Ares Strategic Mining Completes Ventilation System, Enabling Industrial-Scale Fluorspar Production

Ares Strategic Mining Inc. has successfully completed and activated its secondary underground ventilation system at the Lost Sheep Fluorspar Mine in Juab County, Utah. This achievement represents the final regulatory and operational milestone required to commence industrial-scale mining operations in full compliance with Mine Safety and Health Administration standards. The secondary ventilation system has been engineered, installed, and tested to provide continuous, high-volume airflow to active underground work areas, ensuring a safe and compliant operating environment for personnel and equipment.

The newly completed secondary ventilation system includes a 75-horsepower, 30-inch diameter fan generating a minimum of 30,000 cubic feet per minute of fresh airflow. Custom-built by ABC Ventilation Systems, the fan was installed along a dedicated ventilation raise that also serves as a second egress pathway, meeting MSHA's redundancy and safety requirements. The system was designed and implemented by Provo Mining & Construction, with future airflow expansion plans integrated as mining activities deepen and advance. This ventilation system provides the secondary air pathway and escape route which facilitates meeting regulatory conditions to mine.

This development finalizes all critical underground infrastructure required to move into continuous mining operations at scale. James Walker, CEO of Ares Strategic Mining, stated that the completion of the ventilation system marks a turning point for the company. With this vital infrastructure now in place and MSHA standards fully met, teams are cleared to ramp up to full-scale, continuous mining. This represents the final step before true production begins and brings the company closer than ever to generating consistent revenue as America's only fluorspar producer.

This development builds upon months of construction and underground advancement, including the completion of spiral decline development and ore access drifts, the mobilization of full mining equipment fleets including loaders, articulated trucks, and jumbo drills, and the construction and commissioning of surface processing infrastructure. With the ventilation system online, the Company is now cleared to begin ore extraction at industrial levels, supporting near-term stockpiling and processing targets.

Fluorspar is a U.S.-designated critical mineral, vital to the production of aluminum and steel, lithium-ion batteries and fluoropolymers, and hydrofluoric acid and nuclear fuel production. Ares' Lost Sheep Mine is currently the only permitted and operational fluorspar mine in the United States, placing the Company in a unique position to support North American industrial supply chains and reduce dependence on foreign sources. The Company has also agreed to the settlement of an aggregate of $64,901.13 of debt incurred for accounting and financial services provided by Viktoriya Griffin, Prospero, and Craven Capital through the issuance of 150,933 common shares at a deemed price of $0.43 per share.