Vancouver, British Columbia, Feb. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Surge Copper Corp. (TSXV: SURG) (OTCQB: SRGXF) (Frankfurt: G6D2) (“Surge” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the British Columbia government’s acceptance of the Berg Project into the Critical Minerals Office (“CMO”).

The Berg Project aligns with both national critical minerals objectives and the recently announced Western Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, positioning the project within provincial and federal priorities to strengthen secure, responsibly produced mineral supply chains. If developed as envisioned, Berg's projected output of critical minerals, including copper and molybdenum, would rank among the largest in Canada, reinforcing its strategic importance to British Columbia’s long-term economic and industrial objectives.

Through the Critical Minerals Office, the Province provides coordinated support across ministries and agencies to help advance priority projects through the regulatory process in a clear, predictable, and efficient manner. Inclusion in the CMO portfolio reflects the Province’s recognition of Berg’s potential contribution to British Columbia’s critical minerals strategy.

Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals of British Columbia, Jagrup Brar:

“We are pleased to welcome Surge Copper into the BC Critical Minerals Office. Partnerships like this are central to our government's commitment to responsibly advancing critical mineral development in British Columbia. The Berg Project represents a significant opportunity to strengthen our province's role in supplying the minerals that are essential to clean energy, economic resilience, and global supply chain security. We look forward to working closely with Surge Copper as the project advances through the regulatory process and contributes to sustainable economic growth for communities across the province."

Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth of British Columbia, Ravi Kahlon:

"Critical minerals are a key priority under the Province's Look West industrial and economic plan. We welcome Surge Copper to the Critical Minerals Office portfolio as they work to advance the Berg Project and bring one of Canada's largest undeveloped copper deposits into production. Projects like this are engines for investment and job creation across B.C."

Jennifer Anthony, Surge’s Vice President Environment and Regulatory Affairs, commented “Inclusion in the Critical Minerals Office is an important milestone for the Berg Project. Coordinated engagement across provincial agencies, together with our ongoing collaboration with First Nations partners, is foundational to advancing large-scale projects responsibly and efficiently. We appreciate the Province’s support and look forward to working closely with the CMO as we continue to move Berg forward through the regulatory process.”

About Surge Copper Corp.

Surge Copper Corp. is a Canadian resource company advancing one of British Columbia’s emerging copper districts. The Company’s 100%-owned Berg Project hosts a large-scale copper-molybdenum-silver deposit in central British Columbia with a projected mine life exceeding 30 years. A 2023 Preliminary Economic Assessment outlined a long-life project producing copper as a primary metal, with molybdenum, silver, and gold by-products. Surge is currently advancing a Pre-Feasibility Study to further define the project’s technical and economic parameters.

Surge works closely with local First Nations in advancing its projects through early engagement, transparent communication, and prior and informed consent.

In addition to Berg, Surge controls a large, contiguous mineral claim package that includes multiple advanced porphyry deposits, including the Ootsa Property adjacent to the past-producing Huckleberry Mine. Collectively, the Company’s assets position Surge as a potential long-term contributor to Canada’s critical minerals strategy through the responsible development of copper, molybdenum, and associated metals.

For more information, visit www.surgecopper.com

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

“Leif Nilsson”
Chief Executive Officer

For Further information, please contact:
Riley Trimble, Corporate Communications & Development
Telephone: +1 604 639 3852
Email: info@surgecopper.com
Twitter: @SurgeCopper
LinkedIn: Surge Copper Corp
https://www.surgecopper.com

Neither the 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.

This News Release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "will", "may", "should", "expects", "plans", or "anticipates" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding the Company’s plans for advancement of the Berg Project and the Ootsa Property, the anticipated role of the Critical Minerals Office in supporting project advancement, future exploration and technical programs, the anticipated completion and results of the Pre-Feasibility Study, environmental assessment and permitting activities, engagement with Indigenous Nations, and the potential scale and production profile of the Berg Project. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and risks may include, among others, actual results of the Company's exploration activities being different than those expected by management, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required government or other regulatory approvals, the ability to obtain adequate financing to conduct its planned exploration programs, inability to procure labour, equipment, and supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis, equipment breakdown, and bad weather. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect the Company's current judgment regarding the direction of its business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions, or other future performance suggestions herein. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not intend to update any forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.