Hot Chili Releases Interim Financial Report for Quarter Ended 31 December 2023

PERTH, Australia, Jan. 31, 2024 /CNW/ - Hot Chili Limited (TSXV: HCH) (ASX: HCH) (OTCQX: HHLKF) (the "Company" or "Hot Chili") is pleased to announce that it has filed financial reports for the quarter ended 31 December 2023.

The complete report is available under the Company's profile at www.asx.com, www.sedar.com and on Hot Chili's website (www.hotchili.net.au) .

Highlights include:

Hot Chili Reduces Option Payments in 2024 by US$10 Million
Further Regional Consolidation Expands Costa Fuego

• Options executed to acquire 100% interest in two historical mine areas located approximately 10km southwest of Costa Fuego's planned central processing hub
• Due diligence extended to facilitate execution of Option to acquire 100% interest in Bastion Minerals Limited's (ASX: BMO) Cometa Project, located adjacent to Hot Chili's Costa Fuego landholding

Next Phase of Resource Expansion Drilling Commences

• Ten diamond drill holes for approximately 5,000m are planned to test seven targets adjacent to the Company's two principal mineral resources: Cortadera; and Productora
• Drilling aims to test multiple, large-scale resource growth opportunities, which may allow Hot Chili to consider an up-lift in the Pre-feasibility study scale for Costa Fuego

First-Pass Exploration Drill Results Returned

• Assay results have been received for first-pass drilling undertaken in late 2023 across three new satellite targets within the Costa Fuego landholding: Marsellesa, Cordillera and Corroteo. Selected significant drill intersections include: 25m grading 0.4% Copper (Cu) from surface including 10m grading 0.8% Cu from 7m depth (Marsellesa)
• 19m grading 0.5% Cu from 195m depth downhole including 2m grading 2.2% Cu from 195m depth (Marsellesa)
• 93m grading 0.3% Cu from surface including 14m grading 0.4% Cu from surface (Cordillera)

Additonal Highlights:

Costa Fuego Resource Upgrade Expected in Q1 2024
Pre-feasibility and Water Supply Concept Studies On-Track
Maritime Concession Works Begin
Strong Cash Position of A$13.3 million

This news release is authorised by the Managing Director for release to the TSXV.

For more information please contact:

or visit Hot Chili's website at www.hotchili.net.au

Qualifying Statements

Qualified Persons – NI 43-101

The scientific and technical information in this new release, has been reviewed and approved by Mr Christian Easterday, MAIG, Hot Chili's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, and a qualified person within the meaning of NI 43-101.

Competent Persons – JORC

The information in this announcement that relates to Exploration Results for the Marsellesa and Cordillera projects is based upon information compiled by Mr Christian Easterday, the Managing Director and a full-time employee of Hot Chili Limited whom is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG). Mr Easterday has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposits under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a 'Competent Person' as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves' (JORC Code). Mr Easterday consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Disclaimer

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 news release.

Cautionary Note for U.S. Investors Concerning Mineral Resources

NI 43-101 is a rule of the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Technical disclosure contained in this news release has been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Classification System. These standards differ from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and resource information contained in this news release may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by domestic United States companies subject to the SEC's reporting and disclosure requirements.

All amounts in this news release are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements that are "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and Australian securities legislation (each, a "forward-looking statement"). Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectations, forecasts, and projections with respect to future events, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and are based on certain assumptions. No assurance can be given that these expectations, forecasts, or projections will prove to be correct, and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. Forward-looking information is by its nature prospective and requires the Company to make certain assumptions and is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "may", "plan", "potential", "project", "should", 'toward", "up-scale", "will", "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward- looking statements.

The forward-looking statements within this news release are based on information currently available and what management believes are reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. In addition, this news release may contain forward-looking statements attributed to third-party industry sources, the accuracy of which has not been verified by the Company.

In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: prospects, projections and success of the Company and its projects; the ability of the Company to expand mineral resources beyond current mineral resource estimates; the results and impacts of current and planned drilling to convert inferred mineral resources to indicated, to extend mineral resources and to identify new deposits; the Company's ability to convert mineral resources to mineral reserves; opportunities for growth in mineral projects; the timing and outcomes of current and future planned economic studies; the Company's ability to up-scale the project; the potential to develop a water business in the Huasco valley and the future economics thereof; the timing and outcomes of regulatory processes required to obtain permits for the development and operation of the Costa Fuego Project and/or future planned economic studies; whether or not the Company will make a development decision and the timing thereof; the ability of the Company to complete the PFS on the timeline indicated or at all and the outcomes of the PFS; and estimates of planned exploration.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from a conclusion, forecast or projection contained in the forward-looking statements in this news release, including, but not limited to, the following material factors: operational risks; risks related to the cost estimates of exploration; sovereign risks associated with the Company's operations in Chile; changes in estimates of mineral resources of properties where the Company holds interests; recruiting qualified personnel and retaining key personnel; future financial needs and availability of adequate financing; fluctuations in mineral prices; market volatility; exchange rate fluctuations; ability to exploit successful discoveries; the production at or performance of properties where the Company holds interests; ability to retain title to mining concessions; environmental risks; financial failure or default of joint venture partners, contractors or serv ice providers; competition risks; economic and market conditions; and other risks and uncertainties described elsewhere in this news release and elsewhere in the Company's public disclosure record.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon assumptions which the Company believes to be reasonable, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward- looking statements. With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this news release, the Company has made assumptions regarding: future commodity prices and demand; availability of skilled labour; timing and amount of capital expenditures; future currency exchange and interest rates; the impact of increasing competition; general conditions in economic and financial markets; availability of drilling and related equipment; effects of regulation by governmental agencies; future tax rates; future operating costs; availability of future sources of funding; ability to obtain financing; and assumptions underlying estimates related to adjusted funds from operations. The Company has included the above summary of assumptions and risks related to forward- looking information provided in this news release to provide investors with a more complete perspective on the Company's future operations, and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom.

For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements made herein, please refer to the public disclosure record of the Company, including the Company's most recent Annual Report, which is available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under the Company's issuer profile. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all those factors or to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements and are made as of the date of this news release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise. Investors should read this entire news release and consult their own professional advisors to ascertain and assess the income tax and legal risks and other aspects of an investment in the Company.

SOURCE Hot Chili Limited