Royal Road Minerals Ltd (TSX-V:RYR, OTC:RRDMF) announced that it has obtained all necessary permits to commence drilling at its Alouana copper-gold polymetallic project in Morocco.
Alouana hosts several historic small-scale mining operations, dating back to the early 1900s, with 45 identified underground and open-pit workings.
No previous drilling has been conducted on the site, Royal Road said in a statement.
The company plans to begin a 2,000-meter exploration drilling program as soon as infrastructure, including access roads and drill pads, is completed, it told shareholders.
Tim Coughlin, Royal Road’s CEO, stated that the primary focus of the drilling campaign will be to determine the thickness and lateral extent of shallow-dipping copper and polymetallic mineralization in the project’s key zones, including the Open Pit Zone (OPZ) and Hill Top Zone (HTZ).
“We are excited to get the program underway," Coughlin said, highlighting the potential for good mining economics at Alouana.
The project spans 84 square kilometers in Morocco's Eastern Region and includes four exploration licenses.
Alouana is held through Royal Road Arabia Limited (RRA), a joint venture between Royal Road and Saudi-based MIDU Company Limited. RRA entered an agreement in October 2023 to acquire Izughar Resources, the company holding the rights to the Alouana licenses.
Royal Road’s geological sampling has identified mineralization with copper grades up to 21% and gold grades up to 5.9 grams per tonne, along with significant silver, tungsten, and other elements.
The company expects the drilling program to provide data to evaluate the economic potential of the Alouana project.