(via TheNewswire)

Highlights:

• The Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature has issued a positive Decision Statement for Canada Nickel Company Inc.’s Crawford Nickel Project 

• The Crawford Nickel Project is the first mining project to receive a Decision Statement under Canada’s amended Impact Assessment Act, 2019 

• The Crawford Nickel Project is estimated to contribute approximately $70 billion to Canada's GDP and support ~185,000 person-years of employment 

TORONTO, July 31, 2026 – TheNewswire – Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. ("Noble" or the "Company") (TSXV: NOB) (OTCQB: NLPXF) congratulates Canada Nickel Company Inc. (TSXV: CNC) (“Canada Nickel”) on the announcement that Canada Nickel’s Crawford Nickel Project has received a positive Decision Statement from the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature, marking the first mining approval issued under Canada's amended Impact Assessment Act since 2019.  The Crawford Nickel Project was referred to Canada’s Major Projects Office by the Government of Canada and selected as one of the first projects to advance under Ontario's One Project, One Process framework.

Until 2019, the Crawford Nickel Project was held by Noble.  The project was sold to Canada Nickel in the transaction that resulted in the creation of Canada Nickel as a publicly listed company and in the distribution of shares of Canada Nickel to Noble’s shareholders under a plan of arrangement.  Noble continues to hold shares of Canada Nickel (see the Company’s filed financial statements, available on SEDAR+, for more details).

Noble CEO Vance White said: “We congratulate Canada Nickel on their announcement today of having secured Federal Approval for the Crawford Nickel Project. This development confirms the Company’s vision in having transferred the Crawford Nickel Project to the team at Canada Nickel in 2019, and as a company we are proud to see Canada Nickel advance through this milestone.  This is an extremely important development.  It should also serve as a model for the development of other properties held by East Timmins Nickel Ltd., a company established between Noble and Canada Nickel in which Noble has a 20% interest.”

About Noble Mineral Exploration Inc.

Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company, which has holdings of securities in Canada Nickel Company Inc., Homeland Nickel Inc., East Timmins Nickel Inc.(20%), and its interest in the Holdsworth gold exploration property in the area of Wawa, Ontario.

Noble holds mineral and/or exploration rights in ~70,000ha in Northern Ontario, ~14,000ha elsewhere in Quebec and Newfoundland, upon which it plans to generate option/joint venture exploration programs.

Noble holds mineral rights and/or exploration rights in ~18,000 hectares in the Timmins-Cochrane areas of Northern Ontario known as Project 81, ~2,215 hectares in Thomas Twp/Timmins, as well as an additional 20% interest in ~38,700 hectares in the Timmins area and ~175 hectares of mining claims in Central Newfoundland. Project 81 hosts diversified drill-ready gold, nickel-cobalt and base metal exploration targets at various stages of exploration. Noble also holds ~4,600 hectares in the Nagagami Carbonatite Complex and its ~3,200 hectares in the Boulder Project both near Hearst, Ontario, as well as ~3,700 hectares in the Buckingham Graphite Property, ~10,152 hectares in the Havre St Pierre  Nickel, Copper, PGM property, and ~1,573 hectares in the Cere-Villebon Nickel, Copper, PGM property, ~569 hectare Uranium/Rare Earth property (Chateau) and a ~461 hectare Uranium/Molybdenum property (Taser North), ~4,465 hectares REE Mehmet Property; the ~3,300 hectare Gull Lake REE Property; and the ~1,232 hectare Opawica Scandium and REE Property all of which are in the province of Quebec. In Newfoundland and Labrador, it holds the~ 647 hectare Chapiteau REE property.

Noble’s common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “NOB.”

More detailed information on Noble is available on the website at www.noblemineralexploration.com.

Contacts:

H. Vance White, President

Phone:        416-214-2250

Fax:        416-367-1954

Email:        info@noblemineralexploration.com

Canada Nickel’s news release of July 31, 2026 is reproduced below, and is also available on Canada Nickel’s website (www.canadanickel.com) and under Canada Nickel’s profile at wwww.sedarplus.ca.

TORONTO, July 31, 2026 – Canada Nickel Company Inc. ("Canada Nickel" or the "Company") (TSXV: CNC) (OTCQX: CNIKF) has received a positive Decision Statement from the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature for its Crawford Nickel Project (“Crawford”), marking the first mining approval issued under Canada's amended Impact Assessment Act since 2019, establishing a precedent for how major natural resource projects advance through Canada's modern regulatory process.

Mark Selby, CEO of Canada Nickel said, "Today's decision recognizes the strategic importance of responsibly developing Canada's critical mineral resources in partnership with all levels of government and Indigenous Nations while maintaining rigorous environmental standards. I am very proud of our team, which completed this key federal permit in just four years and advanced Crawford from its fifth drill hole through feasibility study to today’s milestone in under seven years - substantially faster than typically required for large-scale projects. We thank the Minister and the federal government for their support of Crawford and appreciate the thorough work undertaken by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. We look forward to continuing to advance Crawford towards a construction decision in 2027."

The Crawford Nickel Project was referred to the Major Projects Office by the Government of Canada and selected as one of the first projects to advance under Ontario's One Project, One Process framework. The decision provides a template for how nationally significant resource projects can navigate Canada's impact assessment system and opens the door to broader development across the Timmins Nickel District.

"The Crawford Nickel Project is an example of Canada’s global critical minerals leadership, and today's approval is a testament to our government's commitment to getting projects approved and streamlining our permitting processes in a way that maintains rigorous environmental standards and respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples. This is how we create investment certainty for Canadian mining here in Ontario and across the country, so we can be a critical minerals superpower and create economic growth and opportunity and enhance supply chain sovereignty for all Canadians." - The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

Crawford is expected to become the Western World’s largest nickel sulphide operation,1 and North America’s only primary source of chromium.2  Together, these two metals supply critical supply chains in defence, aerospace, stainless steel, electric vehicle batteries, and advanced manufacturing. The Crawford Nickel Project also underpins Canada Nickel's broader vision for the potential to establish a zero carbon industrial cluster in Northeastern Ontario leveraging the Company’s innovative carbon mineralization technologies and downstream processing opportunities.

The Company has established significant Indigenous partnerships, including a $20 million equity investment by Taykwa Tagamou Nation – the largest known First Nation investment in a critical minerals project in Canada (see news release dated December 16, 2024)  – as well as a major infrastructure contracting agreement with Wabun Tribal Council member First Nations to support long-term economic participation. An independent economic analysis, prepared by Mansfield Consulting, estimates the Crawford Nickel Project will contribute approximately $70 billion to Canada's GDP over the life of he mine, support approximately 185,000 person-years of employment, and generate significant long-term economic activity across Northern Ontario and Canada. The Economic Impact Study was based on information from the Company's feasibility study published in November 2023i. With the federal Decision Statement now complete, Canada Nickel will continue advancing detailed engineering, project financing, and the remaining provincial and federal permits required ahead of planned construction.

About Canada Nickel Canada Nickel Company is advancing the Crawford Nickel Project, located in the Timmins Nickel District in northeastern Ontario. Crawford is expected to be one of the world's largest nickel sulphide projects and is designed to produce low-carbon nickel while incorporating proprietary carbon mineralization technologies capable of permanently storing carbon dioxide. The Company is also advancing the broader Timmins Nickel District as a secure, long-term source of critical minerals for Canada and its allies. For more information, please visit www.canadanickel.com.

Cautionary Note and Statement Concerning Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation.  Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, the potential of the Mann West Nickel Sulphide Project, timing for filing a technical report in support of the Mineral Resource Estimate, the significance of drill results, the ability to continue drilling, the impact of drilling on the definition of any resource, timing and completion (if at all) of additional mineral resource estimates, the potential of the Timmins Nickel District, strategic plans, including future exploration and development plans and results, and corporate and technical objectives.  Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon several assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.  Factors that could affect the outcome include, among  others:  future prices and the supply of metals, the future demand for metals, the results of drilling, inability to raise  the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the property, environmental liabilities  (known  and  unknown), general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, results of  exploration programs, risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, failure to obtain  regulatory or shareholder approvals.  There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information.  Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.  All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof.  Canada Nickel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether because of new information. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

1 Source: Wood Mackenzie

2 USGS Chromium 2026

i Economic Impact Study prepared by Mansfield Consulting – see news release dated October 15, 2025

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