True North Copper Unveils 900m Aquila Strike with High-Grade Copper Zones
True North Copper has extended the Aquila Discovery at its Mt Oxide Project to over 900 metres of strike, revealing multiple high-grade copper-cobalt-silver zones. The company plans further drilling in 2026 to explore these promising extensions and additional targets.
- Aquila Discovery strike length surpasses 900 metres, rivaling Vero deposit
- Multiple high-grade copper-cobalt-silver shoots delineated in Phase 2 drilling
- Key drillholes MOX259 and MOX260 confirm southern shoot extensions
- Phase 2 drilling completed with four assay results pending
- 2026 drilling program planned to test depth extensions and new targets
Aquila Discovery Growth
True North Copper Limited (ASX – TNC) has announced a significant expansion of its Aquila Discovery within the Mt Oxide Project, located in Queensland’s world-renowned Mt Isa Inlier. The latest Phase 2 drilling results reveal that the Aquila mineralised trend now extends over 900 metres of strike length, a scale comparable to the company’s established Vero deposit. This milestone underscores the emerging potential of Mt Oxide as a multi-deposit copper district.
Drilling highlights include two distinct high-grade shoots within the Aquila system – a northern shoot approximately 250 metres long and a southern shoot around 150 metres long, both remaining open at depth. Notably, drillholes MOX259 and MOX260, targeting the southern shoot, intersected substantial copper grades, including 32 metres at 1.02% copper and 31 metres at 0.57% copper, accompanied by cobalt and silver credits.
Drilling Program and Assay Results
The recently completed Phase 2 drilling program comprised 21 reverse circulation holes totaling over 5,000 metres. While assay results from four holes have been released, four remain pending, expected in early December. The program focused on extending mineralisation along the Aquila trend and testing parallel trends such as Apollo and Acanthis.
Despite some logistical challenges affecting drill pad positioning and hole angles, initial southern drilling confirmed the mineralised system’s southward extension. These results have refined targeting for the 2026 follow-up drilling campaign, which aims to test extensions below the high-grade shoots and explore additional priority targets along strike.
Strategic Implications and Next Steps
True North’s Managing Director Andrew Mooney expressed optimism about the discovery’s scale and quality, suggesting Aquila could surpass the Vero resource. The company’s three-stage growth strategy includes developing the Cloncurry Copper Project for near-term cash flow, expanding Mt Oxide’s resource base, and pursuing regional exploration targets.
Looking ahead, True North plans to leverage geophysical surveys, including induced polarisation (IP) lines, to guide drilling in 2026. These efforts will focus on deepening the understanding of Aquila’s mineralisation and testing untested zones along the Apollo and Acanthis trends, as well as the Rhea target within the Mt Gordon Fault Zone.
With the Phase 2 drilling now complete and assay results forthcoming, investors and analysts will be watching closely for updates that could further define the resource potential at Mt Oxide.
Bottom Line?
As assay results and 2026 drilling unfold, True North Copper’s Mt Oxide Project could redefine copper exploration in the Mt Isa region.
Questions in the middle?
- What will the pending assay results reveal about the depth and grade continuity of Aquila’s high-grade shoots?
- How will the 2026 drilling program refine the resource model and impact potential resource upgrades?
- What are the implications of the parallel Apollo and Acanthis trends for future discoveries within the Mt Oxide district?