Cartier Discovers Multiple Shallow High-Grade Gold Zones at Cadillac; Cuts 54.6 g/t Au over 1.0 m and 4.4 g/t Au over 6.0 m; Extends North Contact Zone 500 Meters East on Strike VAL-D’OR, Quebec, Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cartier Resources Inc. (″ Cartier ″ or the ″ Company ″) (TSXV: ECR; FSE: 6CA) is pleased to announce the seventh batch of results from the 100,000-m drilling program (2 drill rigs), for the Contact Sector and more precisely, the North Contact Zone (″ NCZ ″) and its east extension, on the 100%-owned Cadillac Project, located in Val-d’Or (Abitibi, Quebec). The NCZ consists of three parallel high-grade gold zones: NC1, NC2 and NC3, spaced approximately 50 m apart. Strategic Highlights from Contact Sector Drill Hole Results (Figures 1 to 4)NCZ East Extension CA25-559 intersected 54.6 g/t Au over 1.0 m including 85.1 g/t Au over 0.5 m (NC1 Zone).CA25-558 graded 4.4 g/t Au over 6.0 m including 23.2 g/t Au over 1.0 m (NC3 Zone).CA25-557 reported 7.5 g/t Au over 0.5 m (NC3 Zone). NCZ CA25-554 intersected 1.5 g/t Au over 15.5 m (NC3 Zone).CA25-547 graded 1.2 g/t Au over 13.2 m (NC3 Zone).CA25-552 reported 1.0 g/t Au over 10.5 m (NC3 Zone). Significance for Investors Holes CA25-557, 558 and 559 discovered high-grade gold zones 500 metres along eastern strike extension of the NC1 and NC3 gold zones, significantly expands the North Contact main mineralized system. These new results, consistently associated with visible gold grains and sulphides, demonstrate the gold-fertile and robust geological continuity of the Contact Sector.Holes CA25-547, 552 and 554 confirmed NCZ extends to surface and remains open at depth, supporting the potential for shallow development scenarios and significant resource expansion. The NCZ represents an extensive and large mineralized gold system (400 m in strike length by 300 m in depth), comprised of multiple stacked gold zones with significant grades, widths and continuity.The combination of exposed bedrock, minimal overburden (5 m) and proximity to year-round road access (250 m) positions Contact Sector as a highly strategic asset for more flexible operating scenarios and further improving the project economics. Next Steps Further expansion drilling is planned to expand NCZ gold mineralization at depth (300-600 m), connect footprint of NCZ and its eastern extensions and determine gold enrichment with the primary objective of upgrading the mineral resource estimate.Additional exploration drilling is required to test several new high-priority regional targets along strike of the Contact Sector and the Héva Fault Zone, backed by detailed structural and geological modelling and VRIFY’s artificial intelligence (AI) driven targeting. " This discovery and results conclude what was planned at the Contact Sector of the current 100,000-meter program. Obviously, we’re convinced of the high gold potential of this segment of the Héva Fault and we are actively working to increase the current drilling program to 250,000 metres. The Contact Sector will no doubt receive focussed attention. This expanded campaign is designed to unlock maximum shareholder value and demonstrate the Cadillac Project’s potential as a mining camp scale. " – Philippe Cloutier, President and CEO of Cartier. " The North Contact Zone, its new eastern extensions and the systematic presence of visible gold grains over 1 km of the Héva Fault Zone highlights the strength and scale of the gold system. This newly identified fault is rapidly becoming a highly growth opportunity for the Cadillac project and defined by numerous untested geophysical anomalies over 5 km, readily accessible, providing huge upside potential for making gold discoveries. Our team is currently designing the add-on drill program to ready timely execution and strong results for shareholders. " – Ronan Deroff, Vice President Exploration of Cartier. Table 1: Drill hole best assay results from Contact Sector Hole NumberFrom (m)To (m)Core Length** (m)Au (g/t) UncutVertical Depth (m)ZoneCA25-547105.8119.013.21.2≈100NC3CA25-55277.588.010.51.0≈60NC3CA25-554100.5116.015.51.5≈100NC3CA25-557105.1105.60.57.5*≈90NC3CA25-558188.0194.06.04.4≈190NC3Including 193.0194.01.023.2CA25-559128.5129.51.054.6*≈120NC1Including 128.5129.00.524.1*Including 129.0129.50.585.1* * Occurrences of visible gold (VG) have been noted in the drill core at various intervals. ** Based on the observed intercept angles within the drill core, true thicknesses are estimated to represent approximately 50-75% of the reported core length intervals. Figure 1: Location of the new drill results (regional plan view) Figure 2: Location of the new drill results (regional longitudinal section) Figure 3: Plan view, cross and long sections of the Contact Sector Figure 4: Photos of the drill core from holes CA25-558 and CA25-559 Contact Sector The Contact Sector is a highly prospective area featuring the North Contact Zone with inferred resources of 136,700 ounces (2.1 million tonnes at 2.0 g/t A