Scandium Canada Ltd. (TSX-V: SCD) has announced the launch of its 2026 diamond drilling program at the Crater Lake scandium project in Nunavik, Quebec. The program comprises approximately 4,000 metres of drilling, with the primary objective of collecting a representative metallurgical bulk sample to support a future feasibility study.
According to the company, 75% to 80% of the planned drilling—roughly 3,000 to 3,500 metres—is dedicated to collecting an 8- to 10-tonne bulk sample throughout the defined resource. The sample will be assembled from half-diameter HQ drill core, assuming approximately 80% recovery over mineralized intercepts. The goal is to confirm grades and test the variability of the deposit from a metallurgical standpoint, providing the material required for metallurgical testwork supporting the 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 expected to begin in the coming weeks and continue through August 2026.
Guy Bourassa, Chief Executive Officer of Scandium Canada, stated: “With mobilization underway at Crater Lake, this program advances several priorities at once. 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. We expect a steady flow of news from Crater Lake as results become available this fall.”
In addition to the bulk sample, 15% to 20% of the drill budget (500 to 1,000 metres) is dedicated to exploratory resource augmentation drilling to test the lateral limits of the 2025 mineral resource estimate, which remains open. The remaining meterage will be allocated to limited shallow exploration drilling to test targets on the Discovery Zone, approximately 750 metres south-southwest along strike from the TG Zone resource.
In parallel, WSP will continue previous environmental assessment work from June to September in support of the prefeasibility study. The program includes fauna and flora inventories, fish habitat surveys, and hydrogeological and geochemical studies. The WSP team is expected on site on June 15.
Core samples will be shipped from site to Laurentia’s core facility, where QAQC standards will be inserted before samples are sent to Activation Laboratories (Ancaster, Ontario) for multi-element geochemical analysis. Mineralized intervals from the bulk sample will subsequently be selected on the basis of assay results and sent for LIBS scanning and metallurgical analysis. Assay results are expected in the fall of 2026.
The Crater Lake project hosts a mineral resource estimate within the TG Zone, as set out in the technical report entitled “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+.
The scientific and technical information in this news 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.
