LSE-listed Aterian’s maiden scout drilling programme is set to begin imminently at the company's 100%-owned Agdz copper/silver project, which covers 34.5 km² in the eastern Anti-Atlas mountains of Morocco.

The 1 000 m to 1 200 m reverse circulation (RC) drilling programme will start imminently at the Agdz project site with an initial ten drill holes.

The RC drill rig has mobilised to the site, with access upgrades and drill pad preparation under way.

Drill holes will target mapped structural and geophysical targets over four priority prospects: the 2.80-km-long Makarn-Makarn North prospect targeting up to 8% copper and 448 g/t silver; the 2-km-long Amwaro prospect targeting up to 4.82% copper, 189 g/t silver, and 1.90 g/t gold; the 150-m-long Miniére prospect targeting historic workings, spoil up to 13.05% copper, 12 g/t silver, and 0.8 g/t gold; and the 700-m-long Daoud prospect targeting 2.71% copper, 152 g/t silver and 2.96 g/t gold.

Geophysical targets were defined from a previously completed 137-line-kilometre induced polarisation gradient array and a 12-line high-resolution induced polarisation survey.

"We anticipate about ten scout holes, with depths of 100 m to 120 m, using RC drilling. We are especially excited to advance the status of our projects in Morocco and to begin drilling at Agdz. We are presently in the process of rationalising and prioritising our projects in the country with the aim to advance additional projects to the drilling stage," Aterian chairperson Charles Bray said on August 6.

He noted that, at Agdz, the ground preparatory works were progressing rapidly and the main access infrastructure upgrades were nearing completion.

Moreover, the drill programme had been designed to test several geophysical and structural targets within four priority target areas defined to date across the project.

The geophysical anomalies scheduled for testing represent near-surface targets, varying from 300 m to greater than 2.5 km in strike length.

"Agdz is well situated within an active mining district and is served by regional infrastructure, lying 2 km from a recently upgraded all-weather road, 35 km from the city of Ouarzazate and 40 km from the Noor-1 solar power plant. We expect to receive initial assay results by the end of quarter three,” Bray added.

Drill samples will be assayed for a multi-element suite of elements, with selected intervals assayed for gold by fire assay, where earlier surface rock chip sampling returned anomalous gold values.

The drill programme will focus on achieving several objectives: to intersect mineralisation of a suitable grade and width to be deemed as showing economic potential, to understand the down-dip continuity of the copper/silver mineralisation mapped and sampled at the surface within outcropping alteration zones, and to provide geological and geochemical datasets to aid in defining a deposit-scale model and in the interpretation of geophysical anomalies.

The company's subsidiary Aterian Resources holds a 100% interest in Agdz, which lies about 350 km south of the capital Rabat and about 35 km east of the city of Ouarzazate, where high-standard infrastructure and services exist, including a regional airport.

The Noor-1 solar power station, the world's largest concentrated solar power plant with a planned output of 580 MW, is located about 40 km northwest of Agdz. The project is accessed by a paved road, a network of unpaved roads and vehicle tracks close to and within the licence area.