Edge Copper Reports Broad Infill Copper Intercepts as Zonia Program Transitions to Deposit-Extent Drilling

Edge Copper Reports Broad Infill Copper Intercepts as Zonia Program Transitions to Deposit-Extent Drilling

Nine additional holes reinforce continuity of the oxide system and support a refined structural model guiding perimeter drilling

VANCOUVER, BC, July 8, 2026 /CNW/ - Edge Copper Corporation (TSXV: EDCU) ("Edge Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to report assay results from nine additional diamond drill holes completed as part of its ongoing drill program at the Company's 100%-owned Zonia Copper Project ("Zonia" or the "Project") in Arizona.

The holes reported today were drilled primarily as infill within the current mineral resource area and returned broad intervals of copper mineralization that reinforce continuity of the oxide system and support the Company's objective of increasing confidence in the current resource model. These results bring the total number of holes reported from the current program to 20.

As the infill program advances, Edge Copper is shifting the balance of drilling toward systematic testing of the deposit extents. Current and planned holes are progressing around the perimeter of the mineralized system to establish hanging-wall and footwall contacts from surface to depth and to test continuity along strike, up dip and down dip. The mineralized footprint remains open to the north, south, east and west with drilling yet to define its full extent.

Drill Hole Highlights

• ZND0027 returned 697 ft grading 0.28% CuT from 191 ft, including 170 ft grading 0.47% CuT and 180 ft grading 0.37% CuT.
• ZND0049 returned 544 ft grading 0.27% CuT from surface, including 199 ft grading 0.40% CuT.
• ZND0023 returned 369 ft grading 0.22% CuT from surface, including 30 ft grading 0.30% CuT.
• ZND0024 returned 304 ft grading 0.21% CuT from 436 ft, including 90 ft grading 0.28% CuT and 40 ft grading 0.33% CuT.
• ZND0018 returned 78 ft grading 0.40% CuT from surface

"These infill results continue to reinforce the grade and continuity of the known oxide system and support our objective of increasing confidence in the resource," said Gil Clausen, Chair and CEO of Edge Copper. "Just as important, the drilling, core data and mapping have given us a much clearer structural framework. We are now moving the rigs systematically around the deposit perimeter to define the hanging wall and footwall from surface to depth and to test the system along strike, up dip and down dip. The deposit remains incompletely drill-defined in every direction, and this next phase is designed to determine its limits in a disciplined way."

"As the perimeter data are incorporated into our model, we will be able to target the remaining infill more efficiently and establish the drilling required for future resource expansion and mine-planning analysis. That is the transition now underway at Zonia."

Infill Results Reinforce Continuity

The reported holes are distributed across the existing resource footprint and were designed principally to test continuity, grade distribution and geological interpretation within areas currently classified as Inferred Mineral Resources. Broad intercepts in ZND0027 and ZND0049, together with near-surface mineralization in ZND0023 and ZND0018 provide additional data for the Company's geological and resource models. The locations of the holes reported in this release are shown in Figure 1, and representative cross sections are shown in Figures 2 and 4. For a complete table of the drill holes reported in this release see Appendix A.

The results support the objective of increasing confidence in the current resource and evaluating future conversion of Inferred Mineral Resources to the Indicated category.

The PEA Design Pit referenced in the following figures are based on the Company's current technical report for Zonia titled National Instrument 43-101 Revised Technical Report 2026 Preliminary Economic Assessment Yavapai County, Arizona, USA with a Report Date of April 7, 2026. The results of the Company's preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") are preliminary in nature and include Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Refined Structural Model Guides Perimeter Drilling

Drilling, oriented core, high-resolution core scanning, and updated geological interpretation have strengthened the Company's structural model for Zonia. The mineralized porphyry is now interpreted to occur within a fault-bounded structural block, juxtaposed against other lithological units or domains. The Eastern Fault is interpreted as an important structural control along the SE margin of the deposit, while the NW margin is defined by the Western Fault, marking the contact between the mineralized porphyry and metavolcanics ("greenstone"). The Granite Fault lies farther to the west, bounding the granite domain beyond the immediate deposit area.

This framework is now being used to guide subsequent drilling. Rather than adding drill density only within the current resource footprint, the Company is testing the interpreted contacts around the perimeter and at depth to define where the mineralized system begins and ends. Although the structural controls are increasingly well understood, the extent of mineralization along and adjacent to those controls, and at the eastern and western ends of the deposit, remains incompletely drill-defined.

The current drill pattern is therefore focused on locating hanging-wall and footwall contacts from surface to depth, testing along-strike continuity, and evaluating up-dip and down-dip extensions. Results from this work will be incorporated into the Company's internal geological and resource model to refine the deposit geometry and determine the additional infill drilling required to support future resource evaluation and mining studies.

Program Outlook

The principal focus of the current program is the transition to perimeter and step-out drilling. Over the coming weeks, Edge Copper plans to:

• continue drilling around the deposit perimeter to test the northern, southern, eastern and western extents of mineralization;
• define hanging-wall and footwall contacts from surface to depth and test along-strike, up-dip and down-dip continuity;
• incorporate the expansion results into the internal geological and resource model and determine the remaining infill drilling required for future resource evaluation and mining analysis;
• report initial assay results from drilling into the sulfide zone beneath the oxide deposit in late July 2026, subject to completion of QA/QC review and technical interpretation;
• commence metallurgical test work in late July 2026 on representative material from eight completed large-diameter drill holes spanning the principal mineralized domains and lithologies; and
• continue advancing the work required to support an updated Zonia Mineral Resource estimate in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The Company expects to continue reporting drill results as assays, QA/QC review and geological interpretation are completed.

QA/QC

All drill samples were collected under the supervision of the Company's geological staff in accordance with industry-standard quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") procedures.

Samples are from HQ-diameter core. Core is scanned and logged by the Company's geology team before being cut. Half-core HQ samples are prepared for assay and the remaining material is retained at site for future reference.

The Company's QA/QC program includes the insertion of certified reference materials, blanks and duplicate samples at regular intervals within the sample stream. The Company also conducts ongoing reviews of laboratory QA/QC performance to ensure analytical reliability and accuracy.

Assay samples were picked up directly from site by Skyline Assayers and Laboratories ("Skyline") and transported to Skyline's laboratory facility in Tucson, Arizona for preparation and analysis. Skyline is accredited and independent of the Company.

Sample preparation included drying, crushing, splitting and pulverizing prior to analysis. Copper assays were determined using Skyline's single-element assay method, consisting of three-acid digestion followed by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) determination for total copper.

Significant intervals reported in this news release were calculated using a 0.10% CuT cut-off. All drill core is oriented where possible. Drill holes in the current program were drilled at inclinations of approximately -45 to -58 degrees and generally oriented towards the southeast, broadly orthogonal to the interpreted strike and dip of the mineralized system, associated foliation and the major bounding fault structures. Based on the current geological interpretation and drill geometry, intervals reported in this news release are interpreted to represent approximate true thicknesses.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Patrick B. Redmond, Ph.D., P.Geo., a consultant to the Company, who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Dr. Redmond has verified the technical data supporting this news release by reviewing assay data, QA/QC results, drill logs, sampling records and drill hole collar/survey information.

About Edge Copper Corporation

Edge Copper Corporation is a copper-focused exploration and development company advancing its 100%-owned Zonia Copper Project in Arizona. Zonia is a past-producing heap leach operation on private land, located in Arizona's historic Walnut Grove mining district. With established infrastructure, a current preliminary economic assessment and multiple opportunities for resource expansion, Zonia is positioned as an attractive U.S. copper development project with potential to benefit from continued drilling, metallurgical work and technical studies. For more information, please visit www.edgecopper.com. 

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.Neither the 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.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's current and planned perimeter, step-out and infill drilling; the interpretation and potential refinement of the structural model, deposit geometry, oxide copper envelope and oxide-sulfide boundary; the potential expansion of the Zonia mineralized system; the use of drilling results to support future Mineral Resource evaluation, potential resource classification changes and mining analysis; the scope and timing of additional infill drilling; the timing and objectives of sulfide-zone reporting and metallurgical test work; and the anticipated timing of an updated Mineral Resource estimate.

Forward-looking information is based on assumptions that management believes to be reasonable as of the date of this news release, including assumptions regarding assay turnaround times, drill performance, geological continuity, interpretation of drilling and scanning data, laboratory and metallurgical performance, availability of personnel and equipment, copper prices, financing, permitting and regulatory requirements, and the Company's ability to complete planned exploration and technical work.

Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied, including risks related to exploration and development, uncertainty in geological interpretation and Mineral Resource estimates, metallurgical recovery, commodity prices, financing, permitting, title, environmental matters, availability of personnel and equipment, and general economic and market conditions.

Statements regarding potential resource conversion, expansion, deposit limits or improved geological definition are conceptual and forward-looking and do not constitute a new or updated Mineral Resource estimate. There is no certainty that the current program will result in an expanded Mineral Resource, a change in resource classification or support any revised production profile. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise such information.

APPENDIX A: Drill Hole Data

Table 1: Drill Hole Details

Table 2: Significant Intercept Table

SOURCE Edge Copper Corporation