• Magnet and Heavy Rare Earths comprise 85% of total REEs in the test material
• Testing finds elevated Dysprosium, Yttrium and Scandium presence in Graphite Creek garnet
• CEO: "presence of 14 magnet or Heavy Rare Earths at Graphite Creek further confirms that ours is a generational deposit for the tech applications transforming our world"
• G1 is planning 2026 REE testing program with U.S. National Lab

VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 16, 2025 /CNW/ - Graphite One Inc. (TSXV: GPH) (OTCQX: GPHOF) ("Graphite One", "G1" or the "Company") announced today that results from independent analysis of Graphite Creek garnet material confirm the presence of Rare Earths in the Graphite Creek deposit, with elevated levels of the magnet and Heavy Rare Earths ("HREE"). The drill core samples were from the anticipated pit outlined in G1's Feasibility Study ("FS") completed in February 2025, suggesting that REE recovery could potentially proceed alongside graphite extraction in the early years of mining operations.

Key findings from the testing performed by Activation Laboratory ("ActLabs") of Ancaster, Canada, include:

• Bulk rock geochemical analyses indicate that Graphite Creek hosts an increased proportion of "Magnet REEs" and HREEs relative to LREEs.
• Garnets, known for housing HREE+Sc+Y in their mineral structure, appear to be the reason for the relative abundance of HREEs at Graphite Creek.
• 85% of the REEs in the garnet material are magnet or HREEs.
• Dysprosium in the garnets ranges from 32-63 ppm; Yttrium in garnets ranges from 198-427 ppm; Scandium ranges from 84 to 141 ppm.

"While these results are preliminary, they are clearly promising," said Anthony Huston, CEO of G1. "Few rare earth deposits have such a strong presence of magnet and Heavy Rare Earths. With Graphite Creek already confirmed by the USGS as the nation's largest natural graphite deposit 'and among the largest in the world,' the presence of 14 magnet or Heavy Rare Earths at Graphite Creek further confirms that ours is a generational deposit for the tech applications transforming our world."

Rare Earth Elements are vital to 21^st century technology, with neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium and samarium forming essential building blocks of powerful permanent magnets used in wind turbines, electric vehicles and advanced defense systems such as precision-guided munitions and radar. REEs further enable high-performance fiber optics, lasers, catalysts, and phosphors in displays and lighting. Their distinct magnetic, optical and catalytic properties make them indispensable across military applications and commercial electronics, renewable energy, and telecommunications – underscoring their strategic importance to U.S industry and national security.

China, the world's largest producer of the full range of REEs, imposed export limits on the magnet REEs in February 2024 and tightened graphite exports in December 2024, highlighting the importance of the development of G1's Graphite Creek Mine.

"The presence of two Defense Production Act Title III materials – graphite and REEs – in a single deposit further underscores Graphite Creek's position as a truly generational deposit," added Mr. Huston. "Given the robust economics of our complete graphite materials supply chain, the presence of Rare Earths at Graphite Creek suggests that recovery as a by-product to our graphite production will maximize the value of what is already the U.S.'s largest natural graphite deposit."

Graphite Creek REE Findings and Next Steps

"The garnets – which are often as large as marbles -- seem to be dominant hosts for the HREEs, which will guide our ongoing test program as we enter 2026," commented Kirsten Fristad, G1's Chief Geologist. "These results indicate that if you were to separate one of our ore rocks into two piles, its garnet component and then everything else, the garnets have two- to six-times higher REE concentration."

G1 plans to work with a U.S. National Lab to develop a testing plan to determine the best method for extracting the REEs from the Graphite Creek garnets. 

Summary of Independent Test Results

Garnet grains were mechanically separated from Graphite Creek crushed drill core samples at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). The separated garnet fraction was analyzed for REE concentration at ActLabs.

Graphite One's Domestic Supply Chain Strategy

With the United States currently 100% import-dependent for natural graphite, Graphite One is developing a complete U.S.-based, advanced graphite supply chain solution anchored by the Graphite Creek deposit, recognized by the US Geological Survey as the largest graphite deposit in the U.S. "and among the largest in the world." The Graphite One Project supply chain strategy involves transporting material to the lower 48 via the Port of Nome to an anticipated advanced graphite material and battery anode material manufacturing plant to be  located in Warren, Ohio subject to project financing. The plan also includes a potential recycling facility to reclaim graphite and the other battery materials, to be co-located at the Ohio site, the third link in Graphite One's circular economy strategy.

Qualified Person

Mr. Rob Retherford, P. Geo, with Alaska Earth Sciences, Inc. provided oversite to the 2022-2024 drilling, sampling, and QA/QC programs. Mr. Retherford is an independent Qualified Person as defined under NI 43–101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release.

About Graphite One Inc.

GRAPHITE ONE INC. continues to develop its Graphite One Project (the "Project"), with the goal of becoming an American producer of high-grade anode materials that is integrated with a domestic graphite resource. The Project is proposed as a vertically integrated enterprise to mine and process natural graphite and to manufacture artificial and natural graphite anode active materials primarily for the lithium–ion electric vehicle battery and energy storage markets.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Anthony Huston" (signed)

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.

All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, including those related to the quantity and quality of and ability to economically extract the rare earth elements from the deposit, timing and completion of permitting, future production, establishment of a processing plant and a graphite manufacturing plant, establishment of a battery materials recycling facility, and events or developments that the Company intends, expects, plans, or proposes are forward-looking statements Generally, forward–looking information can be identified by the use of forward–looking terminology such as "proposes", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "projects", "plans", "is planning", "intends", "assumes", "believes", "indicates", "to be" or variations of such words and phrases that state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The Company cautions that there is no certainty that rare earth elements will be extracted from the Project, that rare earth elements extracted will be economically feasible, that either the processing plant and graphite manufacturing plant or the battery materials recycling facility will ever be built, the tests of the Company's material will be successful or that such tests will result in the development of successful products. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at http://www.sedarplus.ca.