Ares Strategic Mining Completes Key Ventilation System, Clears Path for 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, clearing the final regulatory and operational hurdle required to commence industrial-scale mining operations. This development ensures full compliance with Mine Safety and Health Administration standards and represents a critical turning point for the company's production capabilities.

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

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 operations. This final step before true production begins brings the company closer than ever to generating consistent revenue as America's only fluorspar producer.

This infrastructure milestone 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 with loaders, articulated trucks, and jumbo drills, and the construction and commissioning of surface processing infrastructure known as the Lumps Plant. With the ventilation system now operational, the company can begin ore extraction at industrial levels to support near-term stockpiling and processing targets.

The strategic importance of this development extends beyond the company's operations, as fluorspar is a U.S.-designated critical mineral vital to multiple essential industries. Fluorspar is crucial for aluminum and steel production, lithium-ion batteries and fluoropolymers manufacturing, and hydrofluoric acid and nuclear fuel production. Ares' Lost Sheep Mine represents the only permitted and operational fluorspar mine in the United States, positioning the company to support North American industrial supply chains and reduce dependence on foreign sources of this critical mineral.

The company also announced the settlement of $64,901.13 of debt 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. The Lost Sheep Fluorspar Project encompasses 5,982 acres with 353 claims located in the Spor Mountain area of Juab County, Utah, approximately 214 km southwest of Salt Lake City. The project is fully permitted with mining permits approved by the Bureau of Land Management and features extensive high-grade fluorspar with low levels of impurities according to the NI 43-101 Technical Report.