Dublin, Ireland--(Newsfile Corp. - September 1, 2026) - Minco Exploration PLC ("Minco Exploration", "Minco", or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of €870,124.80 with its strategic investor (the "Strategic Investor"), representing the final tranche of the Strategic Investor's previously announced equity participation options, to advance and expedite exploration of Minco's Rapla Project in County Laois, on-strike from the past-producing, high-grade Galmoy and Lisheen Mines.

HIGHLIGHTS

• €870,124.80 private placement (the "Placement") with the Strategic Investor at €0.10 per ordinary share ("Ordinary Share") of Minco for the issuance of a total of 8,701,248 Ordinary Shares, representing the final tranche of the Strategic Investor's previously announced Equity Participation Options
• Following completion of the Placement, the Strategic Investor holds approximately 29.99% of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares of the Company and the Strategic Investor's Equity Participation Options have now been exercised in full
• Funds will be used to further advance exploration of the Rapla Project and continue follow-up drilling on the high-grade mineralisation identified at Rapla, including 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 (refer to press release of 19 December 2025 for further details)

"The completion of this final tranche reflects our Strategic Investor's continued confidence in the Rapla Project," stated John Kearney, Chairman, "This continued support allows Minco to maintain the pace of exploration at Rapla, and we look forward to building on the district-scale zinc-lead-copper-silver mineralisation identified to date."

Strategic Investment

Minco has closed the Placement with the Strategic Investor of 8,701,248 Ordinary Shares at a price of €0.10 per Ordinary Share for gross proceeds of €870,124.80 (the "Placement"). Following the Placement, the Strategic Investor holds approximately 29.99% of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares of the Company.

As announced on 17 July 2025, the Strategic Investor was granted options to acquire up to an additional €1.7 million in Minco (subject to certain approvals if the exercise of such options would result in the Strategic Investor holding more than 29.99% of the then issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares), as follows:

1. Prior to 16 January 2026 (as extended to 31 March 2026), the Strategic Investor was entitled to purchase up to 12,000,000 Ordinary Shares at a price of €0.075 per share for a total of €900,000, which option was exercised in full on 5 February 2026; and,
2. Prior to 16 September 2026, the Strategic Investor was entitled to purchase up to 8,000,000 Ordinary Shares at a price of €0.10 per share for a total of €800,000 (increased to 8,701,248 Ordinary Shares and €870,124.80 pursuant to an amendment agreed by the Company and the Strategic Investor so as to permit the Strategic Investor's holding to reach the 29.99% threshold contemplated by the Agreement.

With the completion of the Placement, the Strategic Investor's Equity Participation Options under the Equity Participation Option Agreement dated 16 July 2025 (as amended) have been exercised in full, and the Equity Participation Option Agreement (as amended) has terminated in accordance with its terms.

Rapla Drilling Results

In the Company's 2025 drilling programme at the Rapla Project, Minco reported exceptionally high-grade base metal mineralisation in drillhole 3312-82. The results underscore the potential of the Rapla system and strengthen the rationale for the expanded exploration programme funded by the Placement.

Key results include:

• 16.5 metres grading 10.99% Zn, 3.12% Pb, 1.39% Cu and 294 g/t Ag from 576.5 metres, including:
  • 4.5 metres grading 19.45% Zn, 8.18% Pb, 5.05% Cu and 1,028 g/t Ag, with significant antimony, nickel, cobalt and arsenic credits; and
  • 3.0 metres grading 12.56% Zn and 1.95% Pb within the broader intercept.

Mineralisation occurs at the base of the Waulsortian limestone and is proximal to a major fault interpreted to control mineral deposition. The intersection is among the highest-grade holes drilled in Ireland in recent decades and supports the continuation and expansion of systematic drill testing at Rapla (refer to press release of 19 December 2025 for further details). The Company expects to release results from additional drilling in the coming weeks.

Competent Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by EurGeol John A. Clifford, P.Geo, Minco's Director – Exploration and "Competent Person" as defined under the 2021 Pan-European Reporting Standard for the Public Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves.

ABOUT MINCO EXPLORATION PLC

Minco Exploration PLC is a mineral exploration company which holds interests in Prospecting Licences in Ireland which are 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, the site of Ireland's latest high-grade zinc-lead-copper-silver discovery. Rapla 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 that can be considered to be 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.

Following the Placement, Minco now has 131,982,102 Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding.

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

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to, but not limited to, the Company's expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs. Forward-looking information can often be identified by terminology such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "goal", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "may", "will", or similar words suggesting future outcomes, or by statements regarding future events, conditions, performance, or results.

Forward-looking information may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to mineral resource or reserve estimates, exploration results, future production levels, capital and operating costs, timing of development milestones, the availability of funding, use of Proceeds from the Placement, regulatory approvals, and the future financial or operating performance of the Company. Technical and scientific information disclosed from adjacent properties does not necessarily apply to the Rapla project. These statements are based on current expectations, assumptions and estimates that involve a number of business risks and uncertainties.

Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the risk of not establishing mineral resources or reserves; differences between actual results and estimates with respect to grade, recovery, or mineral content; cost overruns or delays; availability of funding on acceptable terms; changes in laws or regulations (including in Ireland, the EU, or other applicable jurisdictions); delays or failures in obtaining necessary permits or approvals; fluctuations in commodity prices and exchange rates; inflationary pressures; and general economic and market conditions.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Shareholders and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. By its nature, forward-looking information involves numerous assumptions and inherent risks, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that predictions, forecasts, projections and outcomes will not occur as anticipated.

Except as may be required under applicable Irish or other securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/312388