Aldebaran Resources (ALDE) - 4th Rig Added to Major Copper Porphyry Drill-Out

- Dr. Kevin B. Heather, the Chief Geological Officer of Aldebaran Resources, discusses their major copper-gold porphyry exploration in San Juan Province, Argentina, known as the Altar project.
- Aldebaran's business model focuses on identifying large copper-gold systems that might have been overlooked or undervalued by others. They have a history of success, with a notable sale to First Quantum Minerals in 2010.
- The Altar project had a significant resource when acquired by Aldebaran, with over 120,000 meters of drilling completed. They believe there's potential for further expansion of the resource.
- Metallurgical testing and geophysical surveys are being utilized to better understand and develop the Altar project. This includes distinguishing between different copper minerals, which have varying copper contents and metallurgical properties.
- San Juan Province is currently a hotbed for copper exploration, with over 60 drill rigs active. Aldebaran Resources has faced challenges in securing equipment and personnel but remains optimistic about the potential returns from the Altar project.
A Promising Copper Opportunity In Argentina's Next Big Mining District
Aldebaran Resources is an exploration company focused on developing large copper-gold porphyry deposits in Argentina. The company's flagship project is the Altar project located in San Juan province, Argentina, in the heart of an emerging copper belt. With over 100,000 meters of historical drilling and a large mineral resource, Altar offers significant resource expansion potential and the company is aggressively exploring to unlock this potential.
Led By An Experienced Technical Team
Aldebaran is led by a technical team with decades of experience exploring and developing major copper deposits globally.
- Dr. Kevin Heather, Chief Geologist, is a recognized expert in exploration targeting and has previously discovered and developed major copper deposits in Peru.
- John Black, CEO, also has over 30 years of experience with major mining companies managing exploration and development projects.
This experienced leadership gives investors confidence that Aldebaran has the expertise to efficiently explore and develop a world-class copper project like Altar.
Altar: A Giant Copper Porphyry in the Making
The Altar project already hosts a very large copper-gold mineral resource, with over 1 billion tons at 0.5% copper equivalent. However, Aldebaran believes this resource has significant expansion potential for several reasons:
- Altar is situated in the middle of major producing porphyry copper mines including Los Pelambres (Antofagasta Minerals) and El Pachón (Glencore). This demonstrates the fertility of the region.
- Detailed re-logging and analysis of over 100,000 meters of historical drilling has revealed that Altar is not one porphyry, but a cluster of overlapping porphyry centers with multiple mineralized zones. This complex geology creates opportunities to expand the resource.
- Geophysics surveys have revealed a large 2km x 2km x 2km chargeability anomaly below and between the two main known porphyry centers at Altar Central and Altar East. This points to a possible new large porphyry center connecting the two.
- Recent deep drill holes into this new anomaly have intersected over a kilometer of strong copper mineralization, confirming this target.
This suggests that Aldebaran could potentially double or triple the existing resource at Altar by exploring this new porphyry center and surrounding targets. Aldebaran is fully funded to aggressively drill these targets in 2022.
De-Risking With Metallurgy And Geometallurgy
In addition to resource expansion drilling, Aldebaran Resources is working to derisk the project by improving their understanding of the metallurgy and geometallurgy at Altar. They are using:
- Detailed core logging and mapping to improve geometallurgical models
- Hyperspectral core scanning to map detailed mineralogy throughout the deposit
- Targeted metallurgical test work to optimize copper recoveries
This work will lead to a robust geometallurgical model that gives confidence in metal recoveries across the deposit. It will also help optimize mine planning and plant design in the future. Major mining companies acquiring exploration projects place a high value on this de-risking work.
Argentina: A New Hotspot for Copper Investment
Aldebaran Resources is aggressively exploring Altar just as Argentina is emerging as a premier destination for copper exploration. The combination of prolific geology and an improving business environment is attracting over $3 billion in mining investment to Argentina.
With four drill rigs turning at Altar, Aldebaran Resources plans to release a steady stream of exploration results over 2022. These results could demonstrate that Altar has legitimate potential to join the ranks of the world’s largest copper mines.
Aldebaran is led by proven mine finders in a mining-friendly jurisdiction. With a large initial resource, demonstrated resource growth potential, and strategic de-risking initiatives underway, Aldebaran Resources presents a compelling copper opportunity for investors.
The Investment Thesis for Aldebaran Resources
Experienced leadership team: As mentioned, Aldebaran's management has a track record of discovering, developing, and selling major copper deposits. This experience reduces exploration risk and investors can trust the team's judgement.
Large and expandable resource: Altar's current 1 billion ton mineral resource provides a solid foundation. But the geology and early drilling results suggest there is strong potential to significantly expand this resource by drilling new targets. A 2-3x resource expansion could greatly increase Altar's value.
FIRM Partners: Aldebaran has strong partners including major mining companies South32 and Sibanye-Stillwater. Their involvement validates the project and they could eventually become natural acquirers of Aldebaran.
Undervalued: Compared to many exploration companies, Aldebaran is undervalued relative to the size of its existing resource. Successful exploration results in 2022 could provide a share price upside as the market recognizes this value.
Copper demand growth: Copper demand is projected to rise significantly with electric vehicle adoption and renewable energy growth. An expanding copper resource positions Aldebaran to benefit from rising long-term copper prices.
Argentina business climate: Mining policy reforms in Argentina are creating a more attractive investment environment. This reduces jurisdictional risk relative to the past.
Aldebaran Resources offers an experienced team, proven resource, huge upside potential, and exposure to rising copper demand. This combination means Aldebaran could potentially deliver outsized returns for investors if exploration continues successfully. The project's preliminary de-risking also reduces the investment risk compared to early-stage exploration. For these reasons, Aldebaran Resources merits consideration by copper investors.
Analyst's Notes


