Aldebaran Resources Inc. to report results for holes ALD-23-227 and ALD-23-228 from its ongoing drilling campaign at the Altar copper-gold project in San Juan Province, Argentina. Hole ALD-23-227 was a 200 m step out hole to the north from previously released ALD-22-223. ALD-23-228 was a 200 m step out to the north from previously released ALD-23-225B.

Both holes have provided valuable additional pierce points into the promising geophysical anomaly beneath and lateral to current resources at the Altar project. In addition, both ALD-23-227 and ALD-23-228 tested the northern extension of the newly identified Altar United trend. ALD-23-227 entered favourable host rocks at approximately 1,000 m depth, and then returned attractive grade mineralization until the end of the hole.

ALD-23-228 hit the favourable host rock formation at approximately 750 m depth and thereafter returned some of the highest-grade copper mineralization encountered on the project to date, demonstrating that the high-grade mineralization found previously in hole ALD-23-225B has continuity. Drillhole ALD-23-227 was collared 200 m north of ALD-22-223. It was drilled at an -75-degree inclination and a 180-degree azimuth.

The final depth of the hole was 1,238.50 m. Drillhole ALD-23-227 intersected a package of strongly fragmental dacitic crystal tuff over the first 428 m, then transitioned to less favourable but weakly mineralized massive rhyolite, which continued to a depth of 1,179.60 m. The hole then transitioned into the better mineralized diorite porphyry intrusive rocks until the end of the hole, with mineralization increasing towards the bottom of the hole. The base of oxidation in hole ALD-23-227 is only 26 m depth. Alteration in this hole is characterized dominantly by white sericite-pyrite-tourmaline-quartz assemblages and sporadic pyrite-enargite-anhydrite /anhydrite-carbonates-chalcopyrite-sphalerite structures and veins.

This white sericite alteration overprints, and locally obliterates, an earlier green sericite-chalcopyrite-pyrite assemblage from the very first metres of the hole up until approximately 750 m depth, leaving only local windows of the earlier green sericite assemblage. Beyond 750 m depth, the green sericite-chalcopyrite-pyrite assemblage progressively increases along with an associated increase in both chalcopyrite and quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite-molybdenite veins. From 843.80 m to 1179.60 m depth, white sericite-pyrite-quartz alteration is of moderate intensity and associated with an increase in the occurrence of chalcopyrite.

In this interval, the rhyolite porphyry has some relicts of biotite-magnetite-k feldspar (potassic) alteration, which is overprinted by increasing green sericite-chalcopyrite-anhydrite assemblages associated with halo-style veins. From 1,179.60 m to the end of the hole, biotite-k feldspar-magnetite-chalcopyrite-bornite (potassic) is the dominant alteration in the diorite porphyry intrusion, but is also overprinted by moderate intensity, green sericite-quartz-anhydrite-chalcopyrite-(chalcocite) alteration-mineralization, pervasively developed in the halos of hairline veins. A substantial increase in the frequency of quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite-molybdenite veins is also observed towards the bottom of the hole.

Drillhole ALD-23-228 was collared 212 m north of ALD-23-225B. It was drilled at an -75-degree inclination and a 180-degree azimuth. The final depth of the hole was 1,241.60 m (drilling has re-started on this hole to deepen it).

Similar to drillhole ALD-23-227, hole 228 intersected a package of strongly fragmental dacitic crystal tuffs from surface to 205.30 m. These volcaniclastic rocks overlie a long run of massive rhyolite extending to a depth of 805 m, followed by more favourable andesitic volcanic host rocks until 918.55 m depth and then from there until the bottom of the hole within well mineralized diorite porphyry intrusive rocks. The oxidation profile in ALD-23-228 is poorly developed in the upper portion of the hole, with the occurrence of sulphides from near surface and minor jarosite-goethite-hematite in fractures up to the base of oxidation at approximately 266 m depth. Alteration within the upper crystal tuff and rhyolite units is characterized dominantly by the occurrence of white sericite-pyrite-tourmaline-quartz assemblages with minor pyrite-enargite-anhydrite /anhydrite-carbonates-chalcopyrite-sphalerite vein structures overprinting an earlier green sericite-quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite alteration.

“D” type veins, which are typically late in the development of porphyry copper systems, are very frequent in the upper portion of the hole, with a lesser number of high-sulfidation structures; all crosscutting earlier quartz-green sericite-chalcopyrite-pyrite and white quartz-chalcopyrite-moly veins. A major change in the style of alteration occurs within the andesite volcanic rocks and the diorite porphyry units below approximately 805 m depth. From this depth and to the bottom of the hole, the white sericite-pyrite assemblages decrease considerably, and the dominant alteration is characterized by an early, strongly developed biotite-k feldspar-chalcopyrite potassic assemblage overprinted by a green sericite-quartz-anhydrite-chalcopyrite-(chalcocite) assemblage associated with the halos on hairline veins, both of which are well mineralized.

These halo-style veins are pervasive and obliterate the original texture of the rock and are associated with very high copper grades due to abundant fine-grained sulphides consisting of chalcopyrite-pyrite-bornite-molybdenite. Occurrence of these halo veins also corresponds with an increasing frequency of quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite-molybdenite veins, which in most cases are crosscutting the halo-style veins. The Company is actively drilling with four rigs.

Holes ALD-23-229, ALD-23-230, ALD-23-231 and ALD-23-189EXT are completed and were terminated at 1,413.60 m, 611.40 m, 1,211.80 m, and 1,246.00 m respectively: all pending final assays. Hole ALD-23-189EXT, is an extension of a historically drilled hole ALD-12-189, which was originally terminated at 592 m depth. At the date of this release, holes ALD-23-232, ALD-23-124EXT and ALD-23-228EXT were active and at approximately 1064.70 m, 751.00 m and 1,358.70 m depths, respectively.

Hole ALD-23-124EXT is an extension of a historically drilled hole ALD-12-124, which was originally terminated at 226.50 m depth. A fourth rig just commenced drilling on hole ALD-23-233 and will not reach its planned target depth during the current campaign but will be left in good standing in order to re-enter and continue the hole at the start of the next field campaign. The Company plans to begin demobilizing the drill rigs and then shut down the camp to close out the 2022/2023 drill campaign in the coming week.