Collective Metals Initiates Inaugural Drill Program at the Rocas Uranium Project in Southeast Athabasca Basin

Executive Summary

• Collective Metals announced that diamond drilling has commenced on the Rocas Uranium Project as of March 16, 2026, marking the first ever drill hole at the site.
• The Phase I program will target shallow, high‑grade basement‑hosted uranium mineralization with 1,200–1,500 m of drilling across 6–8 holes over an anticipated five‑week period.
• The campaign will test a 7.5‑km electromagnetic corridor and VTEM/gravity targets that have previously returned surface grab samples up to 0.50 wt% U₃O₈ and REE assays as high as 9.83 % TREO.

Key Details

• Program Scope: Approximately 1,200–1,500 m of diamond drilling; 6–8 holes; ~5‑week duration beginning 16 Mar 2026.
• Target Depths: Shallow targets <200 m below surface to intersect basement-hosted uranium mineralization.
• Geophysical Targets: First-time testing of a 7.5‑km EM corridor on Rocas; additional VTEM corridors overlaid by high‑resolution ground gravity data.
• Historical Surface Results: Grab samples along ~900 m strike length returned up to 587 ppm U (0.0587 wt% U) and 0.498 wt% U₃O₈; recent prospecting identified REE values up to 9.83 % TREO and U₃O₈ up to 0.41 %.
• Project Size: 4,002 ha covering three mineral claims along Highway 914, ~75 km SW of the Key Lake Mine & Mill facilities.
• Exploration Partner: Standard Uranium Ltd., with field crews on site and responsible for drilling operations.
• Qualified Person Review: Sean Hillacre, P.Geo., President & VP Exploration, Standard Uranium (NI 43‑101 qualified person).
• Laboratory Analysis: Samples processed at SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025:2005 certified); assays include ICP‑MS/OES for multi‑element analysis and U₃O₈ determination.
• CEO Comment: “With multiple high‑priority targets defined through geophysics, surface mineralization, and recent prospecting, we believe Rocas has the potential to host shallow, high‑grade uranium mineralization.” – Christopher Huggins, CEO.

Notable Quotes

“We look forward to testing these targets and advancing the Project in one of the world’s premier uranium districts.” – Christopher Huggins, Chief Executive Officer, Collective Metals Inc.