Tempiute Historical Mine Tailings Update
Guardian Metal identified 550 acres of historical tungsten tailings at Tempiute and plans auger drilling in June 2026.
- Historical tailings surface footprint approximately 550 acres (2.23 km²)
- Mining claims staked 193
- Overall Tempiute footprint increase over 375%
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Guardian Metal Resources PLC (NYSE.A:GMTL, LON:GMET, OTCQB:GMTLF), a strategic mineral exploration company focused on tungsten in Nevada, USA, is pleased to announce an update relating to historical mine tailings present at the Company's Tempiute Tungsten Project ("Tempiute" or the "Project") located in south-central Nevada less than 250 miles (402 km) southeast of the Company's Pilot Mountain Tungsten Project. Tempiute, formerly known as the Emerson Tungsten Mine, is a significant past producing tungsten mine, which was originally discovered in 1916 and most recently operated during the 1980s. The Company is evaluating near-term resource and tungsten production opportunities across the extensive former producing mine, with the identification of tailings from decades of historical production adding a compelling new dimension to the Project.
As a critical defense metal, tungsten has been designated as a strategic priority by the U.S. government. Guardian Metal's mission is to establish its co-flagship tungsten projects as the cornerstone of U.S. mined tungsten supply, directly supporting national efforts to re-establish domestic production. This is intended to help the U.S. reduce reliance on foreign supply chains, strengthen economic and defense security, and deliver long-term value for shareholders.
Oliver Friesen, CEO of Guardian Metal, commented:
"Tempiute has a long and well-documented tungsten production history, and we believe the historical tailings represent a unique opportunity warranting further investigation, one that could provide near-term support to the U.S. tungsten supply chain alongside a meaningful reclamation outcome. Our initial assessment has confirmed the presence of tungsten across a substantial surface footprint. As a result we are advancing towards an auger drilling program which will help us better understand the characteristics of the material subsurface.
"With tungsten recognised as a critical defense metal and domestic supply a priority for the U.S. government, this work is very timely. Furthermore we are encouraged by the results of our investigations to date."
HIGHLIGHTS
| • | Guardian Metal is evaluating the potential of recovering tungsten and other metals from the historic tailings at Tempiute, with a view to provide an opportunity for near-term, domestically sourced tungsten in the U.S. |
| • | Through detailed mapping and sampling, the surface area footprint of historical tungsten-enriched mine tailings at Tempiute (the "Tempiute Tailings") has been determined to cover approximately 550 acres (2.23 km²). |
| • | As a result, Guardian Metal has expanded its mineral rights position significantly, staking 193 claims and increasing its overall Tempiute footprint by over 375% to secure what the Company strongly believes to be the full extent of the Tempiute Tailings. This expansion runs parallel to the Company's appropriate environmental inquiry. |
| • | An auger drilling program is planned to commence in June 2026, subject to receipt of required permits, and will enable characterization of the tailings material and surrounding soils for environmental evaluation and assessment of the tungsten resource potential. |
| • | The combination of modern recovery methods and elevated tungsten prices makes this an increasingly compelling near-term domestic tungsten supply opportunity, while also offering a meaningful reclamation outcome. |
| • | Previously milled material sitting at surface, combined with existing on-site infrastructure, means the cost and development timeline of a reprocessing operation could compare favourably to a conventional tungsten mining project, subject to confirmation of sufficient tailings tonnage and grade. |
Background
To determine the economic and environmental remediation potential of historical mine tailings at Tempiute, the Company undertook a detailed mapping and sampling program across the entire historical mine tailings area.
Evaluation of publicly available production records, dating back to the 1930s, was correlated with satellite imagery, spectral analysis, and ground mapping to identify the tailings footprint extending down slope from the Tempiute mine. Follow up ground investigation and surface sampling delineated a large tungsten-enriched zone and confirmed the extent of the historical mine tailings area to cover a surface footprint of approximately 550 acres (2.23 km²). Sampling also provided an initial characterisation of the material, verifying the presence of tungsten and other metals.
As a result, Guardian Metal expanded its mineral rights position significantly, staking 193 mining claims and increasing the overall Tempiute Project footprint by over 375%, to secure what the Company believes to be the full extent of the historical tailings.
Subject to receipt of the required permits, an auger drilling program is planned to commence in June 2026 to characterise the tailings material and surrounding soils for environmental evaluation and resource potential. This work will advance the Company's environmental inquiry and enable determination of the potential for a tungsten resource.
Next Steps
The Company has submitted a Notice to the Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection for the proposed auger drilling program. Subject to approval, the auger drilling program is targeted to commence in June 2026 and is expected to take approximately three months to complete. The program is designed to allow the Company to make all appropriate inquiries regarding current environmental conditions on site, while estimating the total volume and grade of tungsten and base/precious-metal bearing material present.
In parallel, an independent metallurgical study will be completed to determine the most effective method of recovering tungsten and other metals from the tailings, with results expected in the coming months. This study will also characterize the geochemistry of the tailings post tungsten recovery to inform the final reclamation design of the site.
The Directors of the Company are responsible for this announcement.
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