Vancouver, BC, April 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trident Resources Corp. (TSXV: ROCK) (OTCQB: TRDTF) (“Trident” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce assay results for the first 9 (nine) diamond drill holes from the ongoing 2026 winter drill program at the Contact Lake Gold Project in northern Saskatchewan. Hole CL26028 returned high-grade gold values from numerous broad zones within the Bakos Shear zone. This mineralization was discovered over 200m ENE from high-grade gold reported in hole CL25003 from Trident’s 2025 fall drill program (previously reported CL 25003 intersected 7.03 g/t over 43.25m from 121.00m; Trident Resources Corp. - News). The Company has decided to increase this winter phase of drilling from 10,000m to 13,000m.
Trident’s Regional Project Location Map:
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/projects/contact-lake-gold-project/#&gid=1&pid=1
The consistency of broad mineralized intervals, together with well-developed high-grade cores, demonstrates Contact Lake is hosting a laterally and vertically extensive gold system rather than a collection of isolated intercepts. The emerging scale and continuity of mineralization confirm the presence of a robust, cohesive gold system that remains open in all directions.
Contact Lake Gold Property Map:
http://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/maps/contact-lake-property-map.jpg
Highlights:
- Hole CL26028 returned 4.61 g/t gold (Au) over 38.48m from 77.00m
- including 5.48 g/t Au over 26.14m from 79.36m
- including 19.98 g/t Au over 5.15m from 79.36m
- including 33.16 g/t Au over 1.89m from 79.36m
- In a separate shallower zone, hole CL26028 returned 19.07 g/t Au over 4.25m from 60.00m
- Hole CL26025 returned 11.97 g/t Au over 10.70m from 324.30m
- including 39.26 g/t Au over 2.65m from 332.35m
- Hole CL26026 returned 8.18 g/t Au over 3.50m from 279.00m
- All nine holes reported intersected gold mineralization; assays are pending for twenty more holes from the Contact Lake program
- Based on the reported results thus far and visual inspection of drill core in holes with assays pending, the 2026 winter drill program has been expanded from a planned 10,000m to approximately 13,000m
- The Company is fully funded for additional aggressive drilling throughout the summer and fall of 2026
- The discovery of high-grade gold in hole CL25028 is crucial in that it represents an important advancement for testing future extensions of the mineralization both at depth and along strike
Jonathan Weisblatt, CEO and Director, stated: “We are extremely encouraged by these results, which continue to demonstrate the strength and continuity of the mineralized system at Contact Lake. Encountering additional high-grade mineralization both along strike and at depth reinforces our view that we are not dealing with isolated occurrences, but with a growing, cohesive gold system. The scale, geometry, and consistency emerging from our drilling are increasingly reminiscent of systems seen in proven gold belts in Canada and globally, and we believe Contact Lake is on a similar trajectory.”
“The most recent analytical results confirm that Contact Lake plays host to a robust mineralizing system that continues to return strong gold mineralization at distance along strike and down dip from the historical mine workings.”
“As we continue our winter drilling program, we are building on the exciting momentum established to date. Each new hole is sharpening our understanding of the geology, the controls on mineralization, and the broader characteristics of the Contact Lake system. With a strong balance sheet of more than $30 million, we are well positioned to execute one of the largest gold exploration program in the La Ronge Gold Belt in several decades. Our planned 30,000 to 40,000 metres of drilling in 2026 will allow us to aggressively test the systems, expand known mineralization, and unlock the full potential of this emerging gold deposit.”
Summary of Drilling:
The first seven holes of the 2026 winter program were drilled from land-based locations along the low-density drill corridor located immediately northeast of the existing underground mining infrastructure. However, the majority of the 2026 winter drill program will test for the extension of gold mineralization at the BK3 zone, an area located to the northeast below Contact Lake.
Highlight hole CL26025 returned high-grade gold mineralization, including 11.97 g/t Au over 10.70m, from two separate splays of the Bakos Shear zone, both of which show higher grade cores within broad zones of substantial mineralization and alteration. Combined with hole CL26024, hole CL26025 successfully extended the high-grade M-zone gold mineralization toward the BK3 zone, located roughly 65m toward the northeast.
Holes CL260027 through CL26048 (22 drillholes) were all collared on the ice in order to thoroughly test the extents of the gold mineralization present at BK3. Trident will continue to explore and drill test in a systematic manner as the team looks to expand on and discover additional high-grade gold zones.
Contact Lake Drill Collar Location Map:
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/images/Contact-Lake-Drill-Collar-Location-Map.png
Detailed Description of the Drill Holes:
Holes CL26020 (354º/-45º) and CL26021 (354/-53º) were collared from the same pad along the northeast corridor between the underground mine infrastructure and the lakeshore. Both holes were designed to test for mineralization at depth in an area with very little historical subsurface information. Both holes encountered isolated metre-scale gold intervals that ranged from detection limit to ~4 g/t Au.
Plan View of the Contact Lake Drilling in Fall of 2025:
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/images/Plan-View-of-the-Contact-Lake-Drilling-in-Fall-of-2025.png
Hole CL26022 (11º/-48º) was collared from a location near the first three holes of the 2025 fall program but angled to transect the known area of mineralization through an area devoid of previous drill data. The hole returned a shallow zone of mineralization (2.14 g/t Au over 19.0m between 52.0-71.0m depth) which included a 15.0m zone that returned 2.57 g/t Au (56.0-71.0m) and 6.0m grading 3.86 g/t Au between 65.0-71.0m. A second shear zone located below the upper shear returned 4.53 g/t Au over 3.0m between 117.0-120.0m depth.
Hole CL26023 (348º/-51º) was collared adjacent to hole CL25008 but angled more NNE to test for mineralization within an area that lacks previous drill data. At the top of the Bakos shear, a 4.0m interval returned 2.48 g/t Au between 142.0-146.0m. A second mineralized zone was encountered below the main shear which returned numerous values >1.5 g/t Au.
Hole CL26024 (350º/-60º) was collared 15m southeast of holes CL25006 and CL25007, which successfully extended high-grade gold mineralization northeast of the M-zone stope. Drilled at a -60º dip, hole CL26024 returned gold mineralization from three distinct zones: 2.45 g/t Au over 6.0m (255.0-261.0m), 3.95 g/t Au over 3.0m (360.0-363.0m) and 2.48 g/t over 4.2m (480.8-485.0m). The mineralized zones in this hole correlate very well with the gold mineralization discovered in holes CK25006 and CL25007 and the lowermost intersection represents a new interval of gold mineralization located below the depth extent of either of the 2025 holes.
Hole CL26025 (351º/47º) was collared 20.0m forward of CL26024 and was drilled at a shallower dip to test for an up-plunge extension to the M-zone mineralization. Hole CL26025 returned a broad zone of mineralization between 213.3-248.0m (34.7m) that graded 1.34 g/t Au. This zone included higher grade intervals of 1.63 g/t Au over 23.5m (224.5-248.0m) and 1.95 g/t over 15.0m (233.0-248.0m). Notably, a high-grade zone was discovered between 324.3-335.0m (10.7m) that returned 11.97 g/t Au. This zone can be correlated to the gold zone near the bottom of hole CL26024 and featured a 102.00 g/t Au gold hit over 0.98m at 333.22m.
Hole CL26026 (349º/-47º) was collared 70m WNW of holes CL26024 and CL26025 to target an up-plunge western extension of gold mineralization in the M-zone and to test an area that lacks historical drill data. This hole encountered mineralization in two parallel shear zones located northeast of the existing historical mine workings. The upper shear zone returned multiple low to moderate gold hits ranging from 1.0 to 3.5 g/t Au between 208.0-246.5m depth. The lower shear zone featured a broad zone of mineralization between 267.0-302.0m (35.0m) that returned a length-weighted average of 1.89 g/t Au, which included 3.97 g/t Au for 10.0m and 8.18 g/t Au over 3.5m, both starting at 279.0m downhole depth.
Hole CL26027 (336º/-65º) was the first hole of the 2026 drill program to be collared on the ice at Contact Lake. A 2.0m zone of shallow mineralization that graded 6.84 g/t Au between 49.0-51.0m was intersected in an upper shear zone. A secondary shear zone between 179.0-207.0m returned multiple 1 metre intercepts including 4.70 g/t, 3.05 g/t and 2.15 g/t Au.
Hole CL26028 (348º/-65º) was collared 250m ENE of highlight drillhole CL25003 from the 2025 program and returned multiple horizons of high-grade gold mineralization. CL26028 transected a 4.25m zone that returned 19.07 g/t Au between 60.00-64.25m and a wide horizon between 77.0-115.48m (38.48m) that returned an average of 4.61 g/t Au. Included within this broad zone were higher grade horizons that returned 5.48 g/t Au over 26.14m (79.36-105.5m) and 11.35 g/t over 10.0m (77.0-87.0m). The mineralization in hole CL26028 is notable as it demonstrates the presence of broad shear zones that host high-grade gold mineralization in the northeast part of the BK3 zone, over 200m outboard of the high-grade gold zones returned in the land-based hole CL25003.
Figure 1: Core Photo at Contact Lake Drilling (Hole CL26025)
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/images/Core-Photo-at-Contact-Lake-Drilling-Hole-CL26025.png
Figure 2: Core Photo at Contact Lake Drilling (Hole CL26028)
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/images/Core-Photo-at-Contact-Lake-Drilling-Hole-CL26028.png
Figure 3: Cross Section of Contact Lake Drilling (Hole CL26020/ CL26021)
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/images/Cross-Section-of-Contact-Lake-Drilling-Hole-CL26020-CL26021.png
Figure 4: Cross Section of Contact Lake Drilling (Hole CL26022)
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/images/Cross-Section-of-Contact-Lake-Drilling-Hole-CL26022.png
Figure 5: Cross Section of Contact Lake Drilling (Hole CL26023)
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/images/Cross-Section-of-Contact-Lake-Drilling-Hole-CL26023.png
Figure 6: Cross Section of Contact Lake Drilling (Holes CL26024/ CL26025)
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/images/Cross-Section-of-Contact-Lake-Drilling-Holes-CL26024-CL26025.png
Figure 7: Cross Section of Contact Lake Drilling (Holes CL26026)
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/images/Cross-Section-of-Contact-Lake-Drilling-Holes-CL26026.png
Figure 8: Cross Section of Contact Lake Drilling (Holes CL26027)
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/images/Cross-Section-of-Contact-Lake-Drilling-Holes-CL26027.png
Figure 9: Cross Section of Contact Lake Drilling (Holes CL26028)
https://www.tridentresourcescorp.com/_resources/images/Cross-Section-of-Contact-Lake-Drilling-Holes-CL26028.png
Contact Lake Gold Project Overview:
The Contact Lake Gold Project covers approximately 22,790 hectares and includes the past-producing Contact Lake gold mine, which produced approx. 190,000 ounces of gold at an average head grade of 6.16 g/t Au during active mining operations between 1994 to 1998. At the time of mine closure, the price of gold hovered around $300/oz (USD) and Cameco Corporation reported that substantial gold resources were left unmined. Situated in the highly prospective La Ronge Gold Belt of Saskatchewan, the Contact Lake Property also hosts the Preview SW, Preview North and the North Lake orogenic gold deposits.
Along with the Greywacke North deposit (located by road 40km northeast of Contact Lake), these four deposits are wholly-owned by Trident Resources and host current Mineral Resource Estimates (Trident news release Trident Resources Corp. - News) which do not include any gold-related ounces from the past-producing Contact Lake target area.
Quality Assurance and Quality Control:
All drill core is logged, photographed and cut in half with a diamond saw. Half of the core is placed in sealed poly bags with unique identification numbers and transported to ALS Global in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for analysis, while the other half is archived and stored on site for verification and reference purposes.
At the lab, samples are received and digitally recorded then dried and pulverized into a fine powder. Gold is assayed using a 30g fire assay method and 49 additional elements are analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) utilizing a 4-acid digestion. Secondary metallic screen analyses are performed on select mineralized zones and all samples that return >3.0 g/t Au to quantify the nugget effect of the gold mineralization. Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC) samples including field blanks, duplicates and lab-certified standards are inserted in the sample stream at a rate of greater than 10% of all samples submitted to the lab. ALS Global also conducts their own internal QAQC protocol.
Table 1: Drill Hole Assay Highlights Contact Lake (April, 2026)
| BHID | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m) | Grade (g/t) | gram-metre |
| CL26020 | 189.00 | 190.00 | 1.00 | 3.91 | 3.91 |
| CL26021 | 107.00 | 108.00 | 1.00 | 4.22 | 4.22 |
| CL26022 | 62.00 | 67.00 | 5.00 | 4.07 | 20.34 |
| including | 65.00 | 67.00 | 2.00 | 7.37 | 14.73 |
| and | 117.00 | 119.00 | 2.00 | 6.47 | 12.94 |
| CL26023 | 142.00 | 143.00 | 1.00 | 5.09 | 5.09 |
| CL26024 | 161.00 | 162.00 | 1.00 | 4.16 | 4.16 |
| 255.00 | 261.00 | 6.00 | 2.45 | 14.68 | |
| 360.00 | 362.00 | 2.00 | 4.80 | 9.60 | |
| CL26025 | 78.00 | 79.00 | 1.00 | 8.59 | 8.59 |
| 224.50 | 226.75 | 2.25 | 3.81 | 8.57 | |
| 324.30 | 335.00 | 10.70 | 11.97 | 128.06 | |
| including | 332.35 | 335.00 | 2.65 | 39.26 | 104.04 |
| CL26026 | 279.00 | 282.50 | 3.50 | 8.18 | 28.64 |
| CL26027 | 49.00 | 50.00 | 1.00 | 11.7 | 11.70 |
| CL26028 | 60.00 | 64.25 | 4.25 | 19.07 | 81.04 |
| and | 77.00 | 115.48 | 38.48 | 4.61 | 177.55 |
| including | 79.36 | 105.50 | 26.14 | 5.48 | 143.34 |
| including | 79.36 | 84.51 | 5.15 | 19.98 | 102.89 |
| including | 79.36 | 81.25 | 1.89 | 33.16 | 62.68 |
* Widths are drilled intercepts, true widths have not been determined. Gold values are length-weighted averages.
Table 2: Drill Hole ID Contact Lake (April, 2026)
| Hole ID | Easting | Northing | Azimuth | Dip | Depth (m) | Elevation (m) |
| CL26020 | 507968 | 6141263 | 354 | -45 | 257 | 401 |
| CL26021 | 507968 | 6141263 | 354 | -53 | 287 | 401 |
| CL26022 | 507940 | 6141317 | 11 | -48 | 275 | 402 |
| CL26023 | 507990 | 6141204 | 348 | -51 | 423 | 401 |
| CL26024 | 508018 | 6141096 | 350 | -60 | 518 | 404 |
| CL26025 | 508012 | 6141115 | 351 | -47 | 422 | 403 |
| CL26026 | 507942 | 6141111 | 349 | -47 | 408 | 411 |
| CL26027 | 508032 | 6141360 | 336 | -65 | 277 | 391 |
| CL26028 | 508159 | 6141415 | 348 | -65 | 248 | 391 |
* UTM Zone 13 NAD 83
Qualified Person:
The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Cornell McDowell, P.Geo., VP Exploration for Trident Resources and the Qualified Person for Trident as defined by NI 43-101.
About Trident Resources Corp.
Trident Resources Corp. is a Canadian public mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange focused on the development, exploration and acquisition of advanced-stage gold and copper exploration projects in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company is aggressively advancing its 100% owned Contact Lake and Greywacke Lake projects which host significant historical gold resources located within the prospective and underexplored La Ronge Gold Belt, as well as the 100% owned Knife Lake copper project which contains a historical copper resource.
For further information, please contact:
Trident Resources Corp.
Jonathan Wiesblatt, Chief Executive Officer
Email: Jon.Wiesblatt@tridentresourcescorp.com
For further information contact myself or:
Andrew J. Ramcharan, PhD, P.Eng., SVP Corporate Communications
Trident Resources Corp.
Telephone: 647-309-5130
Toll Free: 800-567-8181
Facsimile: 604-687-3119
www.tridentresourcescorp.com
NEITHER THE TSXV NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.
Forward-Looking Information and Statements:
This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, regulatory approvals, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedarplus.ca for further information.
