TORONTO - Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. ('Kirkland Lake Gold' or the 'Company') (TSX: KL) (NYSE: KL) (ASX: KLA) today announced the Company's financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2020 ('FY 2020').

For both periods, the Company achieved record levels of production, revenue, net earnings and adjusted net earnings. The Company also released Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates as at December 31, 2020. The Company's full financial statements and management discussion & analysis are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.kl.gold. All dollar amounts are in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted.

Tony Makuch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kirkland Lake Gold commented: '2020 will go down as a year that no one will ever forget. Faced with the challenges of a global pandemic, our team rose to the occasion and effectively responded to the COVID-19 virus with there being no transmission of the virus at any of our sites during the year. At the same time that we were focusing on protecting our people, we also turned in our best year ever, achieving record levels of production, earnings and cash flows and meeting all of our consolidated FY 2020 guidance. In Q4 2020, we had our best quarter of the year, achieving record quarterly production and earnings, with all three operations reaching their highest production levels of 2020. Obviously, the high gold price environment was a key factor for both the full year and Q4, but so was the hard work of a lot of people at our company.

'In addition to record results, we also achieved a number of other important milestones in 2020. We completed the acquisition of Detour Gold Corporation on January 31, 2020, with Detour Lake contributing over 40% of our free cash flow for the year and significant production growth expected at the mine in 2021. We also achieved encouraging exploration results at all three of our cornerstone assets and made excellent progress with our key growth projects. Very importantly, we returned $848.3 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividend payments, and in early January achieved our goal of repurchasing 20 million shares over a 12-to-24 month period. When we look at the quality of our assets, the progress being achieved and the tremendous upside that remains to be realized, we believe that the value creation potential for our company remains industry leading.'

About Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd.

Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. is a senior gold producer operating in Canada and Australia that is targeting 1,300,000 - 1,400,000 ounces of production in 2021. The production profile of the Company is anchored by three high-quality operations, including the Macassa Mine and Detour Lake Mine, both located in Northern Ontario, and the Fosterville Mine located in the state of Victoria, Australia. Kirkland Lake Gold's solid base of quality assets is complemented by district scale exploration potential, supported by a strong financial position with extensive management expertise.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute 'forward looking statements', including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words 'may', 'would', 'could', 'will', 'intend', 'plan', 'anticipate', 'believe', 'estimate', 'expect' and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the development of the Company's properties and the anticipated timing thereof, expected production from, and the further potential of the Company's properties, the potential to increase the levels of mineral resources and mineral reserves and potential conversion of mineral resources; the anticipated timing and commencement of exploration programs on various targets within the Company's land holdings and the implication of such exploration programs (including but not limited to any potential decisions to proceed to commercial production), the anticipated overall impact of the Company's COVID19 response plans, including measures taken by the Company to reduce the spread of COVID19, including but not limited to the rapid testing implemented at the Company's sites, the ability to lower costs and gradually increase production, the ability of the Company to successfully achieve business objectives, the ability of the Company to achieve its longer-term outlook and the anticipated timing and results thereof, the performance of the Company's equity investments and the ability of the Company to realize on its strategic goals with respect to such investments, the effects of unexpected costs, liabilities or delays, the potential benefits and synergies and expectations of other economic, business and or competitive factors, including the ability of the Company to realize on certain planned synergies associated with the acquisition of Detour Gold Corporation, the Company's expectations in connection with the projects and exploration programs being met, the impact of general business and economic conditions, global liquidity and credit availability on the timing of cash flows and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future conditions, fluctuating gold prices, currency exchange rates (such as the Canadian dollar versus the US dollar), mark-to-market derivative variances, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in accounting policies, changes in the Company's corporate mineral resources, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, changes in project development, construction, production and commissioning time frames, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, higher prices for fuel, power, labour and other consumables contributing to higher costs and general risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, unexpected changes in mine life, seasonality and unanticipated weather changes, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, permitting time lines, risks related to information technology and cybersecurity, timing and costs associated with the design, procurement and construction of the Company's various capital projects, including but not limited to potential future impacts and effects of COVID19, including but not limited to potential future delays and unanticipated suspension or interruption of operations, the #4 Shaft project at the Macassa Mine, the ventilation, paste plant, transformer and water treatment facility at the Fosterville Mine, the ability to obtain all necessary permits associated with the Detour Lake Mine, the ability to obtain the necessary permits in connection with all of its various capital projects, including but not limited to the rehabilitation of the Macassa tailings facility and the development of a new tailings facility and the anticipated results associated therewith, the West Detour project, processing plant expansion at the Detour Lake Mine, the ability to obtain renewals of certain exploration licences in Australia, native and aboriginal heritage issues, including but not limited to ongoing negotiations and consultations with the Company's First Nations partners, risks relating to infrastructure, permitting and licenses, exploration and mining licences, government regulation of the mining industry, risks relating to foreign operations, uncertainty in the estimation and realization of mineral resources and mineral reserves, quality and marketability of mineral product, environmental regulation and reclamation obligations, including but not limited to risks associated with reclamation and closure obligations relating to the Northern Territory projects, risks relating to the Northern Territory wet season, risks relating to litigation and unanticipated costs to assume the defence of such litigation, risks relating to applicable tax and potential reassessments thereon, risks relating to changes to tax law and regulations and the Company's interpretation thereof, foreign mining tax regimes and the potential impact of any changes to such foreign tax regimes, competition, currency fluctuations, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims, and limitations on insurance, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the AIF of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Mineral resources are not mineral reserves, and do not have demonstrated economic viability, but do have reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction. Measured and indicated resources are sufficiently well defined to allow geological and grade continuity to be reasonably assumed and permit the application of technical and economic parameters in assessing the economic viability of the resource. Inferred resources are estimated on limited information not sufficient to verify geological and grade continuity or to allow technical and economic parameters to be applied. Inferred resources are too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them to enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that Measured or Indicated mineral resources can be upgraded to mineral reserves through continued exploration and positive economic assessment.

Contact:

Tel: +1 416-840-7884

Email: tmakuch@kl.gold

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