Scandium Canada Ltd. (TSX-V: SCD) 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 diamond drilling, primarily dedicated to collecting a representative metallurgical bulk sample throughout the defined resource, complemented by resource extension drilling at the TG Zone and exploration drilling on the Discovery Zone. Camp mobilization has been underway since late April under the management of Laurentia Exploration, with drilling expected to begin in the coming weeks and continue through August 2026.
Approximately 75% to 80% of the planned drilling, about 3,000 to 3,500 metres, is allocated to obtaining a metallurgical test bulk sample of 8 to 10 tonnes. This sample will be collected from half-diameter HQ drill core across the resource defined in the 2025 mineral resource estimate (MRE). The objective is to confirm grades and test deposit variability from a metallurgical standpoint, providing essential material for the metallurgical testwork supporting the feasibility study. The orientation of certain drillholes will also allow testing of resource continuity at depth.
Between 500 and 1,000 metres of exploratory drilling will test the lateral limits of the 2025 MRE, which remains open, aiming to demonstrate potential for expanding the existing resource. Additionally, a limited number of shallow exploration holes will test targets on the Discovery Zone, located approximately 750 metres south-southwest along strike from the TG Zone, where the current prefeasibility work is focused. Depending on results and remaining budget, further extension and exploration drilling may be considered during the season.
In parallel, WSP will continue environmental assessment work from June to September, including fauna and flora inventories, fish habitat surveys, and hydrogeological and geochemical studies. This work supports the environmental assessment underpinning the prefeasibility study. The WSP team is expected on site on June 15.
Field activities 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 be selected based on assay results and sent for LIBS scanning and metallurgical analysis. Assay results are expected in the fall of 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."
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+ at www.sedarplus.ca. 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 per NI 43-101.
This drilling program represents a critical step toward advancing the Crater Lake project toward feasibility, with the bulk sample expected to de-risk metallurgical processing and support future development decisions.
