Minco drills 19.5% Zn, 8.2% Pb, 5.1% Cu and 1,028 g/t Ag over 4.5 metres

19 December 2025 – Minco Exploration PLC (“Minco Exploration”, “Minco”, or the “Company”) is pleased to announce significant drilling results from its 100%-owned Rapla Project in County Laois, located within the Rathdowney Trend, which is host to the Lisheen and Galmoy Mines and the Ballywire Project.

 

2025 Drilling Programme Successfully Confirms High-Grade Potential – Drillhole 3312-82

• • 16.5 metres grading 10.99% Zn, 3.12% Pb, 1.39% Cu and 294 g/t Ag from 576.5 metres in hole 3312-82, including two high-grade zones of sulphide mineralization:
    • 4.5 metres grading 19.45% Zn, 8.18% Pb, 5.05% Cu, 1,028 g/t Ag, 2.05% Sb, 0.41% Ni, 0.17% Co and 2.19% As from 588 metres, and
    • 3.0 metres grading 12.56% Zn and 1.95% Pb from 577 metres
  • Typical of Irish-type Zn-Pb deposits, the intercept occurs at the base of the Waulsortian limestone
  • Mineralization is proximal to a key fault structure interpreted to be a mineralizing-controlling feature
  • Copper, antimony, nickel, cobalt and arsenic are included on the European Union’s list of Critical Raw Materials as critical and/or strategic metals

“Minco has drilled one of the highest-grade holes drilled in Ireland in decades,” stated John Kearney, Chairman. “Considering the mix and grade of metals, including copper, silver, antimony, nickel and cobalt, in addition to high-grade zinc and lead, we believe that we are at the very beginning of a special mineral discovery.  In July 2025, Minco completed an important financing with a strategic investor that enabled this drilling programme to move forward over the summer and will allow us to ramp up significantly from here in 2026.”

“Group Eleven’s Ballywire, and now Minco’s Rapla, demonstrate that Ireland is back on the map as a place to make seriously high-grade critical mineral discoveries,” continued Mr. Kearney. “Our congratulations and admiration go to John Clifford, Minco’s Director of Exploration, and his team, for the geological vision in acquiring Rapla and imagination in designing and implementing the exploration programme that led to this discovery.”

A Proven Zinc District

The Rapla Project (“Rapla”) is situated within the mineral endowed Rathdowney Trend 15km northeast of the historically mined Lisheen mine (22.2M tonnes grading 11.5% Zn, 1.9% Pb).  The soon to be reopened Galmoy mine (10.9M tonnes grading 12.4% Zn and 1.6% Pb), occurs 6km to the southwest of Rapla, and is being brought back into production by Shanoon Resources. At Ballywire, further to the southwest along the Trend, Group Eleven Resources Corp. (TSXV:ZNG – mCap C$165 million) is drilling a new discovery yielding high-grade massive sulphides over significant widths in a 6km by 2km prospective trend.

 

 

Minco Re-Evaluates a Large Underexplored Mineralized System

Being aware of the potential from previous exploration in the area, Minco initiated a detailed review of the extensive historic dataset.

The review identified an underexplored 3.6km ENE-trending mineralized footprint with sulphides concentrated near the base of the Waulsortian limestone at depths of 550–650m in close proximity to the Rapla Fault, an en-échelon extensional structure analogous to the mineralization-controlling faults at Lisheen and Galmoy.

 

Also refer to table of historic Rapla drill intersections, below.

 

Two mineralization styles are recognized at Rapla:

• • Massive sulphide zones near or at the base of Waulsortian limestone
  • Disseminated/stringer sulphides

Minco has concluded that there is substantial opportunity for further discovery and has designated Rapla the core growth project for the Company.

Minco completed financing for the current programme in July 2025 with a strategic investor and mobilized two drill rigs:

• • Rig 1: Targeted a structural-stratigraphic zone 80 metres east of the best historic hole (3312-71).
  • Rig 2: Drilled short holes along a north-south traverse midway between Rapla and Galmoy.

The first target test by Rig 1 (drillhole 3312-82 reported today), intersected high-grade Zn-Pb, Cu, Ag, Sb base metal sulphide mineralization proximal to a key fault structure interpreted to be a mineralizing-controlling feature. A second hole (3312-86), drilled southward from the same pad, confirmed the up-dip projection of the fault ~150m above the intercept in 3312-82. A third hole (3312-89), drilled northwards, is in progress to evaluate continuity, testing continuity of the mineralized system circa 100m to the north. Mineralization has been confirmed and assaying is in process.

The 16.5m intercept comprises two zones:

• • Zinc-Lead Zone (4.5m): Pyrite–sphalerite–galena dominant; interpreted as stratabound mineralization with high potential for lateral continuity.
  • Copper-Silver Zone (9.5m): More complex sulphide assemblage including (in addition to pyrite–sphalerite–galena) chalcopyrite and tetrahedrite–tennantite, interpreted as fault-proximal mineralization with potential to extend to depth.

Both styles are analogous to the mineralization found at Lisheen and Galmoy.

Intersection Summary – Drillhole 3312-82
Interval (m)	Zn %	Pb %	Cu %	Ag g/t	As %	Cd %	Co %	Ni %	Sb %	From-To (m)
Mineralized Zone 1% Zn Cut-off
16.5	10.99	3.07	1.39	294	0.74	0.07	0.05	0.12	0.56	576.5	593.0
Zn-Pb Zone
incl 3.0	12.56	1.95	–	15	0.30	0.06	–	–	–	577.0	580.0
Cu-Ag Zone
and 9.5	14.68	4.61	2.41	508	1.18	0.09	0.09	0.21	0.98	583.5	593.0
incl 4.5	19.45	8.18	5.05	1,028	2.19	0.16	0.17	0.41	2.05	588.0	592.5

Future Exploration

A programme of systematic drill testing has been designed to investigate the 3.6km mineralized corridor with 10,000m (14 holes using four rigs) planned during the first half of 2026.

Historical Exploration

Rapla was discovered in the 1990s and explored by a series of operators.

The exploration programmes over four decades included soil geochemical sampling, ground and airborne geophysics and drilling of 83 holes (36,200m). The Prospecting Licences were surrendered by a previous operator in 2023.

The historical drilling across the area is widely spaced (170–700m, nominal 400 × 400m grid).

Significant intersections from historic drilling are tabulated below.

Hole	Interval (m)	Zn %	Pb %	Zn+Pb %	From-To (m)
3312-12	4.05	7.70	0.90	8.60	558.95	563.00
incl	1.88	17.23	1.90	19.13	558.95	560.83
3312-13	3.67	4.90	0.70	5.60	579.27	582.94
3312-20	13.40	4.00	1.50	5.50	581.00	594.40
incl and	2.70	6.04	1.36	7.40	581.70	584.40
	3.19	9.33	4.68	14.01	591.23	594.42
3312-28	3.62	9.79	1.99	11.78	545.08	548.70
3312-32	5.10	4.00	2.30	6.30	567.50	572.60
3312-42	9.10	8.80	1.60	10.50	598.00	610.00
3312-58	4.20	5.60	0.70	6.30	539.30	543.50
3312-61	7.80	5.93	1.20	7.13	606.50	622.00
3312-62	9.60	4.10	0.07	4.17	649.40	684.20
3312-65	2.70	8.08	1.39	9.47	529.60	532.30
3312-71	7.40	11.34	3.25	14.59	572.25	579.65
incl and	3.05	14.46	1.91	16.37	572.25	575.30
	2.50	13.98	6.89	20.87	577.15	579.65

Competent Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by EurGeol John A Clifford PGeo, Director – Exploration of Minco Exploration Plc, and “Competent Person” as defined under the 2021 Pan-European Reporting Standard.

Sampling, Analytical Methods and QA/QC

All core drilled at Rapla is NQ (47.6mm) and is cut using a rock saw. Sampling is completed in 0.50 m intervals. The half-core samples are bagged, labelled and sealed at Minco’s core store facility in Kilclonagh, Co. Tipperary. Transport is via an accredited courier service and/or by BRG Limited staff to ALS Laboratories in Loughrea Co. Galway, Ireland.

Sample preparation at the ALS facility comprises fine crushing 70% < 2mm, riffle splitter, pulverise up to 250g 85% < 75um.

The primary analytical procedure adopted is ALS Protocol ME-ICPORE. This applies a strong oxidising digestion utilising HNO₃ , KClO₃, and HBr with aqua regia and ICP-AES finish.

Values reporting >1,500ppm Ag were re-analysed with 30gm sample subjected to fire assay and gravimetric finish as per the ALS Ag-GRA21 analytical protocol.

Trace multi-element analysis by sodium peroxide fusion and ICP-MS was also completed on all mineralized samples using the ALS ME-MS89 protocol. With this method, a prepared sample (0.2gm) is added to sodium peroxide flux, mixed well and then fused at 670°C. The resulting melt is cooled and then dissolved in 30% hydrochloric acid. This solution is analysed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), with results corrected for spectral or isotopic interference.

Other than paying for a professional analytical service, Minco has no relationship with ALS.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Information

Minco inserts certified reference materials (“CRMs” or “Standards”) as well as blank material, to its sample stream as part of its industry-standard QA/QC programme. The QC results have been reviewed by the Competent Person, who is satisfied that all the results are within acceptable parameters. The Competent Person has validated the sampling and chain of custody protocols used by Minco.

ABOUT MINCO EXPLORATION PLC

Minco Exploration PLC is a mineral exploration company that holds interests in Prospecting Licences in Ireland considered highly prospective for the discovery of zinc-lead mineralisation. Minco has interests in four projects located within the Irish Midlands Orefield that are operated by Minco or in joint venture with Boliden Tara Mines.

Minco’s primary focus is its 100% owned Rapla Project, which is located approximately 5 km and 15 km northeast of the past producing Galmoy Mine (10.9Mt @ 12.4% Zn, 1.6% Pb) and Lisheen Mine (22 Mt @ 11.5% Zn, 1.9% Pb), respectively, and lies within the Rathdowney Trend in a highly prospective segment considered part of the greater Lisheen / Galmoy mineralising system.

Minco also holds (i) a 100% interest in the Slieve Dart prospecting licence block in County Galway; (ii) a 20% joint venture interest with Boliden (80%) on Licence 1440R (Tatestown), which lies immediately adjacent to Boliden’s large 130 million tonne Tara zinc-lead mine at Navan; and (iii) a joint venture interest with Boliden on Licence 3373 (Kells), contiguous to the west of Licence 1440R, where Minco can earn up to a 75% interest.

Additional information about the Company is available at www.MincoExploration.com.

Peter McParland Chief Executive Officer	John Clifford Director, Exploration
E: pmcparland@mincoexploration.com	E: jclifford@mincoexploration.com
T: +353 46 907 9210	T: +353 87 957 3754

 

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