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Ero Copper Corp. Reports Exploration Drilling Results and Extends Known Mineralization At Furnas Copper-Gold Project
Ero Copper Corp. announced assay results on an additional 24,000 meters of exploration drilling performed subsequent to the Phase 1 program at the Furnas Copper-Gold Project, located in the Carajás Mineral Province in Pará State, Brazil. The Company has completed over 75,000 meters of drilling through the end of May 2026, with assay results currently available for approximately 52,000 meters. There are ten drill rigs operating at the Project, and the deposit remains open to depth and along strike. Assay results from the ongoing drill programs are highlighted by significant step-out drill results occurring along strike and to depth: FURN-DD-00357: 90 meters at 0.74% copper, 0.50 grams per tonne gold and 3.18 gpt silver (1.13% CuEq), including 32 meters at 1.17% copper, 0.68 gpt gold and 5.40 gpt silver (1.70% CuEq), a step-out hole in the SE zone, extending the known limits of mineralization by approximately 115 meters down-dip, demonstrating potential for additional high-grade extensions within the SE zone. FURN-DD-00354: 45 meters at 0.98% copper, 0.36 gpt gold and 1.72 gpt silver (1.25% CuEq), including 20 meters at 1.78% copper, 0.25 gpt gold and 3.12 gpt silver (1.98% CuEq), representing a high-grade step-out intercept in the SE zone approximately 80 meters beyond the limit of the inferred mineral resource. FURN-DD-00368: 41 meters at 0.94% copper, 0.44 gpt gold and 1.58 gpt silver (1.28% CuEq), including 16 meters at 0.87% copper, 0.89 gpt gold and 1.52 gpt silver (1.53% CuEq), drilled in the Central zone of the Project, approximately 220 meters down-dip of the inferred mineral resource estimate and more than 1.1 kilometers west of the high-grade resource of the SE zone, highlighting a new zone of exploration potential between the established SE and NW zones. And by high-grade infill results within the primary SE and NW mineralized zones: FURN-DD-00340: 88 meters at 0.81% copper, 0.61 gpt gold and 3.75 gpt silver (1.29% CuEq), including 27 meters at 1.25% copper, 0.77 gpt gold and 6.06 gpt silver (1.86% CuEq), demonstrating high-grade continuity over significant thicknesses within the SE zone, supporting the ongoing resource conversion drill program. FURN-DD-00348: 65 meters at 0.65% copper, 0.42 gpt gold and 1.30 gpt silver (0.97% CuEq), including 26 meters at 0.78% copper, 0.42 gpt gold and 1.30 gpt silver (1.18% CuEq) and 12 meters at 0.67% copper, 0.65 gpt gold and 2.12 gpt silver (1.60% CuEq), drilled at the northwestern edge of the NW zone mineral resource, supporting future resource growth potential. The hole also returned a shallower intercept of 15 meters at 2.97% copper and 11.81 gpt silver (3.05% CuEq). Drilling continues to demonstrate high-grade continuity within the NW and SE zones and extend mineralization both to depth and strike adjacent to planned underground infrastructure of the Preliminary Economic Assessment mine plan. The most recent set of assay results include approximately 6,000 meters of infill drilling targeting conversion of inferred mineral resources to at least indicated mineral resources in support of future engineering studies. The Company remains on track to complete the three contractual drilling programs under the Furnas earn-in agreement by year-end, approximately 2 years ahead of the required schedule for the drilling milestones. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company will earn a 60% interest in the Project upon completion of these drill programs and prescribed engineering work programs. In parallel, the Company is well-advanced across additional technical work streams including permitting, confirmatory metallurgical testwork, advanced geotechnical drilling, hydrogeological studies and ongoing environmental baseline studies in support of a Pre-Feasibility Study expected to be published in 2027. The Company expects to award the engineering contract for the PFS and Feasibility Study in mid-2026. In addition, value-enhancement opportunities identified in the PEA continue to be evaluated, including magnetic separation of tailings to produce a high-grade magnetite (iron) concentrate and a gravity circuit to improve gold recoveries. Where applicable, copper equivalent in this press release has been calculated using the following formula: Cu grade + ((Au grade × 0.03215 × USD 2,500 gold price × 74.6% gold metallurgical recovery) + (Ag grade × 0.03215 × USD 24.00 silver price × 71.0% silver metallurgical recovery)) /(0.01 × USD 9,038.94/tonne copper price × 90.3% copper metallurgical recovery). For more information on the updated Furnas mineral resource estimate and inaugural PEA, please see the Company's press release dated February 23, 2026 and the 2026 Technical Report. For more information on the Company's plans to earn a 60% interest in the Furnas Copper-Gold Project, please see its press releases dated October 30, 2023 and July 22, 2024. Baseline environmental studies commenced in First Quarter 2024, building on historical environmental work conducted by Vale Base Metals. The Company plans to submit an application for a Preliminary License by year-end 2026, following the expected completion of an Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Report. Metallurgical testwork completed since the publication of the PEA includes seven additional variability tests, 24 additional locked-cycle flotation tests, and a continuous mini pilot plant test. Results continue to support the proposed metallurgical process flowsheet outlined in the PEA and validate recoveries for copper, gold and silver as well as concentrate quality parameters. Additional pilot plant variability tests will be performed in Second Half 2026 in support of the PFS.