Ambler Newsletter - Spring 2022

NEWSLETTER | SPRING 2022

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT Dear Colleagues & Neighbors,

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reparations are well underway for our 2022 field season. The Bornite camp will open in May and field activities will run from June to September with approximately 100 seasonal staff expected to be hired this year. As always, the field season will be underpinned by an extensive exploration program focusing on the three areas of Arctic, Ambler Belt, and Bornite. I am happy to share that our plans to start our recruitment efforts early have so far been successful in attracting many qualified applicants, including good shareholder participation. We are pleased and grateful for the support we continue to receive from our neighboring communities. There may still be jobs available. We urge those who are looking for a rewarding job to apply by going to our Ambler Metals website amblermetals.com - and clicking on careers and then job openings.

I am also pleased to say we continue to make steady progress on our engineering study work for the Arctic Project, and are now in the final stages of preparations to embark on our mine permitting process.

You may have heard about some recent legal developments related to the Ambler Access Project that could have bearing on Ambler Metals plans.

The federal agencies, who previously approved the Environmental Impact Statement for the Ambler Access

Road, have recently requested the court to do some supplementary work on the EIS, during which the Rights of Way on federal lands would be suspended. If the court approves the request, we envisage the supplementary work will be completed in 2023, at which time the ROW’s suspensions can be withdrawn and the Ambler Access Road’s field activities can resume normally.

As always, our priority is to do our work safely and to protect our people, the communities around us, and of course the surrounding environment. I was greatly encouraged by the safety culture and people’s behaviors that I have seen at our site in previous years. This gives me confidence that

we will again conduct a safe and productive program this year. For those of you who will be working at our site, I ask that you continue to respect that the Bornite Camp is a drug- and alcohol-free environment to ensure everyone’s safety.

I am looking forward to meeting everyone at the camp and also visiting with you in the region during the rest of the year.

Taikuu!

Ramzi Fawaz President & CEO Ambler Metals LLC

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AMBLER METALS | NEWSLETTER | SPRING 2022

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT:

FRED SUN

Ramping up for the 2022 Field Season Exploration is one of the most exciting and critical periods for any mining project. The data gathered provides geologists, engineers, and other scientists with critical information for construction and operational planning a mine and for identifying new ore bodies.

Fred (center) with two sons, Brennon (left) & Braiden (right)

Q: Where are you from?

A: “I live in Shungnak.”

Q: How long have you been with the project?

A: “This will be my third season.”

Q: What do you like about working at Bornite?

A: “The atmosphere and being able to work alongside people from the NANA region and the Doyon region. Last season I was actually able to work with two of my sons, my sister, and a lot of other friends and relatives.”

Q: How do you see the development of the Ambler Mining District and the construction of the Ambler Access Road impacting the communities and people of the region?

A: “I foresee a lot of positive impacts from the project – job creation, training opportunities for residents and I also see opportunities to lower our cost of living. If the access road is constructed, Shungnak would hope to connect to the road in order to receive fuel and freight rather than having to fly most of our goods in or transport them by barge, which is less common due to the Kobuk River getting shallower every year.”

The 2022 field exploration season will continue the project efforts to further define the Arctic deposit and explore regional targets that may become future mines.

Arctic deposit drilling will include geotechnical, hydrogeologic, and resource infill drilling within the proposed pit. The purpose of the geotechnical drilling is to understand the characteristics of the talc zone so that safe and stable pit wall angles can be incorporated into the pit design.

Hydrogeologic holes will provide information on ground water levels, and the infill drilling will provide additional confidence in the Arctic mineral resource.

Regional drilling will define prospective targets in the Ambler VMS Belt (East Dead Creek, Pipe, and Center of the Universe) and in the Cosmos Hills around Bornite (West Bornite and Pardner Hill).

Crews will also complete extensive mapping and soil sampling in the region to further our geologic understanding of the area.

The operations group will support the exploration efforts through management of the camp, the installation of additional office tents for geology and helicopter operations, and replacement of the Dahl Creek Bridge abutments and deck.

We are looking forward to a safe and exciting season.

Tuuq drill crew working during the 2021 season.

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AMBLER METALS | NEWSLETTER | SPRING 2022

Environmental Baseline Data Tells a Story

eveloping a successful and environmentally responsible mine starts with gathering good data; lots and lots of good data. Throughout the years, Ambler Metals has collected hundreds of water quality samples, operated four hydrologic gauging stations, six precipitation gauges, two meteorological stations, 10 groundwater sampling wells, and conducted numerous surveys of birds, plants, fish, and macroinvertebrates.

This data helps the team to understand the natural conditions of the project area prior to development.

This detailed research is the foundation for the Arctic Mine designs, which are engineered with the natural environment in mind to minimize environmental impacts and even look

for opportunities for project vicinity. The ADF&G environmental enhancement, biologists use a variety of such as habitat. traps to capture the fish, which they then identify One area of study that and measure. Some fish are we’d like to highlight is the sampled for age, maturity, ongoing working relationship and metal concentrations. with the Alaska Department This data helps to create an of Fish and Game. The understanding of the fish collaborative effort includes resources that are present monitoring of the fish near and can be compared the project area, as well to other fish data from as the aquatic insects they around the state. Similar need for food. Beginning in data is collected in the the summer of 2016, a team vicinity of the Red Dog and of ADF&G biologists have Greens Creek mines. This annually come to Bornite information will help with Camp to study the rivers and design decisions, such as creeks near the project area, road culverts, to ensure including near the proposed fish passage is maintained.

Arctic Mine. Although no Stream sampling and fish salmon are present near testing will continue through the project due to a large construction, operation, waterfall barrier on the and closure of the Arctic Shungnak River, there are Mine, but it all starts with resident fish species such as understanding the preDolly Varden, Arctic grayling, development environmental and round whitefish in the baseline conditions.

3700 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 101 Anchorage, Alaska 99503 Anchorage: (907) 339-8770 | Fairbanks: (907) 452-1941 AmblerMetals.com

Education, Hands-On Training, and Jobs Working together toward common goals and commitments makes a difference. Ambler Metals takes great pride in our collaborative work with NANA Regional Corporation, Alaska Technical Center, University of Alaska, Alaska Resource Education, and other organizations to ensure residents in the region are provided opportunities to further their education and secure stable employment while staying in their home communities. Through the Ambler Metals / NANA Kuuvangmiut Scholarship Fund, which began in 2013, we have awarded $230,000 to NANA shareholders across the region.

Job shadowing is another unique opportunity Ambler Metals has offered to young Alaskans.

Participants in the region spend one to two weeks shadowing AMC employees in the field. Job shadowing allows people to learn the basic tasks and responsibilities of our team such as geologists, environmental techs, camp maintenance, administration and kitchen staff. This knowledge is a great way to help ready individuals who may be interested in pursuing further education and careers of their own in the same or similar fields.

Last season, Ambler Metals identified the lack of driver’s licenses as a hurdle to employment. This brought about a partnership in 2022 with ATC to sponsor a driver’s education course in Kotzebue.

By successfully completing the course and earning their Alaska driver’s license, five NANA shareholders now qualify for a wider array of positions and higher wages at the Bornite camp during the summer exploration season.

Through these continued efforts, Ambler Metals hopes to encourage and support education, job training, and employment for shareholders for many years to come.

To learn more about scholarship opportunities, check out our website https://www.amblermetals.com/scholarships

Mary Ramoth (Ambler) & Elvira Commack (Fairbanks)