Contango ORE Announces Acquisition of HighGold

Mr. Van Nieuwenhuyse was appointed to serve as President, Chief Executive Officer, and director of the Company effective January 6, 2020. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Trilogy Metals Inc. from January 2012 until December 2019. Between May 1999 and January of 2012, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of NOVAGOLD, Inc, a company that he founded. He served as the Vice President of Exploration for Placer Dome from 1990 to 1997. Mr. Van Nieuwenhuyse holds a Candidature degree in Science from Université de Louvain, Belgium and a Master of Science degree in Geology from the University of Arizona. Mr. Van Nieuwenhuyse currently serves on the board of directors of Alexco Resource Corp. He served on the board of directors of Sandfire Resources America, Inc. (formerly, Tintina Resources Inc.) from 2008 until 2016. Mr. Van Nieuwenhuyse has over forty years of experience in the minerals mining industry and brings significant industry and technical knowledge to the Company.

Founder of HighGold Mining, Darwin Green has over 20 years of experience in the mineral deposit industry in USA, Canada and Latin America, with vast knowledge and a successful history in Alaska. He has a proven record of identifying opportunities, making discoveries and executing complex advanced exploration. His corporate credentials include involvement in multiple public financings and corporate transactions, negotiating option and joint venture agreements, and developing business opportunities. Most recently, Mr. Green served as Vice President, Exploration for Constantine Metal Resources advancing the Alaska Palmer zinc/copper deposit to the Preliminary Economic Assessment stage. Prior to that, Mr. Green oversaw resource expansion and underground development programs at the Niblack deposit on Prince of Wales Island, for which he received the Commissioner’s Award for Project Excellence by the State of Alaska. Mr. Green drives the strategy, oversees the exploration processes and leads the business development and corporation marketing for HighGold. Mr. Green holds both a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. in economic geology.