ION Minerals Expands North American Lithium Footprint

Company Highlights Strategic Expansion to 280,000 Acres Across East Texas, Texas Panhandle, and Southeast Saskatchewan

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ION Minerals (ION or the Company), a leading private holder of brine-borne lithium mineral interests in North America, today highlights significant expansion across its diversified lithium resource portfolio in the United States and Canada.

ION has strategically expanded its acreage footprint through disciplined acquisitions, targeted leasing, and focused geological evaluation. The Company now controls just over 280,000 mineral acres across three project areas, positioning ION as a premier developer of lithium resources critical to the North American battery supply chain.

Project Area 1: East Texas – Smackover Formation

ION controls nearly 50,000 mineral acres strategically located between Tetra Technologies’ Evergreen Brine Unit and Standard Lithium’s Reynolds Brine Unit in Southwest Arkansas and Standard Lithium’s Franklin Project in East Texas, where reported resource densities range from 47–60 tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) per acre.

The acreage establishes a commercial-scale position within one of North America’s most actively advancing brine development corridors, benefiting from strong regional resource validation, established brine production history, and increasing commercial momentum in adjacent projects.

Project Area 2: Texas Panhandle – Brown & White Dolomite Formations

In the prospective Texas Panhandle region, ION also controls nearly 65,000 mineral acres, where internal analysis of public and proprietary data estimates as much as 2.4 million tonnes of LCE in place.

The position sits within a nearly 500,000-acre Area of Interest and provides a path to large-scale commercial development potential.

Project Area 3: Saskatchewan – Duperow Formation

ION recently acquired just over 165,000 mineral acres in Southeast Saskatchewan, establishing a significant position in the rapidly emerging lithium brine play targeting the Duperow Formation.

Based on preliminary geological data and independent analog assessments, the Saskatchewan acreage is estimated to contain as much as 2.5 million tonnes of LCE potential. The project targets multiple productive benches within the Duperow Formation, with drilling and testing currently slated to begin in Summer 2026.

“With this portfolio expansion, we have materially strengthened our position as a scaled, diversified, lithium developer, and advanced our mission to responsibly unlock lithium resources that will help fuel the North American battery supply chain,” said Justin Love, Chief Executive Officer of ION Minerals. “The newly acquired Saskatchewan – Duperow position complements our existing strategic landholdings in the Texas Panhandle and Texas Smackover, placing ION among a select group of developers across the continent with meaningful scale and asset diversification.”

Lithium remains foundational to electric vehicle batteries, grid storage systems, and broader electrification initiatives. U.S. and Canadian policymakers continue to emphasize domestic critical mineral development as a matter of economic and energy security. ION’s just over 280,000-acre land position across Saskatchewan and Texas provides exposure to large-scale brine systems in jurisdictions aligned with long-term domestic supply chain development.

About ION Minerals

ION Minerals is a privately held exploration and production company dedicated to acquiring, evaluating, and developing brine-borne mineral resources in North America, with a primary focus on lithium. Leveraging advanced geological criteria, proprietary data, and traditional E&P expertise, ION seeks to responsibly advance resources from brine toward commercial development in support of a resilient North American battery supply chain.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding expectations for resource estimates, project timing, development activities, and market conditions. Actual results may differ materially from those projected due to risks and uncertainties inherent in mineral exploration and development.