Royal Road Minerals Reports Scout Drilling Results and Provides an Update on the Alouana Option Agreement: Kingdom of Morocco

Rhea-AI Summary

Royal Road Minerals (TSXV: RYR) has completed its 2,000-meter reverse circulation scout drilling program at the Alouana project in Morocco. The program, consisting of 22 drill holes totaling 2,036 meters, targeted copper-bismuth-tungsten mineralization.

Key drilling results included maximum values of:

• Copper: 3.6% over one meter
• Gold: 2.2 grams per tonne in oxide material
• Silver: 98.3ppm
• Zinc: 3.1%
• Bismuth: 0.5%
• Tungsten: 0.6%

Following the assessment of drilling results, management concluded that the shallow-dipping mineralization did not continue at depth as hoped, and the grade and continuity of mineralization in the vein-breccia bodies were insufficient to support a standalone underground operation. As a result, Royal Road Arabia has withdrawn from the Option Agreement with Izughar Resources and will not proceed with the US$750,000 option payment for 90% ownership.

Positive

• Drilling program completed efficiently and under budget
• Program successfully achieved its objective of testing the resource potential

Negative

• Insufficient mineralization grade and continuity for economic development
• Shallow-dipping mineralization did not continue at depth as hoped
• Company withdrew from Option Agreement, losing potential asset acquisition
• Gold results in sulphide mineralization were low (max 0.6 g/t over one meter)

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 10, 2025) - Royal Road Minerals Limited (TSXV: RYR) ("Royal Road" or the "Company") reports geochemical results from its 2000 meter reverse circulation scout drilling program at the Alouana project in Morocco. The Alouana project is subject to an Option Agreement (the "Agreement"; see Press Release, October 17, 2023) between Royal Road Arabia Limited ("RRA"; a Saudi Arabian joint-venture company owned on a 50-50% basis by Royal Road and MIDU Company Limited) and Izughar Resources S.A.R.L ("Izughar"), the Moroccan company holding title to the Alouana licenses. The terms of the Agreement require that upon completion of a minimum 2000 meters of drilling and receipt of all geochemical results, RRA has the one-time option to pay to Izughar the amount of US$750,000 (the "Option Payment") in exchange for 90% of Izughar (see Press Release, October 17, 2023).

The Company has completed 22 reverse circulation drill holes for a total of 2036 meters at Alouana (see Figure 1). Drilling intersected predominantly steeply dipping vein-breccia-hosted copper-bismuth-tungsten (± gold, silver and zinc) mineralization with best intersections in copper equivalent¹ returning:

RC24AL003 RC24AL004 RC24AL006 RC24AL007 RC24AL019

From 3 to 17 meters From 12 to 17 meters From 0 to 8 meters From 0 to 17 meters From 43 to 53 meters

14 meters at 0.9% copper equiv. 5 meters at 0.7% copper equiv. 8 meters at 1.2% copper equiv. 17 meters at 1.0% copper equiv. 10 meters at 1.0% copper equiv.

 

(Not true width and the company does not have sufficient information to determine the true widths of the drill hole intersections: Table 1)

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4008/243927_figure_1.jpg

The principal aim of this drilling program was to test for the continuity of shallow-dipping (shear and cleavage parallel) mineralization at depth (see press release, October 23, 2024). A significant thickness of this style of mineralization, combined with the (conjugate northeast and northwest trending) steep-dipping vein-breccia controlled mineralization, would possibly provide a bulk volume significant enough for an open-pit type mining scenario along the Alouana ridge top. Shallow-dipping mineralization did not continue at depth, or significantly away from the immediate vicinity of steeper-dipping vein-breccia style mineralization and the grade and continuity of mineralization intersected within the vein-breccia bodies is not deemed significant enough to support a standalone underground operation. Additionally, gold results returned from sulphide mineralization were low (maximum 0.6 grams per tonne over a meter; RC24AL019 and RC24AL021) and the highest gold intersection in oxide material was 2.2 grams per tonne over a meter (RC24AL022). Highest individual one meter downhole sample results for other metals were, silver 98.3ppm, copper 3.6%, zinc 3.1%, bismuth 0.5% and tungsten 0.6%.

It is management's view that this drilling program has sufficiently tested the immediate potential for economic resources at Alouana and that results are not encouraging enough to support further work. RRA has notified Izughar that it does not intend to pay the Option Payment and that it has withdrawn from the Agreement.

"We had well-guided clear objectives for this drilling program and once all requisite permits were received, the program was completed in an efficient, safe and cost-effective manner " said Tim Coughlin, Royal Road's President and CEO "Alouana is an intrusion-related copper-polymetallic system and these systems, particularly where a shallow-dipping control to mineralization is evident, remain a priority target for Royal Road."

TABLE 1: NOTABLE DRILL RESULTS ALOUANA
										GOLD	SILVER	COPPER	ZINC	BISMUTH	TUNGSTEN
HOLE ID	E	N	Z(m)	DIP	AZIM	DEPTH	FROM	TO	LENGTH (m)*	(g/t)	(g/t)	%	%	%	%
RC24AL003	487369	3758398	1553	-60	90	17	3.0	17.0	14	0.4	8.0	0.2	0.3	0.1
RC24AL004	487371	3758400	1553	-60	80	91	12.0	17.0	5		9.1	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1
RC24AL006	487538	3758502	1622	-60	360	100	0.0	8.0	8	0.4	6.6	0.1	0.5	0.1	0.2
RC24AL007	487506	3758484	1612	-60	360	97	0.0	17.0	17	0.2	10.0	0.5	0.7
RC24AL018	488505	3758274	1695	-55	250	88	32	34	2		17.7	1.9
RC24AL019	488540	3758256	1690	-50	250	79	43	53	10	0.1	1.5	0.7			0.1
*NOT TRUE WIDTH

 

About Royal Road Minerals:

Royal Road Minerals is a mineral exploration and development company with its head office and technical-operations center located in Jersey, Channel Islands. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker RYR and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker RLU. The Company's mission is to apply expert skills and innovative technologies to the process of discovering and developing copper and gold deposits of a scale large enough to benefit future generations and modern enough to ensure minimum impact on the environment and no net loss of biodiversity. The Company currently explores in the Kingdoms of Saudi Arabia and Morocco. More information can be found on the Company's website www.royalroadminerals.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The information in this news release was compiled, reviewed and verified by Dr. Tim Coughlin, BSc (Geology), MSc (Exploration and Mining), PhD (Structural Geology), FAusIMM, President and CEO of Royal Road Minerals Ltd and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101

Cautionary statement:

This news release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") describing the Company's future plans and the expectations of its management that a stated result or condition will occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or developments in the Company's business or in the mineral resources industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance, achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that is based on assumptions about, among other things, the Alliance, the intention to form a joint venture, enter into a related agreement and establish Newco and, more generally, future economic conditions and courses of action, and assumptions related to government approvals, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The words "plans", "prospective", "expect", "intend", "intends to" and similar expressions identify forward looking statements, which may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. Forward-looking statements of the Company contained in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to the Company's exploration plans.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control:

Sample preparation and analyses are conducted according to standard industry procedures at certified laboratories. Percussion-chip samples were sampled on 1m downhole intervals and passed through a 75-25% drill-rig mounted splitter. The 75% sample was placed in rows and analyzed for guidance on-site using a Vanta pXRF tool. The 25% sample was split 50-50% to produce analytical and retention samples of between 1 to 3kg. Samples for analysis were bagged in the field and sent to ALS Seville for analysis of gold by fire assay with an ICP-AES finish (method Au-ICP22) and multielements by four acid digest ICP-MS (method ME-MS61). QAQC materials included CRMs, blanks and duplicates inserted into sample batches on a ration of 1:14.

The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. There is no guarantee that the anticipated benefits of the Company's business plans or operations will be achieved. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: economic market conditions, anticipated costs and expenditures, government approvals, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with Canadian provincial securities regulators or other applicable regulatory authorities. Forward-looking statements included herein are based on the current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions of the Company management and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change.

Contact
Royal Road Minerals Limited
info@royalroadminerals.com
+44 1534 887166

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¹ Copper equivalent calculation assumes 90% recoveries and the following prices: Gold - $2910/ounce, Silver - $33/ounce, Copper $4.80/lb, Zinc $1.30/lb, Bismuth $8.00/lb & Tungsten $9.00/lb

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/243927

FAQ

What were the key findings from Royal Road Minerals' (RRDMF) Alouana drilling program in Morocco?

The drilling program revealed that shallow-dipping mineralization didn't continue at depth, with best results including 3.6% copper, 2.2 g/t gold, and 98.3ppm silver over one meter intervals. Results were deemed insufficient for economic development.

Why did Royal Road Minerals (RRDMF) withdraw from the Alouana Option Agreement?

The company withdrew because drilling results showed insufficient grade and continuity of mineralization to support either an open-pit or underground mining operation.

What was the scope of RRDMF's Alouana drilling program in March 2025?

The program comprised 22 reverse circulation drill holes totaling 2,036 meters, testing for copper-bismuth-tungsten mineralization.

How much would Royal Road Minerals (RRDMF) have paid for 90% ownership of Alouana?

The company had the option to acquire 90% of Izughar Resources (Alouana project) for US$750,000 but chose not to proceed with the payment.