Growing Depth Potential at Coppermine Raises Stakes for Somerset Minerals

• Three recent drill holes intersect wide, high-grade copper zones at Jura North
• Notable intercepts include 18.3m at 3.14% Cu and 4.6m at 6.05% Cu
• Mineralisation remains open in all directions, extending beyond 190m down-dip
• Geophysical surveys suggest mineralisation may extend over 600m depth
• Further assay results pending for remaining drill holes in 2-4 weeks

Jura North Delivers Consistent High-Grade Copper

Somerset Minerals Limited (ASX, SMM) has unveiled encouraging assay results from three recently completed drill holes at its flagship Coppermine Project in Nunavut, Canada. The focus remains on the Jura North area, where all holes intersected wide zones of high-grade copper mineralisation, confirming the continuity and scale of the orebody.

The standout intercept from drill hole JURC012 returned 39.6 metres grading 1.61% copper from 128 metres depth, including a high-grade segment of 18.3 metres at 3.14% copper. Within this, an even richer zone of 4.6 metres at 6.05% copper was identified, underscoring the potential for economically significant mineralisation. These results are particularly notable as JURC012 represents the northern-most intercept to date and remains open in all directions.

Expanding Mineralisation and Depth Potential

The drilling campaign has now extended the known mineralised envelope to approximately 190 metres down-dip, with all holes drilled along strike of the previously reported JURC001 intercept, which itself returned 42.7 metres at 2.69% copper. Importantly, the true thickness of the mineralised zones appears to increase with depth, suggesting a larger and more robust system than initially understood.

Supporting these findings, recent geophysical surveys employing induced polarisation techniques have identified a low-resistivity zone extending mineralisation to depths exceeding 600 metres. This geophysical signature hints at the possibility of a substantial copper system extending well beyond current drilling depths, offering significant upside for resource expansion.

Broader Exploration and Strategic Landholding

Somerset is pursuing a dual-track exploration strategy, simultaneously advancing resource definition at Jura while exploring its extensive 1,665 square kilometre landholding for additional copper targets. The Coppermine Project encompasses multiple high-priority districts, including Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Jura, and Oban, each with historical data and encouraging surface sampling results.

Notably, the Jura fault trend spans approximately 7 kilometres and remains largely untested beyond the northern segment. The company has identified lookalike geophysical targets at Jura South, which have yet to be drilled, indicating further discovery potential within the project area.

Next Steps and Market Implications

Assay results for the remaining three drill holes, which also intersected visible copper mineralisation, are expected within the next two to four weeks. These forthcoming results will be critical in refining the resource model and guiding subsequent drilling campaigns aimed at delineating a JORC-compliant resource.

With the Coppermine Project benefiting from a supportive permitting environment, a large contiguous land position, and proximity to infrastructure, Somerset Minerals is well-positioned to advance its copper exploration ambitions. The recent drilling success at Jura North reinforces the project's potential to become a significant copper resource in a market increasingly focused on battery metals and electrification.

Bottom Line?

Somerset Minerals’ latest drilling at Coppermine confirms a growing high-grade copper system with significant depth potential, setting the stage for a pivotal resource update.

Questions in the middle?

• How will the pending assay results from the remaining drill holes impact the overall resource estimate?
• What is the timeline and strategy for deeper drilling to test mineralisation beyond 600 metres?
• How might Somerset leverage its extensive landholding to identify and develop additional high-grade copper targets?