Nevada Copper Achieves Key Development Milestones

Paste Plant Commissioning Underway, First Paste Filled Stope; Open Pit Resource Definition Drilling Program Commenced

Announces Filing of Q1 2022 Financial Report; Management Changes

YERINGTON, Nev., May 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Copper (TSX: NCU) (OTC: NEVDF) (FSE: ZYTA) (“Nevada Copper” or the “Company”) today announced its first quarter 2022 financial and operating results as well as recent milestone achievements and updates on key development initiatives for its Pumpkin Hollow underground mine (the “Underground Mine”) and open pit project (the “Open Pit Project”). The Company has filed its interim financial statements and the related management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, which documents can be accessed under the Company’s profile on www.SEDAR.com.

Recent Developments

• Underground Mine Ramp Up Continues: Underground production continues to ramp up with hoisting rates of a combination of stope ore and development material expected to increase to approximately 3,000 tons per day (“tpd”) in Q2 2022 and then further increasing to 4,000 to 4,500 tpd during Q3 2022.
• Paste Plant Commissioning: The Underground Mine paste plant began wet commissioning and filling of the first stope with paste backfill in April 2022. Paste plant commissioning activities are ongoing with initial throughput capacity expected to be realized by the end of June 2022. It is expected that the implementation of paste backfilling will result in quicker stope turnover leading to improvements in hoisting and production rates going forward.
• Surface Vent Installation and Third Ore Pass Construction: The dry commissioning of the surface ventilation fans was completed in early April. Initial excavation of the third ore pass is complete with construction activities scheduled for completion in Q3 2022.
• Open Pit Drill Program Commenced: The 2022/23 drill program commenced with one drill arriving on site in late April and a second drill planned to arrive during the second quarter. The primary goals of the planned approximate 25,000-foot (“ft”) drill program are upgrading in-pit inferred mineral resources that are currently considered as waste in the 2019 Technical Report¹, to a minimum of an indicated resource, and expanding mineral resources previously inaccessible for drilling. Drilling will also be used to advance the geotechnical and metallurgical understanding of the deposit. Condemnation drilling will be completed in areas planned for major infrastructure. Several holes are also planned to follow up geophysical and surface work and test the nearby Tedeboy porphyry target.
• Open Pit Project Prefeasibility Study (“PFS”) Update on Track: The Open Pit Project PFS update is progressing well and is expected to be completed in Q3 2022, as planned. The PFS will include updated mineral reserves and resources and economics based on current metals prices, costs, project development strategy and the contemplated solar project, which is expected to have a positive impact on the long-term price expectations for power. The results of the drill program currently underway will not be included in the PFS, however, they are expected to be included in an open pit feasibility study planned for the second half of 2023. The Open Pit Project has all the material permits required at this time for mine construction and operations and proven and probable mineral reserves, as estimated in the 2019 Technical Report, were 3,590 million pounds of copper (385.7 million tons grading 0.47% copper).
• Key Team Additions: Continued strengthening of the team with the hiring of experienced individuals in the following roles: VP Technical Services; VP Human Resources; VP Finance; VP Investor Relations and Community Relations; Director Safety & Health; Director Supply Chain; Chief Reliability Engineer; Underground Production Manager; Process Manager; IT Manager; and several critical hires in Process Maintenance.

Randy Buffington, President & CEO stated, “I am very pleased with the progress we are making on several fronts at Pumpkin Hollow. We have completed a number of key projects at site that are aimed at improving productivity, stope availability and equipment reliability for the Underground Mine. The prefeasibility study update for the fully permitted Open Pit Project is well underway and will include important sustainable initiatives such as the solar project. In addition, the commencement of our exploration program is an important step towards our longer-term growth strategy. We are laying the groundwork necessary to demonstrate the potential for this significant copper operation and assembling the right team to execute on these plans for the long-term benefit of our stakeholders.”