Ascendant Resources Appoints Mr. Clinton Swemmer as Vice President, Technical Services

• Project Delivery Executive With Significant Experience in Completing Technical Studies for Development Stage Projects

TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascendant Resources Inc. (TSX: ASND) (FRA: 2D9) ("Ascendant" or the "Company”) is pleased to announce that Clinton Swemmer, has joined as Vice President of Technical Services. Mr. Swemmer will contribute to facilitating the development of the Lagoa Salgada VMS project as it progresses into Feasibility stage.

Mr. Swemmer is a senior project delivery professional whose career spans over 20 years working on various development stage projects. Prior to joining Ascendant, Mr. Swemmer held the position of Vice President of Project Delivery for Treasury Metals a mining company where he managed the Study and Trade-Offs to maximize NPV and meet the technical requirements of the Environmental and Permit process. In addition, as Vice President of Project Delivery, North America for Ausenco, an EPC/M company focused on the metals and mining industry he managed the teams responsible for the EPC Awards of the Magino Gold Mine, Las Chispas Mine and Blackwater Gold Mine.While at Ausenco, Mr. Swemmer was also accountable for reviewing all Pre-Feasibility Studies (PFS) and Feasibility Studies (FS) execution strategies and layouts such as Marathon Gold Mine and Springpole Gold Project.

Prior to Ausenco, he served as Director of Projects, Mining and Minerals for Amec Foster Wheeler, where he was Project Manager for the Kinross Gold Round Mountain and Bald Mountain Projects, actively involved in the development of the IAMGOLD Côté Gold Project as well managed the portfolio for PFS and FS that included the Spring Valley Gold Mine and the Sukhoi Log Gold Mine. In addition, he previously served as Vice President of Projects for DRA Americas responsible for all PFS, FS, and Projects in the region that included delivery of the Renard Diamond Mine processing facility in Quebec, Labrador Iron Mines processing plant and numerous cold weather projects. In this role, he has also been an Independent Expert for numerous financial institutions involved with projects such as the Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine and the Brucejack Gold Mine. Mr. Swemmer holds a First Class Honours Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Hertfordshire, is a Professional Engineer (Pr. Eng) of Ontario and a member of the Project Management Institute where he is an active PMP member.

Mark Brennan, Executive Chairman of Ascendant stated, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Clinton to the Ascendant team. Clinton will be instrumental in the projects development as we look to embark on the Feasibility Study for the Lagoa Salgada VMS project.”

About Ascendant Resources Inc.

Ascendant is a Toronto-based mining company focused on the exploration and development of the highly prospective Lagoa Salgada VMS project located on the prolific Iberian Pyrite Belt in Portugal. Through focused exploration and aggressive development plans, the Company aims to unlock the inherent potential of the project, maximizing value creation for shareholders.

Lagoa Salgada contains over 10.33 million tonnes of Measured and Indicated Resources @ 9.06 % ZnEq and 2.50 million tonnes of Inferred Resources @ 5.93 % ZnEq in the North Zone; and 4.42 million tones of Indicated Resources @ 1.50 % CuEq and 10.83 million tonnes of Inferred resources @ 1.35 % CuEq in the South Zone at Venda Nova. The deposit demonstrates typical mineralization characteristics of Iberian Pyrite Belt VMS deposits containing zinc, copper, lead, tin, silver and gold. Extensive exploration upside potential lies both near deposit and at prospective step-out targets across the large 10,700ha property concession. The project also demonstrates compelling economics with scalability for future resource growth in the results of the Preliminary Economic Assessment. Located just 80km from Lisbon, Lagoa Salgada is easily accessible by road and surrounded by exceptional Infrastructure. Ascendant holds a 21.25% interest in the Lagoa Salgada project through its 25% position in Redcorp - Empreendimentos Mineiros, Lda, ("Redcorp") and has an earn-in opportunity to increase its interest in the project to 80%. Mineral & Financial Investments Limited owns the additional 75% of Redcorp. The remaining 15% of the project is held by Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A., a Portuguese Government owned company supporting the strategic development of the country's mining sector. The Company's interest in the Lagoa Salgada project offers a low-cost entry to a potentially significant exploration and development opportunity, already demonstrating its mineable scale.

The Company's common shares are principally listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "ASND". For more information on Ascendant, please visit our website at www.ascendantresources.com.

Additional information relating to the Company, including the Preliminary Economic Assessment referenced in this news release, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

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

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Forward Looking Information     

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All information contained in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is forward-looking information. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "guidance", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "strategy", "target", "intends", "objective", "goal", "understands", "anticipates" and "believes" (and variations of these or similar words) and statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" "occur" or "be achieved" or "will be taken" (and variations of these or similar expressions). Forward-looking information is also identifiable in statements of currently occurring matters which may continue in the future, such as "providing the Company with", "is currently", "allows/allowing for", "will advance" or "continues to" or other statements that may be stated in the present tense with future implications. All of the forward-looking information in this news release is qualified by this cautionary note.

Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the exploration activities and the results of such activities at the Lagoa Salgada Project, the ability of the Company to advance the Lagoa Salgada Project to a Preliminary Economic Assessment, and the ability of the Company to fund the exploration with funds from operations. Forward-looking information is based on, among other things, opinions, assumptions, estimates and analyses that, while considered reasonable by Ascendant at the date the forward-looking information is provided, inherently are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that may cause actual results and events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. The material factors or assumptions that Ascendant identified and were applied by Ascendant in drawing conclusions or making forecasts or projections set out in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the success of the exploration activities at Lagoa Salgada Project, the Company advancing the project to a Preliminary Economic Assessment, the ability of the Company to fund the exploration program at Lagoa Salgada with funds from operations , and other events that may affect Ascendant's ability to develop its project; and no significant and continuing adverse changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets.