Figure 2: Plan View of the Apollo System Highlighting Drill Holes Announced in this Release (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.)

On December 3, 2025, Collective Mining Ltd. (NYSE: CNL, TSX: CNL) announced assay results from three orthogonal diamond drill holes designed to continue expanding the high-grade Ramp Zone (“Ramp”), a component of the company’s flagship Apollo system within the Guayabales Project in Caldas, Colombia.

The results confirm broad and continuous intervals of reduced intrusion-related gold mineralization, extending the Ramp Zone to 300 meters of strike by 270 meters vertical. The company stated that the zone remains open in all directions.

The Ramp Zone, situated at approximately 1,000 meters above sea level at the bottom of the Apollo system, is part of a large, partially Reduced Intrusion Related System (RIRS) mineralized with gold, silver, copper, and tungsten. Drilling at Apollo has outlined continuous mineralization from the surface to more than 1,370 vertical meters.

Drill Hole Results Detail

Figure 3: Apollo System: High-Grade Over 1,370 Metres from Surface (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.)

The deepest and northeastern-most hole reported to date, APC143-D1, intercepted 23.35 meters grading 8.24 g/t gold and 8 g/t silver. This intercept was contained within a broader interval of 76.10 meters grading 3.26 g/t gold and 4 g/t silver, starting from 409.60 meters downhole. This result expanded the Ramp Zone’s dimensions from the previously stated 275 meters of strike by 200 meters vertical.

A second hole, APC140-D2, locally extended the Ramp Zone by 50 meters to the northwest. This hole cut 16.40 meters grading 8.44 g/t gold and 19 g/t silver within a 55.10-meter interval grading 3.06 g/t gold and 7 g/t silver, beginning at 243.10 meters downhole.

A related wedge hole, APC140-D1, intersected two mineralized segments: 47.70 meters grading 1.98 g/t gold and 5 g/t silver from 527.40 meters downhole, including 15.15 meters grading 3.00 g/t gold and 8 g/t silver; and 14.15 meters grading 2.13 g/t gold and 4 g/t silver from 598.55 meters downhole.

Operational and Financial Status

Figure 4: Cross Section Outlining the Ramp Zone Extension to the Northwest (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.)

The company has contracted a third deep-capacity diamond rig to operate at the Ramp Zone, with two additional deep-capacity rigs scheduled to arrive in mid-Q1 2026. Two additional drill holes into the Ramp Zone (APC143-D2 and APC143-D3) are pending assay results; these holes were reported to have intersected 18 sightings of visible gold, compared to none observed in the results detailed in this announcement.

To date, Collective Mining has completed 150,000 meters of diamond drilling across the Guayabales and San Antonio projects, with 105,000 meters dedicated to the Apollo system. Ten rigs are currently operating on site.

The company stated that it is fully funded for its aggressive 2026 program, which targets up to 100,000 meters of additional drilling, based on a cash position of $135 million USD as of December 1, 2025.

Figure 5: Side-by-Side Comparison of the Apollo System and the Neighboring Marmato Mine, Highlighting How the Ramp Zone and Marmato Deeps Systems Begin at the Same Elevation and the Potential for the Ramp Zone to Continue Expanding Along Strike and to Depth (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.)

Executive Chairman Ari Sussman commented on the results, noting that hole APC143-D1 extended the zone along strike and at depth and demonstrated consistent mineralization over substantial widths.

The continued presence of Ramp Zone mineralization at least 270 meters beneath the initial discovery at 1,000 meters above sea level supports the view that the drilling may have only tested the top of a large intrusion-related gold system that shares mineralogical similarities with the multi-million ounce Marmato Deeps Zone.

Collective Mining was established by the team that developed and sold Continental Gold Inc. to Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. (SSE: 601899, HKEX: 2899)

Figure 6: Plan View of the Guayabales Project Highlighting the Apollo System (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.)

Headline image – Figure 1: Cross Section Outlining the Ramp Zone Extension to the North (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.)

High-grade mineralization was also encountered in a new zone in the footwall of the MDZ in hole MT-IU-050 and is anticipated to be accretive to overall global resource growth as this mineralization lies either outside the boundary of the current mineral resource estimate block model for the MZ or in areas that were previously estimated to be below the cut-off grade due to lack of information.

Serafino Iacono, Executive Chairman of Gran Colombia, commented, “Our 2019 Phase 2 drilling campaign has generated additional exciting results which have further increased our confidence in the geological model and continues to demonstrate an improvement of grades in the MZ below the 900 meter level versus the mineral resource block model associated with the PEA. In addition, the discovery of a potential new high-grade zone opens a new scenario for potential resource growth. All in all, we remain very encouraged by the progress we are making in the evaluation of the underground mining expansion opportunity at our Marmato Project.“

Longitudinal section of MZ Zone

The 2019 drilling campaign started in March and was completed in late November with three contractor diamond drill rigs, one of which was added to the Phase 2 drilling campaign in early September, operating from four purpose-built underground drill stations. The two drilling campaigns comprise a total of 30 drill holes totaling approximately 16,299 meters, of which 4,600 meters were completed in seven drill holes in Phase 1 and 11,699 meters were completed in 23 drill holes in Phase 2.

The company plans to drill up to 15,000 meters in 2020 commencing toward the end of February. Approximately 10,000 meters of infill drilling is designed to convert Inferred mineral resources to the Indicated category and to add additional mineral resources by stepping out along the southeast extension of the MZ. Another approximately 5,000 meters of exploration drilling will focus on broad mineralized zone targets outside the MDZ.

Cross section of drill hole MT-IU-050 (Final)

Intersections with high gold grades generated from the last eight drill holes of Phase 2 drilling reported herein (MT-IU-046 to MT-IU-052 and MT-IU-054), include:

• Drill hole MT-IU-050 which intersected 54.42 m at 3.65 g/t Au and 4.3 g/t Ag from 246.75 m to 301.17 m, 51.80 m at 3.0 g/t Au and 6.0 g/t Ag from 379.3 m to 431.10 m, and 41.35 m at 4.14 g/t Au and 4.34 g/t Ag from 449.0 m to 490.35m; all these intersections are associated with the MZ.
• Drill hole MT-IU-050 also intersected 76.75 m at 3.12 g/t Au and 1.9 g/t Ag from 538.25 m to 615.00 m, which is the intersection associated with the NZ.
• Drill hole MT-IU-051 which intersected 75.83 m at 4.03 g/t Au and 5.5 g/t Ag from 248.00 m to 323.83 m.
• Drill hole MT-IU-054 which intersected 66.35 m at 3.05 g/t Au and 3.9 g/t Ag from 358.00 m to 424.35 m.

The style of mineralization for the intersection associated with the NZ is the same as the MZ and is characterized by very narrow veinlets of quartz-pyrrhotite-bismuth tellurides-free gold with minor amounts of pyrite and chalcopyrite rimmed by a narrow halo of sodic-calcic alteration.

Key Highlights and Intercepts from Phase 2 drilling

• The high-grade mineralization intercepted in drill hole MT-IU-050, outside the boundary of the current mineral resource estimate block model for the MZ, may represent a new zone (NZ) or a branch off the MZ. Further drilling in this area is required and is planned as part of the 2020 drilling program;
• The drill intercepts (MT-IU-050, MT-IU-051 and MT-IU-054) from Phase 2 drilling continue to demonstrate a further improvement of grades in the MZ below the 900-meter level versus the mineral resource block model associated with the PEA;
• The results from Phase 2 infill drilling continue to impress both in terms of grades and widths and will undoubtedly lead to an important resource growth coupled with a greater flexibility for mining;
• Most of the drill holes of Phase 2 reported herein end within the low-grade shell with the result that the MDZ is open on the east side. This is due to the location of underground drill stations above and close to the steeply plunging low grade shell. The holes achieved their objective of fully cutting the high grade MZ.

Images courtesy of Gran Colombia Gold