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Exploration History
- 2023-2024: Aldebaran announced commencement of the 2023-2024 drill program at the Altar project. See Nov 2, 2023, news release here. The fully-funded program is targeting ~20,000 metres of drilling to be completed by June 2024.
- 2022-2023: Aldebaran completes 14,658 m of drilling and discovers the Altar United porphyry intrusion, located immediately beneath and adjacent to the Altar Central and Altar East zones, and uniting the mineralized ore body. Results include 951.2m of 0.60% CuEq from hole ALD-23-225B. See May 31, 2023, news release here.
- 2021-2022: Aldebaran completes 6,592 m of drilling. The Company also reports the results from the 3D IP/Resistivity and MT geophysical survey recently completed across Altar, which reveal a large geophysical anomaly. See Jun 13, 2022, news release here. Hole ALD-22-221 intercepted a long run of mineralization indicating that the geophysical anomaly correlates well with mineralization, opening up a very large new area for additional exploration. See Aug 18, 2022, news release here.
- 2020-2021: A drill program was completed to test extensions to zones of higher-grade mineralization. Hole QDM-21-42 hit one of the best intercepts to date at the Altar project, see the results here. Extensive field work and relogging program. The Company starts a 3D IP/Resistivity and MT geophysical survey across the entire Altar copper-gold project.
- 2019-2020: Aldebaran drills 5,418 m in four diamond core holes to explore and expand the higher-grade zones to identify a higher-grade resource within the project, as well as identify and drill test several new target areas. Hole QDM-19-41 led to the discovery of a new porphyry centre. See Oct 3, 2019, news release here.
- 2018: Aldebaran JV agreement with Sibanye-Stillwater to acquire the Altar project finalized.
Before the Aldebaran JV agreement with Sibanye-Stillwater
- 2017-2018: Aldebaran JV agreement with Sibanye-Stillwater to acquire the Altar project finalized. Drilling by Sibanye-Stillwater – cost sharing agreement in place with Regulus / Aldebaran. (4,923 m, 3 holes + 1 extension of deeper drilling by Sibanye-Stillwater). For further details, see the 2018 Drill Program page here. and the drill results here on the Sibanye Stillwater website. US$1.7 MM was spent on drilling focusing on the QDM porphyry discovered in 2016. (5,630 m, 7 holes). Sibanye completed their acquisition of Stillwater, retaining a 100% interest in the Altar project.
- 2016: US$4 MM was spent on drilling which led to discovery of the QDM Cu-Au Radio porphyry.rn(4,503 m, 8 holes).
- 2014-2015: Exploration at Altar was limited to surface mapping and the collection of baseline environmental data.
- 2013: Stillwater refocuses on PGM production, Altar declared a non-core asset.
- 2011-2013: A total of 37,215 m was drilled by Stillwater.
- 2011: Peregrine Metals was acquired by Stillwater for ~US$490 MM for its Altar project.
- 2005-2011: Peregrine expanded the property to >12,200 ha and completed drilling to define an initial mineral resource estimate at Altar Central and Altar East. (58,974 m drilled on the project)
- 2005: Peregrine, a Canadian exploration company, subsequently optioned the property from Rio Tinto.
- 1995-2004: The Altar project was first explored and drilled by CRA/Rio Tinto (2,839 m, 7 holes).