Antares Metals Ltd (ASX: AM5) has announced the commencement of the second phase of drilling at the Surprise Copper Project, located within the Mt Isa North Copper Projects in northwest Queensland. This drilling program involves approximately 1,500m of Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling. The program’s objective is to expand the project’s known mineralisation envelope.
The first phase of drilling at Surprise intersected mineralised intervals, including 11m @ 1.8% Cu and 1.3 g/t Au from 68m, with a subset of 4m @ 3.8% Cu from 71m. Field activities that followed identified rock samples from artisanal workings, which will be tested in this second drilling phase, and these samples showed results of up to 26% Cu from Portable XRF analysis.
In addition to the Surprise Copper Project, the Company plans to explore other Copper-Gold targets, including Conglomerate Creek, during this exploration season.
The second phase of drilling at the Surprise Copper Project is designed as an extensional drilling program. It will include approximately 1,500m of RC drilling across three main target zones located north of the Surprise Copper mine. The drilling program will test anomalous magnetic, chargeable, and conductive targets identified by the Company’s 2024 geophysical surveys, as well as areas with outcropping copper mineralisation. The drilling will also investigate the extension of mineralisation to the north and west of the historic Surprise pit.
The Company notes that the magnetic survey highlighted similarities between the magnetic signature in the mineralised zone beneath the Surprise Mine and a larger feature offset to the west. The targets for this drilling phase have not been previously explored through drilling, presenting an opportunity to discover additional mineralisation potential. Upon completion, this drilling phase will have tested targets up to 1.2 km north of the Surprise Copper Mine. Antares Metals also intends to conduct a third phase of drilling later in the season to test additional targets north and south of the mine.
The announcement includes a statement from Chief Executive Officer, Johan Lambrechts: “We are excited to head to the field and man the rig for this important second phase of drilling on Surprise. We aim to expand the project’s current known mineralised footprint by testing geophysical targets and beneath outcropping copper mineralisation. We look forward to updating our investors with activities and results as we progress.”
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