ARRAS MINERALS OUTLINES 2026 ELEMES EXPLORATION PLAN - DOUBLES DRILL RIGS TO FOUR IN Q1 2026
TSX-V: ARK / OTCQB: ARRKF
Highlights of the program include:
- Phase 2 Elemes drill program expanded, additional 20,000+ metres ("m") of core drilling planned, with
- Two drills to commence in February and an additional two drills to commence in March
- Primary emphasis on expanding scale of Berezski Central and Berezski North targets
- Additional drilling extending the footprint of Berezski East Target and to find the source of the porphyry mineralization identified at the
Novii target (announcedDecember 16, 2025 ) - 6,000m of Top of Bedrock ("KGK") drilling planned at both Berezski and Aimandai Trends to accelerate target definition in these zones.
He went on to say, "At a time when the world is waking up to the importance of critical minerals and commodities generally, our thesis that
Berezski Trend - Overview
2025 marked a year of major advancements at Elemes. The Company commenced Phase 2 drilling in May and completed nearly 10,000m of drilling by late December. The program significantly expanded the footprints of copper-gold mineralization at Berezski Central, Berezski East and Berezski North and discovered a potential new porphyry system at
A 64-hole KGK drilling program was completed in Q4 2025 across the Berezski East and Berezski Central targets to evaluate whether this technique could accelerate exploration along the entire length of the Berezski Trend. The program was highly successful, confirming the northward and southward continuation of mineralization at both Berezski Central and Berezski East, while also identifying multiple new, previously unrecognized, gold zones in the immediate vicinity of Berezski East. Initial follow-up drilling of one of these newly identified zones returned encouraging gold mineralization in drill hole EL25022, which intersected 29.9m grading 0.63 g/t Au starting from a depth of 14.0m. These results validate the effectiveness of the KGK approach as a powerful discovery tool and demonstrate its potential to rapidly generate new targets, which represent priority areas for future exploration and expansion of the mineralized footprint.
Magnetotellurics ("MT") and Gravity geophysical surveys were also completed at the Berezski and Aimandai Trends in Q4 2025. They have provided additional important data supporting the concept of the potential presence of several large porphyry systems along the Berezski Trend.
In 2026, Arras plans to expand the diamond drill program for at least an additional 20,000m on key Berezski Targets and also conduct a systematic 6,000m+ KGK drilling program along the entire length of the Berezski Trend and priority areas of the Aimandai Trend identified from the various magnetic, gravity and MT geophysics surveys. This KGK program will rapidly define the mineralization footprints of existing targets and identify additional new targets for follow-up prioritization and drilling.
Berezski North
The Company completed six drill holes at the Berezski North target in H2 2025, outlining a 600m long copper-gold mineralized system. Deeper drilling has intersected broad intervals of porphyry-style mineralization in drill-holes EL24005 (547.0m grading 0.48 g/t Au and 0.23% Cu) and EL25027 (results pending).
Berezski North is defined by a several large chargeability highs (Figure 1), surrounding a large magnetic high (Figure 2). The chargeability anomaly is probably related to a pyrite halo that commonly surrounds the potassic core of many porphyry deposits.
Several discrete magnetic lows are spatially related to the hydrothermal breccias that have been intersected in several drill-holes, including drill holes EL25014A (154.0m grading 0.72 g/t Au and 0.29% Cu) and EL25023 (246.2m grading 0.75 g/t Au and 0.24% Cu).
The MT survey results (Figure 3) recently received from the program completed in Q4 2025 has defined a large conductivity anomaly centered below drill hole EL24006 (56.0m grading 0.35 g/t Au and 0.35% Cu), with high conductivity zones extending to surface that coincide with porphyry mineralization intersected in holes EL24005 and EL25027 and with the breccias intersected in hole EL25014A and EL25023, indicating that the areas of mineralization intersected to date may connect to a much larger mineral system a depth.
The 2026 drilling will test the conductivity zones to the southwest of drill-holes EL24005 and EL25014A, towards the center of Berezski North Target and test the deep conductivity zones. KGK drilling will be conducted systematically over the entire Berezski North Target to cost-effectively test the various near surface conductivity, chargeability and magnetic lows to determine their origin.
Berezski Central /Berezski East
Results from 2025 identified wide zones of porphyry Cu-Au mineralization with hole EL25012 (444.0m grading 0.25 g/t Au and 0.16% Cu) extending the mineralization to at least 500m depth. Hole EL25018 (76.0m 0.28 g/t Au and 0.17% Cu expanded the footprint to 600m strike length. Regional drilling has defined a large, low-grade (>0.1 g/t Au) gold shell extending for at least 2.1 km (see Figure 4) from drill-hole EL24003 (264.0m grading 0.17 g/t Au) to drill-hole EL25013 (192.0m grading 0.16 g/t Au).
The ground magnetic data shows that the current Cu-Au mineralized envelope is in the center of a very large, demagnetized zone caused by the alteration associated with a large porphyry system.
At Berezski East, the mineralization coincides with a 2 km long linear magnetic high. The IP and MT data shows subtle chargeability and conductivity anomalies, probably reflecting the lower sulphide content seen in the drilling from this area.
The MT survey has defined a large 2.5 km by 1.2 km conductivity high at Berezski Central (Figure 5) that extends south towards drill-hole NOV25003. It is believed that this anomaly is caused either by sulphides or clay minerals associated with porphyry systems. The weaker anomalies seen at Berezski East reflect the lower sulphide content seen in drill-holes at this target.
At Berezski Central, drilling will focus on expanding the footprint of the known mineralization with holes exploring the continuation of the near surface conductivity anomaly to the south towards the Novii Target; additionally several holes are planned to test the large near-surface conductivity anomaly; and several holes are planned to explore the large deeper conductivity anomaly located to the west of the current mineralization to determine its cause.
At Berezski East, drilling will explore the prominent magnetic high that hosts the Au-Cu mineralization seen in holes EL24004 (138.8m grading 0.77 g/t Au and 0.09% Cu) and EL25019 (457.5m grading 0.61 g/t Au and 0.10% Cu) to the north and south. Several holes will explore a prominent gravity low to the northeast of hole EL25019 to determine its cause, and to see if it is the source of the porphyry-style (potassic) alteration and mineralization intersected in that hole (released
The MT survey defined a series of large, near surface conductivity anomalies at Berezski Central and Berezski East. These appear to link at depth to a larger anomaly at depth to the west of Berezski Central (Figure 6), which is also planned to be tested as part of the 2026 drill program.
The discovery of porphyry style mineralization at
The ground magnetic survey (Figure 7) identified a discrete magnetic high located 900m south of hole NOV25003, and the Company believes that this potentially could be related to the core of a porphyry system, with hole NOV25003 intersecting the demagnetized phyllic halo.
Arras plans to test these compelling geophysical targets to determine their source and evaluate their relationship to the distal porphyry-style mineralization intersected in drill hole NOV25003. These targets may represent vectors toward the core of a large, previously unrecognized porphyry system and offer a significant opportunity for discovery.
Aimandai Trend
In 2025, the Company focused on the emerging Berezski Trend, as well as conducting regional drilling on the Teck joint venture licenses. Concurrently, the Company completed extensive IP, MT and gravity surveys over the largely unexplored Aimandai Trend that delineated several conductivity highs with coincident gravity lows. The Company plans to initiate a systematic KGK drilling program (Figure 8) across geophysical targets on the Aimandai Trend in Q2, designed to quickly evaluate large areas, define mineralized zones and district-scale trends, and generate immediate, high-priority targets for follow-up diamond drilling.
|
Hole_ID |
Intersection |
Interval |
Au |
Cu |
Ag |
Mo |
CuEq |
AuEq |
||
|
From (m) |
To (m) |
(m) |
(g/t) |
( %) |
(g/t) |
ppm |
( %) |
(g/t) |
||
|
EL25012 |
3.0 |
581.0 |
578.0 |
0.21 |
0.14 |
0.49 |
42.14 |
0.37 |
0.31 |
|
|
including |
137.0 |
577.0 |
440.0 |
0.25 |
0.16 |
0.55 |
42.64 |
0.42 |
0.36 |
|
|
EL25013 |
69.0 |
261.0 |
192.0 |
0.16 |
0.01 |
1.08 |
1.48 |
0.18 |
0.15 |
|
|
including |
105.0 |
123.0 |
18.0 |
0.29 |
0.00 |
1.53 |
1.51 |
0.31 |
0.26 |
|
|
EL25014 |
Hole Lost at 30m depth |
|||||||||
|
EL25014A |
130.0 |
284.0 |
154.0 |
0.72 |
0.29 |
3.43 |
53.51 |
1.04 |
0.89 |
|
|
including |
130.0 |
248.0 |
118.0 |
0.91 |
0.36 |
4.41 |
68.66 |
1.31 |
1.12 |
|
|
EL25015 |
No Significant Results |
|||||||||
|
EL25016 |
0.0 |
276.0 |
276.0 |
0.32 |
0.21 |
3.73 |
1.96 |
0.55 |
0.47 |
|
|
Including |
0.0 |
104.0 |
104.0 |
0.63 |
0.46 |
4.24 |
3.52 |
1.09 |
0.93 |
|
|
EL25017 |
91.0 |
128.0 |
37.0 |
0.11 |
0.02 |
0.71 |
1.64 |
0.14 |
0.12 |
|
|
EL25018 |
52.0 |
244.0 |
192.0 |
0.19 |
0.13 |
0.79 |
62.38 |
0.35 |
0.30 |
|
|
Include |
76.0 |
152.0 |
76.0 |
0.28 |
0.17 |
1.02 |
92.18 |
0.50 |
0.43 |
|
|
EL25019 |
0.0 |
457.5 |
457.5 |
0.61 |
0.10 |
0.48 |
2.69 |
0.70 |
0.60 |
|
|
Include |
0.0 |
231.0 |
231.0 |
0.97 |
0.13 |
0.53 |
2.19 |
1.08 |
0.93 |
|
|
EL25020 |
358.1 |
672.0 |
313.9 |
0.14 |
0.12 |
0.43 |
48.44 |
0.29 |
0.25 |
|
|
Include |
358.1 |
414.0 |
55.9 |
0.21 |
0.13 |
0.39 |
60.26 |
0.37 |
0.31 |
|
|
EL25021 |
42.0 |
97.0 |
55.0 |
0.11 |
0.11 |
1.04 |
70.97 |
0.26 |
0.22 |
|
|
EL25022 |
14.0 |
43.9 |
29.9 |
0.63 |
0.01 |
0.30 |
7.50 |
0.64 |
0.55 |
|
|
& |
302.0 |
349.0 |
47.0 |
0.42 |
0.13 |
0.58 |
4.75 |
0.54 |
0.46 |
|
|
EL25023 |
0.8 |
247.0 |
246.2 |
0.75 |
0.24 |
3.70 |
40.30 |
1.02 |
0.88 |
|
|
including |
7.0 |
147.0 |
140.0 |
0.88 |
0.35 |
4.37 |
52.20 |
1.26 |
1.08 |
|
|
NOV25001 |
No Significant Results |
|||||||||
|
NOV25002 |
No Significant Results |
|||||||||
|
NOV25003 |
249.0 |
306.0 |
57.0 |
0.10 |
0.07 |
0.37 |
26.40 |
0.18 |
0.15 |
|
|
including |
249.0 |
263.0 |
14.0 |
0.23 |
0.08 |
0.45 |
21.31 |
0.32 |
0.27 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes: For copper and gold equivalent calculations the following metal process were used: |
Elemes Phase II Drill Program: Since June of last year,
Elemes Project Overview:
Situated within the prolific Bozshakol-Chingiz metallogenic belt, Elemes lies near significant regional deposits, including the Beskauga porphyry copper-gold-silver deposit (~80 km east) and
Geologically, the property is underlain by interbedded intermediate volcanic and sedimentary rocks intruded by multiple phases of diorite and monzodiorite porphyry. Copper-gold mineralization occurs in sheeted and stockwork quartz-chalcopyrite veins associated with these intrusions. In addition, high-grade low-sulphidation epithermal veins have been mapped on the property, representing a secondary exploration target.
Property-wide soil sampling programs defined two extensive Cu-Mo-As geochemical anomalies: the Berezski and Aimandai Trends, both considered priority targets for follow-up exploration drilling. A Phase 1 drill program on the Berezski Trend in late 2024 returned high-grade porphyry/epithermal copper and gold mineralization in results announced in Q1 2025. A 20,000m Phase 2 drill program commenced in
References
1Bozshakol Q1, 2025 Report
https://www.kazminerals.com/media/23282/q1-2025-production-report_final.pdf
Quality Assurance and Quality Control
The Company adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines for exploration related activities conducted on its property. Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) procedures are overseen by the Qualified Person.
Arras Minerals QA/QC protocols are maintained through the insertion of certified reference material (standards), blanks and field duplicates within the sample stream. Drill core is cut at
Each bagged core sample was shipped to
Gold analysis was conducted by
ALS is an accredited laboratory which is independent of the Company. Chain of custody is maintained from the drill to the submittal into the laboratory preparation facility.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical disclosure for this news release has been prepared under supervision of and approved by
Gold, copper and other mineral equivalents are calculated on the basis specifically set forth in respect thereto in this presentation and are based upon the reasonable assumptions as to the prices of various metals and their recoveries thereof made by management of the Company on a project-by-project basis as converted metal. All drill-hole intervals are reported as drill widths, as true thicknesses are unknown. Assumed metal prices are:
The Company has updated metal recoveries: 90% for copper, 85% for gold, 75% for silver, and 80% for molybdenum. These figures are based on a review of published data from advanced-stage porphyry projects (including Vizcachitas, Los Andes Copper;
Copper Equivalent ("CuEq") grades reported for the drill holes at Elemes were calculated using the following formula: CuEq % = ((Copper (%))*0.9) + ((Gold (g/t) x 0.8571)*0.85) + ((Silver (g/t) x 0.0117)*0.75) + ((Molybdenum (ppm) x 6.8568)*0.80).
Gold Equivalent ("AuEq") grades reported for the drill holes at Elemes were calculated using the following formula: AuEq g/t = ((Gold (g/t)*0.85) + ((Copper (%) x 1.1667)*0.9) + ((Silver (g/t) x 0.0136)*0.75) + ((Molybdenum (ppm) x 8.0)*0.80).
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
"Tim Barry"
Tim Barry, MAusIMM CP(Geo)
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Further information can be found on:
- the Company's website https://www.arrasminerals.com or
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About
Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and Arras' future results that are subject to the safe harbors created under the
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