 1.0% Net Smelter Royalty held by a third party.

IRON RANGE GOLD PROJECT SUMMARY

The Iron Range Project, located near Creston, B.C., is owned 100% by Eagle Plains Resources Ltd., subject to a 1% NSR on a portion of the claim group. A well-developed transportation and power corridor crosses the southern part of the property, including a high-pressure gas pipeline and a high-voltage hydro-electric line, both following the CPR mainline and Highway 3. The rail line provides efficient access to Teck’s smelter in Trail, B.C. The project is fully permitted under a Multi-Year Area Based (MYAB) permit issued by the B.C. Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals. The permit allows for geophysical surveys, mechanical trenching, access trail construction, and diamond drilling.

The property covers an area of approximately 10 km x 32 km, overlying the regional Iron Range Fault System (IRFS). Prior to Eagle Plains’ acquisition in 2001, the ground had seen little systematic exploration aside from iron resources documented since the late 1800s. Since 2001, Eagle Plains and its partners have completed:

• 21,593 m of diamond drilling in 87 holes
• 2,482 line-km of airborne and surface geophysical surveys
• 10,053 soil geochemical samples
• 495 rock samples
• 6,955 drill core samples

Rock grab samples are selective samples by nature and as such are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted across the property. Some of the above results were taken directly from MINFILE descriptions and assessment reports (ARIS) filed with the BC government. Management cautions that historical results were collected and reported by past operators and have not been verified nor confirmed by a Qualified Person but form a basis for ongoing work on the subject properties. Management cautions that past results or discoveries on proximate land are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved on the subject properties.

Qualified Person

Charles C. Downie, P.Geo., a ‘qualified person’ for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and an officer and director of Eagle Plains, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.

About Earthwise Minerals

Earthwise Minerals Corp. (CSE: WISE; FSE: 966) is a Canadian junior exploration company focused on advancing the Iron Range Gold Project in southeastern British Columbia near Creston, B.C. The Company holds an option to earn up to an 80% interest in the fully permitted project, which is road-accessible and situated within a prolific mineralized corridor. The property covers a 10 km x 32 km area along the Iron Range Fault System and hosts multiple high-grade gold showings and large-scale geophysical and geochemical anomalies.

For more information, review the Company’s filings available at www.sedarplus.ca.

EARTHWISE MINERALS CORP.,

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

‘Mark Luchinski’

Contact Information:

Mark Luchinski
Chief Executive Officer, Director
Telephone: (604) 506-6201
Email: luch@luchccorp.com

Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes statements that constitute ‘forward-looking information’ as defined under Canadian securities laws (‘forward-looking statements’) including, without limitation, statements respecting the Offering and the intended use of proceeds therefrom. Statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various degrees of risk. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current views with respect to possible future events and conditions and, by their nature, are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific to the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual outcomes may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Additional information regarding the various risks and uncertainties facing the Company are described in greater detail in the ‘Risk Factors’ section of the Company’s annual management’s discussion and analysis and other continuous disclosure documents filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedarplus.ca. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

For more information, please contact Mark Luchinski, Chief Executive Officer and Director, at luch@luchccorp.com or (604) 506-6201.

Source

News Provided by Canada Newswire via QuoteMedia

Kazakhstan’s state-owned uranium giant Kazatomprom will scale back production in 2026, saying that current supply and demand dynamics do not justify a return to full capacity even as long-term prices hold firm.

The company, which accounts for more than one-fifth of the world’s primary uranium output, said it expects to lower production by roughly 10 percent compared with earlier targets, reducing its nominal output level from 32,777 metric tons of uranium (tU) to 29,697 tU.

That equates to a drop of around 8 million pounds of uranium, or about 5 percent of global supply. Most of the reduction will come from adjustments at its Budenovskoye joint venture.

“As the world’s largest producer and seller of natural uranium, Kazatomprom fully recognises the critical role the Company has in supporting the global energy transition,” Chief Executive Meirzhan Yussupov said, as the miner released its first half 2025 results.

Kazatomprom said the present market environment does not warrant lifting production to its previous 100 percent level. The long-term uranium price has remained stable at around US$80 per pound, despite volatility in spot markets and financial uncertainty tied to tariff disputes.

Instead, Kazatomprom said it plans to “exercise its downflex opportunity within the acceptable 20 percent deviation under the updated 2026 Subsoil Use production levels.” It added that the actual guidance for the 2026 output will be released in a later disclosure.

The company further added that supplies of sulphuric acid, a critical reagent for the in-situ recovery (ISR) mining method used across its operations, are expected to be stable in 2026.

Kazatomprom also pointed to Kazakhstan’s own nuclear energy ambitions. The government has floated plans for three nuclear power plants, each of which would require about 400 metric tons (1.04 million pounds) of uranium annually.

Financially, the announcement accompanied weaker half-year results. Kazatomprom reported a 54 percent fall in net profit to 263.2 billion Kazakhstani tenge (around US$489.5 million) in the first six months of 2025, compared with the same period a year earlier. Revenue further slipped 6 percent to 660.2 billion tenge due to lower sales volumes.

In August 2024, the company cut its 2025 uranium output forecast by 12–17 percent amid a sulfuric acid shortage. Its new acid plant won’t be ready until at least 2026, while higher mineral extraction taxes starting which commenced earlier this year are set to raise costs and erode its traditional competitive edge.

Even as it trims output targets, Kazatomprom stressed that it is pushing ahead with large-scale exploration programs across Kazakhstan. The initiatives are aimed at replenishing reserves and safeguarding the company’s status as the leading global supplier of nuclear fuel.

“Kazatomprom is currently undertaking a large-scale exploration in Kazakhstan, which is a top priority for replenishing its resource base and maintaining its leading position as a global nuclear fuel supplier,” Yussupov said.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Monday (August 25) as of 9:00 a.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin price performance, August 25, 2025.

Chart via TradingView

Bitcoin tumbled sharply on Sunday (August 24) after a whale dumped 24,000 BTC, triggering a flash crash that wiped out roughly US$550 million in long positions and drove prices briefly below US$111,000.

By Monday (August 25), markets recovered slightly but remained in a downtrend overall as broader crypto sell-offs and cautious sentiment prevailed.

ETH was priced at US$4,642.54, down by 2.7 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation was US$4,538.58 and its highest was US$4,946.05.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) has terminated purchase agreements with Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF) following a material adverse change (MAC) to the latter’s steelmaking coal assets.

In a Tuesday (August 19) announcement, Peabody said the decision follows an ignition event at Anglo’s Moranbah North mine in Bowen Basin, Queensland, an instance that made headlines in April.

ABC News Australia states that the ignition led to an evacuation following “dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.”

‘The two companies did not reach a revised agreement to cure the MAC that compensated Peabody for the material and long-term impacts of the MAC on the most significant mine in the planned acquisition,’ explained Peabody President and CEO Jim Grech, adding that the company’s portfolio is still well positioned moving forward.

Anglo CEO Duncan Wanblad said in a separate statement that the firm is confident in its belief that what happened at Moranbah “does not constitute a MAC” under the sale agreements with Peabody.

“Our view is supported by the lack of damage to the mine and equipment, as well as the substantial progress made with the regulator, our employees and the unions, and other stakeholders as part of the regulatory process towards a safe restart of the mine,” Wanblad said. Anglo recently signed a risk assessment that underpins the restart strategy.

Anglo announced the sale of its steelmaking coal portfolio to Peabody in November 2024 for US$3.78 billion.

The portfolio primarily consists of an 88 percent interest in the Moranbah North joint venture, a 70 percent interest in the Capcoal joint venture and an 86.36 percent interest in the Roper Creek joint venture.

“We are therefore very disappointed that Peabody has decided not to complete the transaction … We continue to reserve our rights under the definitive agreements, we are confident in our legal position and will shortly initiate an arbitration to seek damages for wrongful termination,” Anglo said in its Tuesday press release.

Peabody said it will continue to execute plans to create substantial value from its diversified global asset portfolio.

‘(Our) portfolio is very well positioned, with growing exposure to seaborne metallurgical coal highlighted by our new 25-year premium hard coking coal Centurion Mine, a low-cost seaborne thermal coal platform, and a leading U.S. thermal coal position capitalizing on rising power generation demand,’ noted Grech.

‘Moving forward, we intend to execute a four-pronged strategy for value creation.’

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Monday (August 25) as of 9:00 a.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin price performance, August 25, 2025.

Chart via TradingView

ETH was priced at US$4,642.54, down by 2.7 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation was US$4,538.58 and its highest was US$4,946.05.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Monday (August 25) as of 9:00 a.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin price performance, August 25, 2025.

Chart via TradingView

ETH was priced at US$4,642.54, down by 2.7 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation was US$4,538.58 and its highest was US$4,946.05.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

CoTec Holdings Corp. (TSXV:CTH)(OTCQB:CTHCF) (‘CoTec’) and Mkango Resources Ltd. (AIM/TSX-V: MKA) (‘Mkango’) are pleased to announce that Intelligent Lifecycle Solutions LLC (‘ILS’) has formally commenced its stockpiling of feedstock initiative pursuant to the recently announced feedstock supply and pre-processing site share agreement between HyProMag USA LLC (‘HyProMag USA’ or the ‘Project’) and ILS. Pre-processing of the feedstock is expected to commence prior to December 31, 2025.

The stockpiling and pre-processing will take place at both the ILS sites in Williston, South Carolina and Reno, Nevada (the ‘ILS sites’). ILS is a global electronics recycling company processing electronic waste. It is a full-service IT asset disposition, electronics recycling and scrap purchasing company and is fully compliant in ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018 and ‘Responsible Recycling R2v3 Recycler’ at its USA locations. Through ILS, HyProMag USA will provide full traceability on its products to support the ‘closed loop’ circular economy and critical mineral supply chains within the United States.

Julian Treger, CoTec CEO commented:‘This is another major milestone in the execution of the HyProMag USA project. Securing feedstock is key to the success of any recycling business and we are pleased to work with credible companies such as ILS. HyProMag USA’s target is to secure between 6 months and 12 months of feedstock prior to commissioning of HyProMag USA’s advanced stage rare earth magnet recycling and manufacturing plant to be located in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. HyProMag USA aims to become a major contributor to the USA supply chain of rare earth magnets, a critical input for accelerating the reshoring of the U.S industrial base.’

Will Dawes, Mkango CEO commented: ‘The agreement with ILS and commencement of stockpiling of NdFeB feedstock underpins the rapid deployment of Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) and associated magnet manufacturing into the United States by HyProMag USA, with detailed engineering well underway following the positive feasibility study last year. These developments will catalyse development of a more robust rare earth supply chain, whilst unlocking new NdFeB scrap sources in the United States and generating significant value for HyProMag USA and its stakeholders.’

About HyProMag USA LLC.

HyProMag USA is owned 50:50 by CoTec and HyProMag Limited. HyProMag Limited is 100 per cent owned by Maginito (‘Maginito’), which is owned on a 79.4/20.6 per cent basis by Mkango and CoTec.

For more information, please visit www.hypromagusa.com

About CoTec Holdings Corp.

CoTec is a publicly traded investment issuer listed on the Toronto Venture Stock Exchange (‘TSX- V’) and the OTCQB and trades under the symbols CTH and CTHCF respectively. CoTec Holdings Corp. is a forward-thinking resource extraction company committed to revolutionizing the global metals and minerals industry through innovative, environmentally sustainable technologies and strategic asset acquisitions. With a mission to drive the sector toward a low-carbon future, CoTec employs a dual approach: investing in disruptive mineral extraction technologies that enhance efficiency and sustainability while applying these technologies to undervalued mining assets to unlock their full potential. By focusing on recycling, waste mining, and scalable solutions, the Company accelerates the production of critical minerals, shortens development timelines, and reduces environmental impact. CoTec’s strategic model delivers low capital requirements, rapid revenue generation, and high barriers to entry, positioning it as a leading mid-tier disruptor in the commodities sector.

For more information, please visit www.cotec.ca.

About Mkango Resources Ltd.

Mkango is listed on the AIM and the TSX-V. Mkango’s corporate strategy is to become a market leader in the production of recycled rare earth magnets, alloys and oxides, through its interest in Maginito Limited (‘Maginito’), which is owned 79.4 per cent by Mkango and 20.6 per cent by CoTec, and to develop new sustainable sources of neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium to supply accelerating demand from electric vehicles, wind turbines and other clean energy technologies.

Maginito holds a 100 per cent interest in HyProMag and a 90 per cent direct and indirect interest (assuming conversion of Maginito’s convertible loan) in HyProMag GmbH, focused on short loop rare earth magnet recycling in the UK and Germany, respectively, and a 100 per cent interest in Mkango Rare Earths UK Ltd (‘Mkango UK’), focused on long loop rare earth magnet recycling in the UK via a chemical route.

Maginito and CoTec are also rolling out HPMS recycling technology into the United States via the 50/50 owned HyProMag USA LLC joint venture company.

Mkango also owns the advanced stage Songwe Hill rare earths project in Malawi (‘Songwe’) and the Pulawy rare earths separation project in Poland (‘Pulawy’). Both the Songwe and Pulawy projects have been selected as Strategic Projects under the European Union Critical Raw Materials Act. Mkango has signed a Binding Combination Agreement with Crown PropTech Acquisitions to list the Songwe Hill and Pulawy rare earths projects on NASDAQ via a SPAC Merger.

For more information, please visit www.mkango.ca

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (‘MAR’) which has been incorporated into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of that term under applicable securities laws) with respect to Mkango and CoTec. Generally, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as ‘plans’, ‘expects’ or ‘is expected to’, ‘scheduled’, ‘estimates’ ‘intends’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results ‘can’, ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘would’, ‘should’, ‘might’ or ‘will’, occur or be achieved, or the negative connotations thereof. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, without limiting the foregoing, the delivery and effectiveness of the HDD magnet separation system built by Inserma, the results of the Accelerated Pilot Programme at UoB, the availability of (or delays in obtaining) financing to develop Songwe Hill, the Recycling Plants being developed by Maginito in the UK, Germany and the US (the ‘Maginito Recycling Plants’), governmental action and other market effects on global demand and pricing for the metals and associated downstream products for which Mkango is exploring, researching and developing, geological, technical and regulatory matters relating to the development of Songwe Hill, the ability to scale the HPMS and chemical recycling technologies to commercial scale, competitors having greater financial capability and effective competing technologies in the recycling and separation business of Maginito and Mkango, availability of scrap supplies for Maginito’s recycling activities, government regulation (including the impact of environmental and other regulations) on and the economics in relation to recycling and the development of the Maginito Recycling Plants, and Pulawy and future investments in the United States pursuant to the proposed cooperation agreement between Maginito and CoTec, cost overruns, complexities in building and operating the plants, and the positive results of feasibility studies on the various proposed aspects of Mkango’s, Maginito’s and CoTec’s activities. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company and CoTec disclaim any intention and assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additionally, the Company and CoTec undertake no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

For further information on CoTec, please contact:

CoTec Holdings Corp.
Braam Jonker
Chief Financial Officer
braam.jonker@cotec.ca
Canada: +1 604 992-5600

For further information on Mkango, please contact:

SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP
Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker
Jeff Keating, Jen Clarke, Devik Mehta
UK: +44 20 3470 0470

Alternative Resource Capital
Joint Broker
Alex Wood, Keith Dowsing
UK: +44 20 7186 9004/5

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. 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.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any equity or other securities of the Company in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ‘U.S. Securities Act’) and may not be offered or sold within the United States to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.

Source

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CoTec Holdings Corp. (TSXV:CTH)(OTCQB:CTHCF) (‘CoTec’) and Mkango Resources Ltd. (AIM/TSX-V: MKA) (‘Mkango’) are pleased to announce that Intelligent Lifecycle Solutions LLC (‘ILS’) has formally commenced its stockpiling of feedstock initiative pursuant to the recently announced feedstock supply and pre-processing site share agreement between HyProMag USA LLC (‘HyProMag USA’ or the ‘Project’) and ILS. Pre-processing of the feedstock is expected to commence prior to December 31, 2025.

The stockpiling and pre-processing will take place at both the ILS sites in Williston, South Carolina and Reno, Nevada (the ‘ILS sites’). ILS is a global electronics recycling company processing electronic waste. It is a full-service IT asset disposition, electronics recycling and scrap purchasing company and is fully compliant in ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018 and ‘Responsible Recycling R2v3 Recycler’ at its USA locations. Through ILS, HyProMag USA will provide full traceability on its products to support the ‘closed loop’ circular economy and critical mineral supply chains within the United States.

Julian Treger, CoTec CEO commented:‘This is another major milestone in the execution of the HyProMag USA project. Securing feedstock is key to the success of any recycling business and we are pleased to work with credible companies such as ILS. HyProMag USA’s target is to secure between 6 months and 12 months of feedstock prior to commissioning of HyProMag USA’s advanced stage rare earth magnet recycling and manufacturing plant to be located in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. HyProMag USA aims to become a major contributor to the USA supply chain of rare earth magnets, a critical input for accelerating the reshoring of the U.S industrial base.’

Will Dawes, Mkango CEO commented: ‘The agreement with ILS and commencement of stockpiling of NdFeB feedstock underpins the rapid deployment of Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) and associated magnet manufacturing into the United States by HyProMag USA, with detailed engineering well underway following the positive feasibility study last year. These developments will catalyse development of a more robust rare earth supply chain, whilst unlocking new NdFeB scrap sources in the United States and generating significant value for HyProMag USA and its stakeholders.’

About HyProMag USA LLC.

HyProMag USA is owned 50:50 by CoTec and HyProMag Limited. HyProMag Limited is 100 per cent owned by Maginito (‘Maginito’), which is owned on a 79.4/20.6 per cent basis by Mkango and CoTec.

For more information, please visit www.hypromagusa.com

About CoTec Holdings Corp.

CoTec is a publicly traded investment issuer listed on the Toronto Venture Stock Exchange (‘TSX- V’) and the OTCQB and trades under the symbols CTH and CTHCF respectively. CoTec Holdings Corp. is a forward-thinking resource extraction company committed to revolutionizing the global metals and minerals industry through innovative, environmentally sustainable technologies and strategic asset acquisitions. With a mission to drive the sector toward a low-carbon future, CoTec employs a dual approach: investing in disruptive mineral extraction technologies that enhance efficiency and sustainability while applying these technologies to undervalued mining assets to unlock their full potential. By focusing on recycling, waste mining, and scalable solutions, the Company accelerates the production of critical minerals, shortens development timelines, and reduces environmental impact. CoTec’s strategic model delivers low capital requirements, rapid revenue generation, and high barriers to entry, positioning it as a leading mid-tier disruptor in the commodities sector.

For more information, please visit www.cotec.ca.

About Mkango Resources Ltd.

Mkango is listed on the AIM and the TSX-V. Mkango’s corporate strategy is to become a market leader in the production of recycled rare earth magnets, alloys and oxides, through its interest in Maginito Limited (‘Maginito’), which is owned 79.4 per cent by Mkango and 20.6 per cent by CoTec, and to develop new sustainable sources of neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium to supply accelerating demand from electric vehicles, wind turbines and other clean energy technologies.

Maginito holds a 100 per cent interest in HyProMag and a 90 per cent direct and indirect interest (assuming conversion of Maginito’s convertible loan) in HyProMag GmbH, focused on short loop rare earth magnet recycling in the UK and Germany, respectively, and a 100 per cent interest in Mkango Rare Earths UK Ltd (‘Mkango UK’), focused on long loop rare earth magnet recycling in the UK via a chemical route.

Maginito and CoTec are also rolling out HPMS recycling technology into the United States via the 50/50 owned HyProMag USA LLC joint venture company.

Mkango also owns the advanced stage Songwe Hill rare earths project in Malawi (‘Songwe’) and the Pulawy rare earths separation project in Poland (‘Pulawy’). Both the Songwe and Pulawy projects have been selected as Strategic Projects under the European Union Critical Raw Materials Act. Mkango has signed a Binding Combination Agreement with Crown PropTech Acquisitions to list the Songwe Hill and Pulawy rare earths projects on NASDAQ via a SPAC Merger.

For more information, please visit www.mkango.ca

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (‘MAR’) which has been incorporated into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of that term under applicable securities laws) with respect to Mkango and CoTec. Generally, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as ‘plans’, ‘expects’ or ‘is expected to’, ‘scheduled’, ‘estimates’ ‘intends’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results ‘can’, ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘would’, ‘should’, ‘might’ or ‘will’, occur or be achieved, or the negative connotations thereof. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, without limiting the foregoing, the delivery and effectiveness of the HDD magnet separation system built by Inserma, the results of the Accelerated Pilot Programme at UoB, the availability of (or delays in obtaining) financing to develop Songwe Hill, the Recycling Plants being developed by Maginito in the UK, Germany and the US (the ‘Maginito Recycling Plants’), governmental action and other market effects on global demand and pricing for the metals and associated downstream products for which Mkango is exploring, researching and developing, geological, technical and regulatory matters relating to the development of Songwe Hill, the ability to scale the HPMS and chemical recycling technologies to commercial scale, competitors having greater financial capability and effective competing technologies in the recycling and separation business of Maginito and Mkango, availability of scrap supplies for Maginito’s recycling activities, government regulation (including the impact of environmental and other regulations) on and the economics in relation to recycling and the development of the Maginito Recycling Plants, and Pulawy and future investments in the United States pursuant to the proposed cooperation agreement between Maginito and CoTec, cost overruns, complexities in building and operating the plants, and the positive results of feasibility studies on the various proposed aspects of Mkango’s, Maginito’s and CoTec’s activities. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company and CoTec disclaim any intention and assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additionally, the Company and CoTec undertake no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

For further information on CoTec, please contact:

CoTec Holdings Corp.
Braam Jonker
Chief Financial Officer
braam.jonker@cotec.ca
Canada: +1 604 992-5600

For further information on Mkango, please contact:

SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP
Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker
Jeff Keating, Jen Clarke, Devik Mehta
UK: +44 20 3470 0470

Alternative Resource Capital
Joint Broker
Alex Wood, Keith Dowsing
UK: +44 20 7186 9004/5

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. 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.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any equity or other securities of the Company in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ‘U.S. Securities Act’) and may not be offered or sold within the United States to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.

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