Highlights
- Uranium Confirmed: Analytical results from the winter 2026 drill campaign confirm anomalous uranium in all nine (9) completed drill holes, including multiple intervals of significant uranium enrichment (>100-350 ppm U) in six (6) drill holes. Calculated Uranium : Thorium (“U:Th”) ratios >2:1 from the winter results consistently indicate hydrothermal uranium input.
- Basement-Hosted System: Uranium mineralization is hosted within deformed and altered paragneiss, pegmatite, and granitoid orthogneiss units. Structural settings include hydrothermally altered fault zones and late quartz-carbonate veining – indicating a hydrothermal uranium-fertile system open along strike and at depth.
- Elevated Pathfinder Elements: Several key uranium pathfinder elements are present in anomalous quantities in multiple drill holes within the crystalline basement, providing vectoring information for future programs. This includes anomalous Boron up to 13,600 ppm at 172.5 m in hole CRV-26-002. Spectroscopy results confirm the presence of fracture-hosted dravitic-clay in four (4) of nine (9) completed drill holes.
- Follow Up Targets & Next Steps: Following the review of drilling and geophysical data sets, additional surface exploration and a second phase drilling program is being planned to follow-up along strike of mineralized drill holes and continue testing of priority regional drill targets across the Project. Several priority uranium targets remain along >25 km of structural strike length.
Vancouver, B.C. – Aventis Energy Inc. (“Aventis”or the“Company”)(CSE: AVE | FRA: C0O0 | OTC: VBAMF) is pleasedto report a summary of geochemical assay results from its winter 2026 drill program (the “Program”) at the Corvo Uranium Project (“Corvo”, or the “Project”) located near Wollaston Lake in northeastern Saskatchewan (Please see Figure 1).
The results of the Program highlight anomalous* uranium, boron, and other pathfinder elements indicative of a basement-hosted uranium system across multiple target areas on Corvo. In addition, local intervals of elevated Rare Earth Elements (“REE”) were identified in drill hole CRV-26-009, with enriched concentrations of Total Rare Earth Oxides plus Yttrium (“TREO*”) greater than 0.1%. Please see Appendix A for a corresponding table of individual REE results.
Michael Mulberry, Chief Executive Officer & Director of Aventis, commented, “These results represent an important milestone for Aventis as we continue to validate the uranium potential at Corvo. The consistent uranium enrichment, widespread hydrothermal alteration, and encouraging pathfinder geochemistry observed across multiple target areas reinforce our confidence that we are vectoring into a fertile basement-hosted uranium system. With more than twenty-five (25) kilometres of prospective structural corridors remaining to be tested, we are encouraged by the scale of the opportunity and look forward to advancing the Project through additional exploration and follow-up drilling.”
The Project is currently under a three-year earn-in option agreement (the “Option Agreement”) with Standard Uranium Ltd. (CSE: STND) (“Standard”). A total of 2,457 metres were completed across ten (10) reconnaissance drill holes at the Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Tribeca target areas (Please see Figure 2). One (1) drill hole was abandoned due to ground conditions. The winter 2026 drill Program was funded by Aventis and operated by Standard.
Figure 1. Regional overview of the Corvo Project in the eastern Athabasca Basin region.
Figure 2. Corvo Project overview highlighting drill holes with intervals of enriched uranium >100 ppm U across high-priority target areas drilled during the winter 2026 Program.
2026 Drill Program – Summary of Geochemical Results
The inaugural Corvo drill Program began testing three (3) high-priority target areas defined by data integration and modeling of a project-wide Time-Domain Electromagnetic (“TDEM”) survey, a 5,185-station ground gravity survey, and surficial geological information.
Inaugural drilling intersected key characteristics of a uranium-bearing mineralized system across three (3) target areas, confirming the presence of significant fault systems linked to uranium enrichment and prospective hydrothermal alteration in the basement rock. Partial-digestion uranium assay results from the Program are summarized in Table 1. Partial-digestion uranium assays may provide a more effective exploration vector than total-digestion assays because they emphasize hydrothermal uranium while reducing the contribution from resistant accessory minerals. During early-stage targeting, interpreting partial digestion assays and U:Th ratios can be used as an exploration vector and improve discrimination between fertile lithologies and genuinely mineralized systems.
Targets were selected and prioritized through an iterative approach working in collaboration with Convolutions Geoscience Corporation, targeting compelling geophysical signatures and favorable geological/structural settings. Recent prospecting and mapping across the Project outlined multiple mineralized outcrops and boulders, including the Manhattan showing which returned results up to 8.10% U3O8 at surface1.
Table 1. Summary of winter 2026 Corvo uranium assay results. Uranium parts-per-million (“ppm”) results are reported in partial digestion, with corresponding U3O8 weight percent (“wt.%”) results where applicable.
| DDH | Orientation Azi/Dip (°) | Target Area | Uranium and Rare-Earth Element Assay Highlights | |||||
| From (m) | To (m) | Width (m) | Uranium (partial, ppm) | U3O8 (wt.%) | TREO* (wt.%) | |||
| CRV-26-001 | 150/-50 | Manhattan | 195.5 | 196.0 | 0.5 | 131.0 | – | – |
| 204.0 | 204.5 | 0.5 | 66.6 | – | – | |||
| 304.0 | 305.0 | 1.0 | 26.9 | 0.001 | – | |||
| CRV-26-002 | 139/-50 | Manhattan | 19.0 | 19.5 | 0.5 | 57.3 | 0.005 | – |
| 22.5 | 23.0 | 0.5 | 219.0 | 0.025 | – | |||
| 23.0 | 23.5 | 0.5 | 228.0 | 0.031 | – | |||
| 23.5 | 24.0 | 0.5 | 253.0 | 0.034 | – | |||
| 24.0 | 24.5 | 0.5 | 190.0 | 0.024 | – | |||
| 94.0 | 94.5 | 0.5 | 60.2 | – | – | |||
| 172.5 | 173.0 | 0.5 | 48.6 | 0.005 | – | |||
| 173.0 | 173.5 | 0.5 | 91.7 | 0.013 | – | |||
| CRV-26-003A | 135/-60 | Manhattan | Hole restarted due to ground conditions | – | ||||
| CRV-26-003 | 135/-60 | Manhattan | 70.5 | 71.0 | 0.5 | 64.4 | – | – |
| 76.0 | 76.5 | 0.5 | 76.2 | 0.008 | – | |||
| 88.0 | 88.5 | 0.5 | 321.0 | 0.039 | – | |||
| 134.9 | 135.0 | 0.1 | 29.3 | – | – | |||
| CRV-26-004 | 135/-45 | Manhattan | 210.5 | 211.0 | 0.5 | 58.1 | – | – |
| 238.6 | 238.7 | 0.1 | 23.9 | – | ||||
| CRV-26-005 | 140/-50 | Brooklyn | 70.5 | 71.0 | 0.5 | 96.5 | 0.009 | – |
| 71.0 | 72.0 | 1.0 | 206.0 | 0.026 | – | |||
| 72.0 | 73.0 | 1.0 | 387.0 | 0.042 | – | |||
| 73.0 | 73.5 | 0.5 | 110.0 | 0.013 | – | |||
| 73.5 | 74.0 | 0.5 | 39.6 | 0.004 | – | |||
| 76.5 | 77.0 | 0.5 | 64.9 | 0.007 | – | |||
| 77.0 | 77.5 | 0.5 | 165.0 | 0.021 | – | |||
| 77.5 | 78.0 | 0.5 | 24.6 | 0.002 | – | |||
| 109.1 | 109.2 | 0.1 | 72.4 | – | – | |||
| 186.0 | 186.1 | 0.1 | 47.3 | – | – | |||
| CRV-26-006 | 158/-65 | Brooklyn | 97.5 | 98.5 | 1.0 | 76.1 | 0.009 | – |
| 155.5 | 156.5 | 1.0 | 36.9 | 0.004 | – | |||
| 156.5 | 157.0 | 0.5 | 34.9 | 0.003 | – | |||
| CRV-26-007 | 158/-57 | Brooklyn | 10.0 | 10.1 | 0.1 | 38.7 | – | – |
| 221.8 | 221.9 | 0.1 | 68.3 | – | – | |||
| CRV-26-008 | 140/-55 | Brooklyn | 101.5 | 102.5 | 1.0 | 21.2 | – | – |
| 105.0 | 105.5 | 0.5 | 36.1 | 0.003 | – | |||
| 105.5 | 106.0 | 0.5 | 201.0 | 0.024 | – | |||
| 116.0 | 116.5 | 0.5 | 71.9 | – | – | |||
| 117.5 | 118.0 | 0.5 | 27.9 | – | – | |||
| 211.3 | 211.4 | 0.1 | 119.0 | – | – | |||
| CRV-26-009 | 335/-70 | Tribeca | 7.5 | 8.0 | 0.5 | 17.8 | 0.0005 | 0.133 |
| 8.0 | 8.5 | 0.5 | 150.0 | 0.014 | 0.207 | |||
| 8.5 | 9.0 | 0.5 | 192.0 | 0.018 | 0.333 | |||
| 9.0 | 9.5 | 0.5 | 100.0 | 0.010 | – | |||
| 9.5 | 10.0 | 0.5 | 114.0 | 0.011 | 0.248 | |||
| 16.5 | 17.0 | 0.5 | 20.5 | 0.001 | – | |||
| 17.0 | 17.5 | 0.5 | 34.4 | 0.003 | – | |||
| 17.5 | 18.0 | 0.5 | 41.5 | 0.005 | – | |||
| 18.0 | 18.5 | 0.5 | 130.0 | 0.012 | – | |||
| 18.5 | 19.0 | 0.5 | 171.0 | 0.019 | – | |||
| 19.0 | 19.5 | 0.5 | 148.0 | 0.016 | – | |||
| 19.5 | 20.0 | 0.5 | 30.5 | 0.003 | – | |||
| 27.5 | 28.0 | 0.5 | 38.9 | 0.003 | ||||
| 28.0 | 28.5 | 0.5 | 300.0 | 0.035 | – | |||
| 62.0 | 63.0 | 1.0 | 27.0 | 0.002 | – | |||
| 63.0 | 63.5 | 0.5 | 41.3 | 0.003 | – | |||
| 63.5 | 64.0 | 0.5 | 169.0 | 0.020 | – | |||
| 64.0 | 64.5 | 0.5 | 157.0 | 0.019 | – | |||
| 64.5 | 65.0 | 0.5 | 168.0 | 0.020 | – | |||
| 65.0 | 65.5 | 0.5 | 89.6 | 0.010 | – | |||
| 65.5 | 66.0 | 0.5 | 91.0 | 0.010 | – | |||
| 66.0 | 66.5 | 0.5 | 64.3 | – | – | |||
| 105.0 | 105.5 | 0.5 | 120.0 | 0.014 | – | |||
| 130.5 | 131.0 | 0.5 | 86.9 | 0.010 | – | |||
| 159.0 | 159.5 | 0.5 | 304.0 | 0.030 | 0.280 | |||
| 159.5 | 160.0 | 0.5 | 74.7 | 0.007 | – | |||
| 169.5 | 170.0 | 0.5 | 51.5 | 0.003 | 0.144 | |||
| 182.0 | 182.5 | 0.5 | 93.7 | 0.011 | – | |||
*In crystalline basement rocks, the Company considers concentrations of uranium >10 ppm U to be “weakly anomalous”, concentrations >50 ppm U to be “moderately anomalous” and concentrations >100 ppm U to be “highly anomalous”. Intervals represent drilled core lengths; True thicknesses of mineralized zones cannot be determined with certainty at this stage of exploration.
Next Steps & Follow Up
The analytical results in this news release are being integrated with the detailed logging information and geophysical datasets to prioritize follow-up target areas for future drill testing, in addition to testing of numerous other priority regional targets.
The Company believes the Project is highly prospective for the discovery of shallow, high-grade** basement-hosted uranium mineralization akin to the Rabbit Lake deposit and the recently discovered GMZ and Ackio zone. Located just outside the current margin of the Athabasca Basin, Corvo boasts more than twenty-nine (29) km of structural corridors with multiple untested drill targets with minimal cover of glacial till.
This first pass drill Program marks the first drilling on the Project in more than forty (40) years, and the results confirm uranium fertility across multiple target areas. Aventis and Standard will incorporate the results of the 2026 Program into the exploration strategy at Corvo for follow-up exploration programs targeting basement hosted uranium mineralization.
Qualified Person Statement
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Sean Hillacre, P.Geo., President and VP Exploration of Standard and a “qualified person” as defined in NI 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
Samples collected for analysis were sent to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (“SRC”) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for preparation, processing, and ICP-MS multi-element analysis using total and partial digestion and boron by fusion. Basement samples were tested with ICP-MS2 uranium multi-element exploration package plus boron. All sandstone samples, and basement samples marked as radioactive upon arrival to the lab were also analyzed using the U3O8 assay (reported in wt.%). Basement rock split interval samples range from 0.1 to 1.0 m. SRC is an ISO/IEC 17025/2005 and Standards Council of Canada certified analytical laboratory. Blanks, standard reference materials, and repeats were inserted into the sample stream at regular intervals in accordance with Standard’s quality assurance/quality control (“QA/QC”) protocols. All samples passed internal QA/QC protocols and the results presented in this news release are deemed complete, reliable, and repeatable.
Samples containing clay alteration were sent to Rekasa Rocks Inc. in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to be analyzed by Short Wavelength Infrared Reflectance via a Portable Infrared Mineral Analyzer to verify clay species.
REE oxide conversion factor2 were verified using the following formulas:
Convert REE (Rare Earth Element) ppm to REO (Rare Earth Oxide): REO % = (ppm / Atomic Weight of REE) * (Molecular Weight of REO / 10,000). Element-to-oxide conversion factor: Molecular weight of the oxide / atomic weight of the element. For oxides with more than one metal cation, account for the number of cations in the formula. See Appendix A and Table 2 for individual REE assay results.
Historical data disclosed in this news release relating to sampling results from previous operators are historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a qualified person has yet verified this data and therefore investors should not place undue reliance on such data. The Company’s future exploration work may include verification of the data. The Company considers historical results to be relevant as an exploration guide and to assess the mineralization as well as economic potential of exploration projects. Any historical grab samples disclosed are selected samples and may not represent true underlying mineralization.
Natural gamma radiation from rocks reported in this news release was measured in counts per second (“cps”) using a handheld RS-125 super-spectrometer and RS-120 super-scintillometer. Readers are cautioned that scintillometer readings are not uniformly or directly related to uranium grades of the rock sample measured and should be treated only as a preliminary indication of the presence of radioactive minerals. Because the orientation of mineralization is unknown, true widths are unknown and reported intervals represent core lengths. The RS-125 and RS-120 units supplied by Radiation Solutions Inc. (“RSI”) have been calibrated on specially designed Test Pads by RSI. Standard maintains an internal QA/QC procedure for calibration and calculation of drift in radioactivity readings through three test pads containing known concentrations of radioactive minerals. Internal test pad radioactivity readings are known and regularly compared to readings measured by the handheld scintillometers for QA/QC purposes.
About Aventis Energy Inc.
Aventis Energy Inc. (CSE: AVE | FRA: C0O0 | OTC: VBAMF) is a mineral exploration company dedicated to the development of strategic projects comprised of battery, base and precious metals in stable jurisdictions. The Company is working to advance its Corvo Uranium & Sting Copper Project.
The Corvo Uranium property has historical drill holes intersected multiple intervals of uranium mineralization, notably along a strike length of 800 metres between historical drill holes TL-79-3 (0.116% U3O8 over 1.05 m) and TL-79-5 (0.065% U3O8 over 0.15 m)2. High-grade* Uranium at Surface with the Manhattan showing (with outcrop samples grab samples returning up to 8.10% U3O8) and SMDI showing 2052 (0.137% U3O8 and 2,300 ppm Th).
The Sting Copper Project covers approximately 3,700 hectares and recently had results of 54.8m at 0.32% Cu starting at a depth of 27.0m, with higher-grade intervals including six samples (≥0.5m length) ranging from 0.96% to 5.43% Cu. High grade samples of 0.5m at 2.85% Cu and 0.5m at 1.92% Cu with an additional broader interval of 31.1m at 0.27% Cu.
References
1 News Release: Aventis Energy Confirms High-Grade Uranium Mineralization up to 8.10% U 3 O 8 at Surface on the Corvo Project, https://aventisenergy.com/aventis-energy-confirms-high-grade-uranium-mineralization-up-to-8-10-u3o8-at-surface-on-the-corvo-project/
2 James Cook University Advanced Analytical Centre. Element to Stoichiometric Oxide Conversion Factor, https://www.jcu.edu.au/advanced-analytical-centre/resources/element-to-stoichiometric-oxide-conversion-factors
* The Company considers uranium mineralization with concentrations greater than 1.0 wt.% U3 O8 to be “high-grade”.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Michael Mulberry
Chief Executive Officer, Director
+1 (604) 229-9772
info@vitalbatterymetals.com
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information
This news release includes certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and “forward-looking information” under applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, expect”, “target”, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “would”, “could”, “schedule” and similar words or expressions, identify forward-looking statements or information.
Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of Aventis, future growth potential for Aventis and its business, and future exploration plans are based on management’s reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on management’s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of uranium, copper, gold and other metals; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; Aventis’ ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms.
This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of the Canadian securities laws. Statements, other than statements of historical fact, may constitute forward looking information and include, without limitation, statements with respect to the Project and its mineralization potential; the Company’s objectives, goals, or future plans with respect to the Project; further exploration work on the Project in the future; and the expected benefits of completing the Program. With respect to the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made numerous assumptions regarding, among other things, the geological, metallurgical, engineering, financial and economic advice that the Company has received is reliable and are based upon practices and methodologies which are consistent with industry standards. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Known risk factors include, among others: fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of well results and the geology, continuity and grade of uranium, copper, gold and other metal deposits; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs, recovery rates, production estimates and estimated economic return; the need for cooperation of government agencies in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs or in construction projects and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; increased costs and restrictions on operations due to compliance with environmental and other requirements; increased costs affecting the metals industry and increased competition in the metals industry for properties, qualified personnel, and management. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.
The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Appendix A – REE Assay Results
Table 2. Winter 2026 Corvo individual REE assay results from drill hole CRV-26-009. Intervals represent drilled core lengths; True thicknesses cannot be determined with certainty at this stage of exploration.
| DDH | Target Area | From (m) | To (m) | Width (m) | Ce (ppm) | Dy (ppm) | Eu (ppm) | Gd (ppm) | Ho (ppm) | La (ppm) | Lu (ppm) | Nd (ppm) | Pr (ppm) | Sm (ppm) | Tb (ppm) | Tm (ppm) | Y (ppm) | Yb (ppm) |
| CRV-26-009 | Tribeca | 7.5 | 8.0 | 0.5 | 494 | 9.97 | 4.57 | 0.98 | 17.5 | 1.91 | 230 | 0.57 | 205 | 61.5 | 31.3 | 2.24 | 0.58 | 48.2 |
| 8.0 | 8.5 | 0.5 | 733 | 20.2 | 8.34 | 1.11 | 42 | 3.98 | 351 | 0.81 | 306 | 88 | 52.3 | 3.54 | 1.28 | 110 | ||
| 8.5 | 9.0 | 0.5 | 1,230 | 31.8 | 12.7 | 0.93 | 59.8 | 6.03 | 531 | 1.34 | 491 | 146 | 84.1 | 5.51 | 2.01 | 163 | ||
| 9.5 | 10.0 | 0.5 | 968 | 16.7 | 7.25 | 0.8 | 27.3 | 3.19 | 442 | 1.16 | 363 | 110 | 53.3 | 4.07 | 0.89 | 68.4 | ||
| 159.0 | 159.5 | 0.5 | 1,120 | 18 | 7.24 | 0.78 | 31.1 | 3.26 | 485 | 0.97 | 388 | 126 | 58.6 | 3.38 | 1.22 | 87.1 | ||
| 169.5 | 170.0 | 0.5 | 544 | 12.2 | 6.11 | 1.58 | 15 | 2.28 | 276 | 0.67 | 190 | 56.9 | 29.4 | 2.5 | 1.06 | 60.9 |