LAURION Provides Strategic Update for 2026: Advancing Ishkoday through Disciplined Execution

Stock
January 20, 2026

(TheNewswire)

Toronto, Ontario TheNewswire – January 20, 2026 Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: LME | OTCQB: LMEFF | FSE: 5YD) (‘LAURION’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to provide an update on its strategic positioning entering 2026, following a recent strategy session of the Company’s Board of Directors. LAURION’s primary focus for the year ahead is the advancement and further development of its flagship Ishkōday Project, with the objective of enhancing the positioning of the asset to support the Company’s pursuit of strategic alternatives aimed at maximizing long‑term shareholder value.

‘Our focus has always been on advancing Ishkōday through disciplined, milestone-driven execution,’ said Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin, President and CEO of LAURION. ‘This technical direction reflects my conviction that LAURION’s strategy is sound, disciplined, and built to endure. We are no longer relying on the market to infer value — we are building it by translating technical progress and mineral property advancement into measurable project value. As the Company’s largest shareholder, with my immediate family and I holding over 30 million shares, alignment with this approach matters deeply to me.’

‘This clarity regarding LAURION’s strategic plan is intended to ensure that investors understand how the Company’s disciplined execution today improves outcomes tomorrow, while avoiding mixed signals between whether the Company is prioritizing a pursuit of strategic alternatives as compared to the technical advancement and development of Ishkōday. They are considered concurrent and complementary priorities.’

EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES

As previously announced, LAURION has undertaken a structured strategic review process, including the establishment of a special committee (the ‘Special Committee‘) and the engagement of a network of financial and strategic advisors, to explore a range of potential strategic alternatives for the Company, which includes, among other things, assessing interest from potential acquirers and institutional investors aligned with LAURION’s long-term vision. (LAURION press releases dated November 14, 2023, April 14, 2025, September 5, 2025, October 23, 2025 and November 19, 2025.)

As part of recent strategic discussions, the Company received feedback from external advisors regarding the Company’s market positioning, timing, and next steps. These advisors noted that, while interest in high-quality Canadian gold assets exists, it remains selective. The most effective way to strengthen future strategic outcomes is through the continued technical advancement and development of the Ishkōday Project. Specifically, these advisors recommended that LAURION advance the Project toward the completion of a technical report expressing a mineral resource estimate (MRE), followed by a subsequent technical report disclosing a preliminary economic assessment (PEA), each prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (‘NI 43-101‘). Therefore, working towards these two technical milestones will be the Company’s principal focus in 2026.

While LAURION’s M&A infrastructure – comprised of its Special Committee and established network of financial and strategic advisors – remains in place and the Company continues to explore and be receptive to strategic opportunities, day-to-day management will concentrate on advancing the development of the Ishkōday Project through its next stages of technical reporting. Consistent with the guidance provided by the Company’s advisors, the advancement of the Ishkōday Project is expected to further enhance the project’s profile, quantify the merits of the project, and better position LAURION to explore strategic alternatives designed to maximize shareholder value.

FROM BROAD EXPLORATION TO STRUCTURED VALUE DEFINITION

LAURION has built an extensive geological and exploration dataset across a large, mineralized corridor at Ishkōday through a series of deliberate, strategically designed work programs. The Company has developed a structure-led, confidence-building technical program designed to support mineral resource development.

The Company’s technical focus in 2026 will be on integrating this information to identify and progressively refine coherent mineralized envelopes within priority structural corridors, using structurally informed drilling, shoot-fan patterns, and 3D domaining to convert drilling confidence into robust geological models. Near-term drilling will be designed and executed within structurally validated zones and along established plunge directions, with each hole planned to test defined geological hypotheses and contribute directly to model refinement, continuity assessment, and confidence building. This disciplined approach emphasizes data quality and geological consistency, with the objective of ensuring that technical advancement is systematic, defensible, and aligned with NI 43-101. In the Company’s view, by prioritizing technical integrity, LAURION can support near-term target generation and foster future resource growth and value recognition, as this is how the Company intends to increase the underlying value of the project in a manner consistent with how value is traditionally assessed and realized in the mining industry.

LAURION to Attend VRIC 2026

LAURION will be attending the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference (VRIC) 2026, to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, on January 25-26, 2026. Management will be available during the conference to engage with investors and industry participants and to discuss the Company’s ongoing work at the Ishkōday Gold-Polymetallic Project, its disciplined technical approach, and its 2026 execution priorities. Participation in VRIC supports LAURION’s commitment to transparent investor engagement and clear communication aligned with its milestone-driven strategy.

Qualified Person

The technical contents of this release were reviewed and approved by Pierre-Jean Lafleur, P.Eng, a consultant to LAURION and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

About LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc.

Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc. is a mid-stage junior mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol LME and on the OTC Pink market under the symbol LMEFF. The Company currently has 278,716,413 common shares outstanding, with approximately 73.6% held by insiders and long-term ‘Friends and Family’ investors, reflecting strong alignment between management, the Board, and shareholders.

LAURION’s primary focus is the 100%-owned, district-scale Ishkōday Project, a 57 km² land package hosting gold-rich polymetallic mineralization. The Company is advancing Ishkōday through a disciplined, milestone-driven exploration strategy focused on strengthening geological confidence, defining structural continuity.

LAURION’s strategy is centered on deliberate value creation. The Company is prioritizing systematic technical advancement, integrated geological and structural modeling, and the evaluation of optional, non-dilutive pathways, including historical surface stockpile processing, that may support flexibility without diverting focus from core exploration objectives.

The Company’s overarching objective is to build project value before monetization, ensuring that any future strategic outcomes are supported by technical clarity, reduced execution risk, and demonstrated scale. While the Board remains attentive to strategic interest that may arise, LAURION is not driven by transaction timing. Instead, the Company is focused on advancing the Ishkōday Project in a manner that strengthens long-term shareholder value.

LAURION will continue to communicate progress through timely disclosure and will issue press releases in accordance with applicable securities laws should any material change occur.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc.

Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin – President and CEO

Tel: 1-705-788-9186 Fax: 1-705-805-9256

Douglas Vass – Investor Relations Consultant

Email: info@laurion.ca

Website: http://www.LAURION.ca

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company’s current expectations regarding future events including with respect to LAURION’s business, operations and condition, management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions, the Company’s ability to advance the Ishkōday Project, the nature, focus, timing and potential results of the Company’s exploration, drilling and prospecting activities in 2026 and beyond, including the Company’s planned activities for the Ishkōday Project for the remainder of 2026, the timing of, and the Company’s ability to complete, any technical reports or milestones regarding the Ishkōday Project, and the statements regarding the Company’s exploration or consideration of any possible strategic alternatives and transactional opportunities, as well as the potential outcome(s) of this process, the possible impact of any potential transactions referenced or inferred herein on the Company or any of its stakeholders, and the ability of the Company to identify and complete any potential acquisitions, mergers, financings or other transactions referenced or inferred herein, and the timing of any such transactions. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events and future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements could differ materially from those projected herein including as a result of a change in the trading price of the common shares of LAURION, the TSX Venture Exchange or any other applicable regulator not providing its approval for any strategic alternatives or transactional opportunities, the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future prices of gold and/or other metals, possible variations in grade or recovery rates, failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, the failure of contracted parties to perform, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company’s publicly filed documents. Investors should consult the Company’s ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the Company’s public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. All sample values are from grab samples and channel samples, which by their nature, are not necessarily representative of overall grades of mineralized areas. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on the assay values reported in this press release.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICE PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.