Drilling success at Arthrath Nickel-Copper Project, Aberdeenshire

Aberdeen Minerals announces the successful completion of its summer drilling campaign at the Arthrath Project in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where it is exploring for bedrock deposits of nickel, copper and cobalt. These metals are strategically important raw materials critical to an energy transition in Scotland and the UK.

• Drilling has revealed a sulphide “trap” feature, containing a build-up in sulphide minerals in a floor zone of the mafic intrusion.
• This classic setting for nickel-copper rich massive sulphides is located within a previously untested area of the Arthrath deposit at only 170-250 vertical metres.
• Extensive intersections of net-textured sulphides with localised massive sulphide lenses form the basis for the next round of geophysics and drilling at Arthrath.

Fraser Gardiner, Chief Executive Officer of Aberdeen Minerals, commented:

“We made excellent progress at Arthrath through our summer programme of drilling and geophysics. The discovery of a classic sulphide trap zone as predicted by our exploration model is a very exciting development for the Aberdeen Minerals team. Not only does it provide a core target to look forward to in our next round of work at Arthrath, it also gives us a template to apply our model across the district scale opportunity in North East Scotland, and further energises our search for the metals required for the energy transition.

“We wish to express our gratitude to the landowners and community in the project area for their cooperation for the duration of the drilling programme.”

Between July and October 2024, 2,682 metres of core drilling were completed across seven boreholes ranging in length from 243 metres to 510 metres.

The purpose of the drilling was to test the company’s model for metal rich, “conduit-related” massive sulphide bodies beneath the shallow levels of the historically drilled Arthrath deposit. This involved drilling deeper into the Arthrath geology than any previous work at the project, and using borehole electromagnetic (BHEM) geophysical surveys to test the surrounding rocks for electrically conductive sulphides.

Updated geological modelling is currently in progress by the company’s consultants, and assay results from sampling are due to be received later in Q4.

Follow-up work is anticipated to comprise detailed geophysical surveys to delineate the extents of the sulphide trap zone and other targets emerging from the 2024 drilling, ahead of the next round of drilling due to commence in February/March 2025.

Enquiries and further information:

Fraser Gardiner, CEO     Phone: 0800 047 8736    Email: moc.slarenimneedreba@ofni

Example of net-textured sulphides intersected in 2024 drilling: AR011DD at 227 metres.

Example of net-textured sulphides intersected in 2024 drilling: AR016DD at 257 metres.

Massive pyrrhotite zone with chalcopyrite footwall stringers. AR011DD at 137 metres.

Massive sulphides in AR015DD at 125 metres.

Massive sulphide in AR012DD at 205 metres, containing sulphide matrix breccia textures similar to those observed at the world class Voisey’s Bay Ni-Cu deposit, Canada.

Drilling notes

Drilling works were carried out by a specialist contractor using two small, track-mounted drill rigs. The programme was completed in compliance with the General Permitted Development (Scotland) Order 1992 and the General Binding Rules of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. Deep boreholes (greater than 200 metres in vertical depth) were completed in compliance with a deep borehole construction and operation licence issued by SEPA.

About Aberdeen Minerals

Aberdeen Minerals is a privately owned UK company exploring for battery metal deposits in North East Scotland. Active since 2018, the company has partnered with landowners through exclusive land access and exploration agreements over areas of Aberdeenshire prospective for nickel, copper and cobalt mineralisation. These metals are strategically important for long term, responsibly sourced and resilient supplies of the raw materials critical to a just energy transition in Scotland and the UK.

Drilling at Arthrath, summer 2024.