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Apex Drills 23.1 m of 3.47% REO Within Broader Zone of 137.2 m at 2.01% REO, Extending Mineralization 180 m in Western Step-Out at the Rift Rare Earth Project.ACCESS Newswire 15 May 2026, 12:33 GMT+10 Highlights: RIFT26-005A, a ~180 m western step-out from RIFT26-003 (80.0 m at 2.29% REO, including 23.7 m at 4.02% REO - See News Release Dated April 28, 2026) expanding the upper high-grade REO horizon (herein termed "Trinity Zone") 137.2 m at 2.01% REO(1) from 252.6 m depth Including 80.0 m at 2.51%, or 23.1 m at 3.47%, or 11.0 m at 4.39% REO Numerous samples within the 137.2 m interval grading >4.00% REO, to a maximum of 6.59% REO m (See Image 1) RIFT26-006 43.8 m of 2.75% REO including 34.1 m of 3.05% REO within a broader mineralized envelope (210.0 m at 1.33% REO) Trinity Zone is interpreted to dip shallowly to the west and remains strongly associated with hematite alteration observed within the carbonatite Trinity Zone is now defined over an approximate 300 m strike length and ~180 m down-dip.Successive step-out drillholes continue to demonstrate strong continuity of high-grade REO mineralization, with RIFT26-005A returning the strongest width x grade intercept of the 2026 program to date.The high-grade Trinity Zone remains open in all directions.Sean Charland, CEO of Apex Critical Metals, commented: "The results from these three step-out drillholes, including our best grade x width results to-date, continues to demonstrate the extension and expansion potential of the upper high-grade REO horizon (Trinity Zone).The growing mineralized footprint and consistency observed from assay results to-date increases confidence in the shallow west-dipping Trinity Zone and future targeting, with mineralization remaining open in all directions.With a significant volume of assays still pending and two rigs still actively turning, we are well positioned to delineate mineralization well beyond the early successes from our 2026 drill campaign." VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / May 15, 2026 / Apex Critical Metals Corp.(CSE:APXC)(OTCQX:APXCF)(FWB:KL9) ("Apex" or the "Company"), a mineral exploration company focused on advancing its strategic 100%-controlled Rift Rare Earth Project within the Elk Creek Carbonatite Complex in southeastern Nebraska, U.S.A., is pleased to report the assay results from drillholes RIFT26-004, RIFT26-005A and partial results from RIFT26-006 (162.2 to 500.8 m).Key Observations and Takeaways Assay results from RIFT26-004, RIFT26-005A and RIFT26-006 confirm continuity of the upper high-grade REO horizon at depth, herein termed the Trinity Zone.The Trinity Zone is now interpreted to dip shallowly to the west and remains strongly associated with hematite alteration within the host carbonatite, consistent with observations across all previously reported drillholes (See News Releases Dated April 7, 2026 and April 28, 2026).RIFT26-005A was designed as an approximately 180 m western step-out of RIFT26-003, which returned 80.0 m at 2.29% REO including 23.7 m at 4.02% REO in the Trinity Zone See News Release Dated April 28, 2026).Drillhole RIFT26-005A successfully intersected the Trinity Zone at depth returning an even broader interval at >2% REO (137.2 m at 2.01% REO from 252.6 m depth), including 23.1 m at 3.47% REO from 290.5 m or 11.8 m at 4.23% REO from 301.7 m (see Table 2 and Figure 2).RIFT26-004 and RIFT26-006 were drilled from the same drill pad at different orientations, targeting the western extension of the Trinity Zone previously intersected in RIFT26-001A (45.0 m at 2.07% REO, including 24.9 m at 2.40% REO (See News Release Dated April 28, 2026) and historical drillhole NEC11-004 (See News Release Dated October 1, 2025).RIFT26-006 intersected a broad, continuous interval of 210.0 m at 1.33% REO from 191.8 m depth, with two distinct higher-grade zones of 43.2 m at 1.61% REO and 43.8 m at 2.75% REO including34.1 m at 3.05% REO (Table 2).RIFT26-004 intersected the Trinity Zone over two discrete intervals: 15.6 m at 2.10% REO from 216.5 m, and a second interval of 18.8 m at 2.01% REO from 320.6 m depth (Table 2).Results from these three drillholes, together with historical and previously reported results from RIFT26-002 (81.6 m at 2.02% REO including 50.9 m at 2.40% REO - See News Release Dated April 7, 2026), RIFT26-001A and RIFT26-003, demonstrate that the Trinity Zone maintains grade and continuity over an approximate 300 m strike length within the greater 700 m mineralized corridor.Coupled with the elevated NdPr(2) distributions previously reported from the underlying Neo Zone (See News Release Dated May 6, 2026), these results reinforce the potential for a significant multi-horizon rare earth mineralized system at the Rift Project.Figure 1.2026 Phase I drill plan at the Rift Project showing the location and assay results of drillhole RIFT26-004, RIFT26-005A and partial assay results for RIFT26-006 (reported herein), along with active and completed drillholes, selected planned drillholes, and historical drillhole locations.Figure 2.RIFT26-005A & RIFT26-003 assay results at the Rift Project highlighting the Trinity Zone Table 1: Drillhole Location and Attritbutes Table 2: RIFT26-004, RIFT26-005A and RIFT26-006 (partial) Assay Summary (a) All reported intervals are downhole core lengths, and do not represent true widths, which remain unknown until further confirmation assay results are received and interpreted.RIFT26-005A interval of 3.25 m from 309.5 m to 312.75 m (red box) averaging 4.61% REO, including samples RIFT005A-207 (4.46% REO over 0.98 m), RIFT005A-208 (6.59% REO over 0.52 m), RIFT005A-209 (3.26% REO over 0.96 m) and RIFT005A-211 (5.12% REO over 0.79 m) Program Status and Next Steps The Company has completed additional drillholes designed to further test the extent of mineralization along strike and at depth with assay results pending.Ongoing refinement of the 3D geological model, including integration of assay results as received, will support improved understanding of the mineralized system and help prioritize future drill targeting.The 2026 drill program remains ongoing, with a total of fifteen (15) drillholes completed to date for approximately 11,000 m, with assays currently pending for nine (9) drillholes.Quality Assurance / Quality Control All drilling was completed using one truck and one track mounted diamond drill rigs with HQ size core and all drill core samples have been or will be shipped to Activation Laboratories Ltd.(Actlabs) preparation facility in Ancaster, Ontario, for standard sample preparation (code RX1) which includes drying, crush (< 7 kg) up to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g) and pulverize (mild steel) to 95% passing 105 µm.The samples were subsequently analyzed using Code 8 by XRF Nb₂O₅, ZrO2 and Ta2O5 (0.003%), Code 8 - REE Assay (lithium metaborate/tetraborate fusion with subsequent analysis by ICP and ICP/MS).Drill core was saw-cut with half-core sent for geochemical analysis and half-core remaining in the box onsite.A Quality Assurance/Quality Control protocol was incorporated into the program and included the insertion of certified reference material and silica blanks at a rate of approximately 5% and 5%, respectively.Additional analysis of pulp-split and reject-split sample duplicates was also completed at a rate of approximately 5% and 2.5%, respectively, to assess analytical precision at different stages.Actlabs Canada is independent of the Company.Management cautions that the interception of carbonatite and associated hematite alteration is not necessarily indicative of mineralization.Assay results are required to confirm the presence, grade, and significance of any mineralization.All intercepts reported in this news release represent core length (apparent width).True widths have not yet been determined.(1) REO (Rare Earth Oxide) is defined as the sum of Ce2O3, La2O3, Pr2O3, Nd2O3, Eu2O3, Sm2O3, Gd2O3, Tb2O3, Dy2O3, Ho2O3, Er2O3, Tm2O3, Yb2O3, Lu2O3, and Y2O3.(2) NdPr distribution calculated as (Nd2O3 + Pr2O3) / REO x 100 Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed