Scandium Canada Launches 4,000-Metre Drilling Program at Crater Lake, Advancing Towards Feasibility Study
Scandium Canada has initiated a 4,000-metre diamond drilling program at its Crater Lake project in Quebec, primarily to collect a metallurgical bulk sample for a feasibility study, while also testing resource extensions and exploration targets.
Scandium Canada Ltd. (TSX-V: SCD) announced the launch of its 2026 diamond drilling program at the Crater Lake scandium project in Nunavik, Quebec, marking a critical step toward advancing the project to a feasibility study. The program comprises approximately 4,000 metres of drilling, with the bulk of the effort—75% to 80%—dedicated to collecting a representative metallurgical bulk sample of 8 to 10 tonnes throughout the defined resource. This sample is essential for metallurgical testwork required for a future feasibility study.
Camp mobilization has been underway since late April under the management of Laurentia Exploration. Drill crews are expected to arrive on June 20, with equipment arriving the same day. Drilling is anticipated to begin in the coming weeks and continue through August 2026. In parallel, WSP will continue previous environmental assessment work from June to September in support of the prefeasibility study.
According to Guy Bourassa, Chief Executive Officer of Scandium Canada, the program advances several priorities simultaneously. “The bulk of the drilling is dedicated to collecting a representative metallurgical bulk sample throughout the defined resource, the key input for the metallurgical work required for a feasibility study. We will also test the lateral extensions of the TG Zone, where the deposit remains open, and drill initial exploration targets on the Discovery Zone,” Bourassa said.
The program has three technical objectives. The primary objective is the metallurgical bulk sample: approximately 3,000 to 3,500 metres of drilling, depending on rock types intercepted, will collect a bulk sample assembled from half-diameter HQ drill core. This sample aims to confirm grades and test deposit variability from a metallurgical standpoint, providing material for testwork supporting the feasibility study. The orientation of certain drillholes will also test resource continuity at depth.
The second objective is resource extension: 500 to 1,000 metres of exploratory drilling will test the lateral limits of the 2025 mineral resource estimate, which remains open, with the goal of demonstrating potential to expand the existing resource. The third objective is regional exploration: a limited number of shallow exploration holes will test targets on the Discovery Zone, approximately 750 metres south-southwest along strike from the TG Zone resource. Depending on results and remaining budget, additional extension and exploration drilling may be considered during the season.
The Crater Lake project hosts a mineral resource estimate within the TG Zone, which remains open, as detailed in the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Crater Lake Project, Quebec, Canada," available under the company's profile on SEDAR+.
Environmental assessment work by WSP from June to September includes fauna and flora inventories, fish habitat surveys, and hydrogeological and geochemical studies. These activities support the environmental assessment underpinning the prefeasibility study. The WSP team is expected on site on June 15.
Field operations are conducted from the company's existing exploration camp, with a maximum of 20 people on site and no new permanent installations. Laurentia Exploration manages camp logistics and the drilling campaign, with helicopter support for equipment and personnel movement.
Core samples will be shipped from site on outgoing flights to Laurentia's core facility, where QAQC standards will be inserted before samples are sent to Activation Laboratories in Ancaster, Ontario, for multi-element geochemical analysis. Mineralized intervals from the bulk sample will subsequently be selected based on assay results and sent for LIBS scanning and metallurgical analysis. Assay results are expected in the fall of 2026, with progress updates provided as the program advances.
The scientific and technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Eric Kinnan, P.Geo., an independent consulting geologist and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.