WestGold Metals Corp. to Acquire 90% Interest in Idaho Precious Metal Properties

Vancouver, British Columbia — May 14, 2026 — Leads & Copy — WestGold Metals Corp. has entered into a mineral property option agreement with Silver Rock Resources, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of IDEX Metals Corp., to acquire a 90% interest in three precious and base metal exploration properties in Idaho.

The properties, known as the Amie Project, the Silver Rock Project, and the Demming Project, are located in the Owyhee District in southwest Idaho. This agreement marks WestGold’s entry into North American precious metals exploration.

Since James Hocking's appointment as CEO in January 2026, WestGold has been building its management and technical expertise to pursue mineral exploration assets in North America. The recent appointment of Antoine Soucy-Fradette as Vice President Exploration, who contributed to discoveries at Hercules Metals Corp. and Talisker Resources, strengthens the company’s capabilities.

The addition of Tom Lee to the Board of Directors in April 2026, with experience in capital markets and transactions across Canada and the United States, enhances WestGold’s capacity to finance its exploration pipeline.

According to WestGold, the Idaho Portfolio represents a step in its North American growth strategy, targeting deposit types in established mining districts with infrastructure access and drill-ready upside.

CEO James Hocking stated that acquiring the option on the Idaho Portfolio is a defining moment for WestGold. He added that the properties are located in historically underexplored precious metal districts and represent a compelling entry point in a jurisdiction investors understand.

Under the Option Agreement, WestGold can acquire a 90% interest in the Properties by meeting certain conditions:

a) Issuing 5,737,000 common shares to the Optionor.

b) Paying the Optionor CAD$100,000 within 30 business days of the Effective Date.

c) Incurring a minimum of CAD$5,000,000 in exploration expenditures on the Properties over a three-year period: CAD$1,000,000 by the first anniversary, a cumulative CAD$3,000,000 by the second anniversary, and a cumulative CAD$5,000,000 by the third anniversary.

Upon exercising the Option, a joint venture will be formed with WestGold holding a 90% participating interest and the Optionor retaining a 10% carried interest until commercial production begins. WestGold will be the operator, and a 1.5% net smelter returns royalty will be granted to the Optionor, which WestGold can reduce to 1.0% by paying CAD$2,000,000.

The closing of the Option Agreement is subject to customary conditions, including acceptance by the CSE and TSX-V and completion of an Equity Financing by WestGold.

The Idaho Portfolio includes 79 unpatented lode mining claims on 660.5 hectares of BLM-administered lands.

The Amie Project, located in Owyhee County, southwest Idaho, comprises 53 unpatented lode mining claims covering approximately 392.79 hectares. It is situated on the northeastern flank of the Owyhee Mountains, within the same epithermal gold-silver belt that hosts Integra Resources’ DeLamar Project.

Historical activity on the Amie Property includes 11 adits, 4 shafts, and 46 test pits, including the past-producing Amie No. 1 and No. 2 shafts, the Big Shot Mine, and the Roadside Mine. Since 2021, IDEX conducted a reconnaissance exploration program comprising soil geochemistry, rock chip sampling, and spectral mineralogy analysis.

The Silver Rock Project, also in Owyhee County, hosts a high-grade silver system with multi-phase, northwest-trending epithermal veins and historical infrastructure. The property has received no modern systematic exploration or drilling.

The Demming Project, also in Owyhee County, hosts a vertical Au-Ag quartz fissure vein system extending over 1,000 feet. A stockpile of mineralized material remains on site.

There are no current mineral resources defined at any of either Amie, Silver Rock or Demming projects.

Antoine Soucy-Fradette will lead the technical advancement of the Idaho Portfolio. WestGold plans to prioritize the Amie Project, initiating a maiden drill program based on targets generated through detailed geological mapping, geophysical surveys, and systematic sampling. Reconnaissance programs will also be conducted at the Silver Rock and Demming Projects.

Darren Lefort, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in the release.

WestGold Metals Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and advancement of precious metal exploration opportunities in North American mining districts. WestGold’s common shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol WGM, quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol WGMTF, and traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol V0U.

For more information, investors are encouraged to review the Company’s public filings available at www.sedarplus.ca.

The historical information relating to the Demming and Silver Rock properties is sourced from a government report titled “Site Inspection Report for Abandoned and Inactive Mines in Southern Idaho: Volume III: Miscellaneous Properties, Owyhee County, Idaho” prepared by Earl H. Bennet et al. in 2000 for the Bureau of Land Management.

Source: WestGold Metals Corp.