Vancouver, BC – February 17, 2026. Abacus Mining & Exploration Corporation (“Abacus” or the “Company”) (TSXV: AME) is pleased to announce that Dr. Adrian King is joining the Board of Directors. Dr. King has been an advisor to the board and management of Abacus since late 2020 and is thus very familiar with the Company.

Dr King retired in 2020 as Head of Global Exploration after 35 years with Teck Resources, where he spent extended periods in exploration and exploration management based in London, Brussels, Santiago, Spokane and Vancouver. He held roles with increasing responsibility covering projects of all stages from generative through to evaluations, commercial and resource-reserve definition (greenfield and brownfield), working together with teams on multiple continents. He was involved in several discoveries, notably in Greenland, Turkey (Biga peninsular) and Alaska (Red Dog Camp). Adrian holds a B.Sc. and Ph.D. from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College, London, UK. and has authored and co-authored several scientific papers.

“I am very pleased that Adrian has consented to formally join our board” commented Paul G. Anderson, President and CEO of Abacus. “I have known Adrian for many years, and he possesses a unique skillset as an exploration geologist. His advice has been invaluable as an advisor over the past few years, and I look forward to our continuing collaboration”.

The Company currently has interests in two significant porphyry copper projects. The Ajax copper-gold Joint Venture, located near Kamloops, British Columbia is a partnership between Abacus and base metal major KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. (“KGHM”). Abacus holds a 20% interest in Ajax, carried through to production, with KGHM holding the remainder and acting as operator on the project.

The Ajax Project contains significant quantities of copper and gold, within a NI 43-101 Proven and Probable Mineral Reserve of 426 Mt at 0.29% Cu, 0.19 g/t Au and 0.39 g/t Ag. Contained metal is in the order of 2.7 billion lbs Cu, 2.6 million oz Au and 5.3 million oz Ag. The 2016 Feasibility Study * used metal prices of US$3.21/lb Cu, US$1200/oz. Au, and US$17/oz. Ag, which are significantly lower than current prices.

In addition to Ajax, the Company in 2024 fully acquired the Willow porphyry copper-molybdenum (“Cu-Mo”) property in Yerington, Nevada, after working the property since 2017 under an option agreement. It also holds a lease on the contiguous Nev-Lorraine copper-molybdenum property near Yerington, Nevada. Drilling to date by the Company has identified a fifth Cu-Mo porphyry in the camp, the first new porphyry discovered in decades in Yerington, which requires further drilling to fully evaluate.

Investors are referred to the Company website for the latest news and project descriptions.

* M3 Engineering and Technology Corp., February 19, 2016. Ajax Project NI 43-101 Technical Report Feasibility Study Update.

On Behalf of the Board
ABACUS MINING & EXPLORATION CORPORATION

Paul G. Anderson, P. Geo.
President, CEO and Director
(604) 682-0301

About Abacus
Abacus is a mineral exploration and mine development company currently focused on copper and gold in B.C. and Nevada. The Company’s main asset is a 20% ownership interest, together with KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. (80%), in the proposed copper-gold Ajax Mine located southwest of Kamloops, B.C., which has undergone a joint provincial and federal environmental assessment process. On December 14, 2017, a decision was made by the B.C. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources to decline to issue an environmental assessment certificate for the Project. KGHM continues to work to facilitate First Nation, community and governmental engagement in order to advance the project towards a potential resubmission of the environmental application.

Abacus also owns a 100% interest in the Willow copper-gold property located near Yerington, Nevada, and it controls the contiguous Nev-Lorraine claims subject to a ten-year lease agreement.

For the latest reports and information on Abacus’ projects, please refer to the Company’s website at www.amemining.com.

Forward-Looking Information
This release includes certain statements that are deemed “forward-looking statements”. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Abacus expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “projects”, “potential” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “will”, “would”, “may”, “could” or “should” occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include changes to commodity prices, mine and metallurgical recovery, operating and capital costs, foreign exchange rates, ability to obtain required permits on a timely basis, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Download in PDF Format
 2026-02-17-ame-nr.pdf (167 kB)