Somerset Minerals Unveils Visible Copper Across Vast Canadian Copper Belt

Exploration Breakthrough at Coppermine

Somerset Minerals Limited (ASX – SMM) has delivered a promising update from its maiden drilling and surface sampling campaign at the Coppermine Project in Nunavut, Canada. The company has intercepted visible copper mineralisation; including chalcocite and malachite; in multiple drill holes across several high-priority regional targets, notably within the Laphroaig and Jura districts. These visual observations mark a significant milestone in validating the copper potential of Somerset’s extensive 1,665 square kilometre landholding.

Key Visual Intercepts Signal Scale

At the Laphroaig district, drill hole LARC001 at the Lars target intersected 19.8 metres of visually identified sulphides starting from surface, followed by a second zone of 25.9 metres from 36.6 metres depth. Nearby, hole LARC002 at the Larry target intercepted 18.3 metres of sulphides from 6.1 metres depth. Meanwhile, four drill holes at Jura tested a 3.5-kilometre strike length, with all holes encountering visible sulphides, including a 15.2-metre interval with native copper at JURC004. These results, while preliminary and pending assay confirmation, underscore the presence of substantial mineralised zones across widely spaced targets.

A District-Scale Copper Opportunity

The Coppermine Project’s scale and geological setting are compelling. The project hosts 110 historically mapped copper occurrences and is dominated by the Copper Creek Formation basalts, known for high-grade structurally controlled copper-silver mineralisation. Somerset’s tenure spans a region geologically analogous to the prolific Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan, famed for its native copper deposits. The company’s exploration approach integrates modern drilling, detailed structural geology, geophysics, and surface geochemistry to unlock this underexplored copper belt.

Pending Assays and Next Steps

While visual mineralisation provides encouraging early evidence, Somerset cautions that laboratory assays are essential to quantify copper grades and mineralisation widths accurately. Assay results from surface sampling at Lars, Larry, Nor, Jura, and Coronation are expected within 1-2 weeks, with drilling assays from Laphroaig due in 2-3 weeks and Jura and Coronation in 3-4 weeks. These forthcoming data will be critical to validate the visual observations and guide resource definition.

Planning for Phase-2 Exploration

Buoyed by the maiden campaign’s success, Somerset is advancing plans for a larger Phase-2 exploration program. This next phase aims to expand drilling across high-priority anomalies, incorporate advanced geophysical surveys, and intensify surface sampling efforts. The objective is to delineate mineralised zones more precisely, build a resource base, and aggressively test the broader district-scale potential of the Coppermine Project. The company’s strategic approach reflects confidence in the project’s prospectivity and a commitment to unlocking multiple copper discoveries.