Analysis of Historical Data Reveals the Potential of the High-Grade Outer Shell of the Bornite Breccia Pipe (the "Pipe"), with Multiple Intercepts Exceeding 1.5% Copper Equivalent ("CuEq"), Including 110 ft of 10.831% CuEq and 140 ft of 9.423% CuEq, and the Potential of the Lower-Grade Interior Pipe with Intercepts Exceeding 0.5% CuEq, including 980 ft of 1.453% CuEq and 672 ft of 1.106% CuEq.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / June 3, 2026 / Ameriwest Critical Metals Inc. (CSE:AWCM)(OTC:AWLIF)(FSE:5HV) ("Ameriwest" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has digitized and completed a review of historical drill hole information for the Company's 100% owned Bornite copper-gold-silver project in Oregon ("Bornite" or the "Project"). Mineralization occurs principally as bornite and chalcopyrite within a roughly cylindrical, vertically oriented, cigar-shaped breccia pipe.

Ameriwest's CEO, Mr. David Watkinson, stated, "The historical drill database at Bornite provides Ameriwest with a substantial technical foundation for modern verification work. The broad and higher-grade historical intervals reported today strongly support our view that Bornite warrants systematic advancement through re-logging, selective re-assaying, modelling and planned drilling. Our objective is to convert this historical information into a modern technical framework that can guide exploration and potential future mineral resource evaluation."

Significant mineralized intervals include:

• Hole CC02: 165 ft of 8.107% CuEq from a depth of 255 ft to 420 ft, including 140 ft of 9.423% CuEq from 280 ft to 420 ft

• Hole CC03: 980 ft of 1.453% CuEq from a depth of 140 ft to 1,120 ft

• Hole CC06: 260 ft of 5.222% CuEq from a depth of 360 ft to 620 ft, including 210 ft of 6.293% CuEq from 360 ft to 570 ft

• Hole CC09: 320 ft of 1.195% CuEq from a depth of 400 ft to 720 ft

• Hole CC11: 150 ft of 8.246% CuEq from a depth of 440 ft to 590 ft, including 110 ft of 10.831% CuEq from a depth of 470 ft to 580 ft

• Hole CC16: 370 ft of 0.786% CuEq from a depth of 270 ft to 640 ft

• Hole CC17: 672 ft of 1.106% CuEq from a depth of 8 ft to 680 ft

• Hole CC18: 137.5 ft of 3.486% CuEq from a depth of 12.5 ft to 150 ft

• Hole CC24: 180 ft of 4.500% CuEq from a depth of 230 ft to 410 ft, including 160 ft of 5.007% CuEq from a depth of 250 ft to 410 ft

• Hole CC25: 120 ft of 3.877% CuEq from a depth of 360 ft to 480 ft

• Hole CC26: 470 ft of 1.563% CuEq from a depth of 270 ft to 740 ft, including 120 ft of 3.344% CuEq from a depth of 280 ft to 400 ft

• Hole CC29: 539 ft of 2.050% CuEq from a depth of 111 ft to 650 ft

• Hole CC30: 270 ft of 3.435% CuEq from a depth of 250 ft to 520 ft, including 120 ft of 6.159% CuEq from a depth of 260 ft to 380 ft

• Hole CC33: 140.5 ft of 3.889% CuEq from a depth of 590 ft to 730.5 ft

• Hole CC34: 341 ft of 1.604% CuEq from a depth of 360 ft to 701 ft

• Hole CC37: 330 ft of 1.939% CuEq from a depth of 400 ft to 730 ft, including 110 ft of 3.670% CuEq from 420 ft to 530 ft

• Hole CC39: 235 ft of 3.290% CuEq from 131 ft to 366 ft

• Hole CC40: 143 ft of 3.169% CuEq from 130 ft to 273 ft, including 129 ft of 3.415% CuEq from 144 ft to 273 ft

(Note: In this news release, all intervals are downhole lengths; true widths are currently unknown. CuEq grades were calculated using a copper price of US$6.40 per pound, a gold price of US$4,500 per ounce, and a silver price of US$75 per ounce. CuEq grades are calculated according to the formula: CuEq grade = (Cu grade) + (45.67641 x Au grade) + (0.80357 x Ag grade). Copper recovery of 95%, gold recovery of 90%, and silver recovery of 95% were used, based on metallurgical test work completed by Plexus Resources and outlined in the Bornite Project Prefeasibility Analysis dated December 1992 which included metallurgical work by Dawson Metallurgical Laboratories. This data is historical in nature, predating the implementation of National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and CIM standards. Results have not been independently verified by a Qualified Person. The Company is not treating these historical results as current drill results or mineral resources. The Company is currently completing re-logging and re-assaying historical drill core and plans to conduct confirmation and infill drilling to allow these data to be used in a current resource calculation in the future.)

Historical Drilling and Database Review

The historical drilling database reviewed by Ameriwest includes information for 48 drill holes completed by Amoco, Cypress Minerals, and Plexus Resources between 1976 and 1990. This current database consists of 38,914.5 feet of historical drilling; however, historical records reviewed by the Company indicate that approximately 41,702 feet of drilling were completed at Bornite. The difference between the current database total and the historical reported total footage may relate to the lack of currently available information for holes CC07 and CC21 and/or to other historical holes drilled by those companies in the regional area that were not part of the Bornite target.

Table 1 below shows significant intercepts greater than or equal to 100 ft in length with intervals selected using a 0.5% CuEq cut-off grade. Within these intervals, additional "including" intervals were interpreted, having a cut-off grade of 1.5% CuEq.

According to the 1992 Pre-feasibility Study completed by Plexus, drill cores were logged for structure, lithology, estimated copper grade, core recovery, and RQD. Samples were generally collected from core at 10-foot intervals, except where a sharp lithological break occurred within a 10-foot interval. The majority of assays completed for Plexus were performed by Bondar-Clegg in Vancouver, British Columbia. Copper was analyzed by multi-acid digestion and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Gold and silver were determined using standard one-assay-ton fire assay methods.

For completeness, detailed supporting information is included at the end of this news release. Table 2 provides available historical drill hole collar, orientation and depth information for 48 drill holes completed by Amoco, Cypress Minerals and Plexus Resources. Table 3 provides the complete set of historical mineralized intercepts calculated using a 0.5% CuEq cut-off grade, including higher-grade sub-intervals calculated using a 1.5% CuEq cut-off grade. In certain cases, internal intervals below the stated cut-off grade have been included within broader intervals for geological continuity.

Advancing Bornite Toward a Modern Mineral Resource

Ameriwest has completed a preliminary geological model from the drill hole database to be used for exploration purposes. The Company has also commenced re-logging and re-assaying of historic drill core located in Reno. The Company plans to permit and complete a drill program at Bornite and use the re-logging and re-assaying of historical core and planned drilling at Bornite to allow the historical data to be used for a current resource calculation. No current mineral resources or mineral reserves have yet been delineated on the Property.

Mr. Watkinson further commented, "Bornite is an exceptional copper deposit with both higher-grade and lower-grade components. In the 1990s, Plexus was focused on developing a high-grade underground copper mine, concentrating on mining the high-grade shell of the deposit. Subject to exploration success and further economic analysis, with today's mineral prices, we expect that the interior pipe may also be minable. The analysis of the drill hole database shows the potential for both the high-grade and lower-grade areas of the deposit."

Qualified Person Statement

David Watkinson, P.Eng., a non-independent qualified person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Watkinson is the CEO and a director of Ameriwest. The qualified person has not verified the technical data included in this news release, which was completed before the implementation of NI 43-101 and CIM standards. The data were generated by well-known and reputable companies, and this information will provide a basis for further exploration of the Property. The Company plans to do additional technical work, including re-logging and re-assaying of historical core, and confirmation/in-fill drilling, and use statistical analysis to verify this data.

About Ameriwest Critical Metals Inc.

Ameriwest is an exploration company focused on identifying and acquiring strategic critical mineral projects for exploration and resource development. The Company is currently advancing its Bornite copper-gold-silver property in Oregon, its Xeno rare earth property in British Columbia and its Thompson Valley lithium clay property in Arizona. Ameriwest also owns a lithium clay property in Clayton Valley, Nevada, and is in the process of optioning its Railroad Valley lithium brine property in Nevada to Pure Energy Minerals Limited.

For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's filings available at www.sedarplus.ca.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

David Watkinson
Chief Executive Officer and Director

For further information, please contact:

Ameriwest Critical Metals Inc.
Tel: (416) 918-6785
Email: [email protected]

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the matters referenced herein and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward‐looking information. Forward‐looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward‐looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward‐looking information. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward‐looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to the Company's strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward‐looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward‐looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward‐looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward‐looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

Figure 1 below is a conceptual cross-section of the Bornite Breccia Pipe and plan view of the Pipe. Three domains of mineralization have been identified: a high-grade shell, a lower-grade interior pipe, and sheeted veins around the periphery of the high-grade shell. The drill hole data reflects the variation in grades between these domains.

Figure 1
Conceptual Cross Section and Plan View of the Bornite Beccia Pipe

SOURCE: Ameriwest Critical Metals