Exploration Risks Loom as AIC Mines Targets Transformational Discoveries

Exploration Momentum Builds at Eloise

AIC Mines has commenced its 2026 exploration drilling program at the Eloise Regional Project in North Queensland, signalling a determined push to expand its copper and gold resource base. The campaign involves approximately 7,600 metres of diamond drilling and 1,500 metres of reverse circulation drilling, targeting a dozen prospects within a 20-kilometre radius of the Eloise processing facility.

This program is a direct follow-up to promising results from 2025, with a particular focus on advancing targets such as Eloise South, Arlington, and Defiance. These sites previously returned anomalous copper and gold mineralisation, warranting deeper and more extensive drilling to better define their potential.

Strategic Focus on Resource Growth and New Discoveries

Among the highlights is the inaugural deep drilling at the Iris to Big Foot trend, located five kilometres north of the Eloise mine, marking the first such effort under AIC Mines’ stewardship. Concurrently, a substantial 4,500-metre drilling program is underway at the Jericho copper deposit, aimed at resource definition and expansion across multiple shoots including Jolly, Matilda North, and Tucker. Jericho remains open along strike and at depth, offering significant upside potential.

Adding to the momentum, AIC Mines has secured a $203,500 grant from the Queensland Government’s Collaborative Exploration Initiative to support drilling at the newly identified Oro Grande prospect, situated 50 kilometres south of Eloise. This co-funded effort underscores the strategic importance of the project and the government’s commitment to fostering mineral exploration in the region.

Advanced Techniques and Rigorous Protocols

The exploration program leverages a suite of geophysical tools, including ground electromagnetic surveys and AMT/MT geophysics, to refine target generation and drilling precision. Sampling and assay protocols adhere to industry best practices and the JORC Code 2012 standards, ensuring data integrity and reliability. Historical and recent drilling results have been meticulously reviewed, with no material changes to previously disclosed information.

Managing Director Aaron Colleran emphasised the company’s ambition: "We are exploring for transformational discoveries; deposits that will materially and near-term impact production at Eloise, whether through higher grades or larger resource sizes than current operations." This reflects a clear strategic intent to underpin and accelerate the planned expansion of Eloise’s production capacity from approximately 12,500 tonnes to 20,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate annually.

Outlook and Market Implications

As AIC Mines advances its exploration agenda, the market will be watching closely for drilling results that could reshape the company’s resource profile and production outlook. The combination of government support, methodical exploration, and a portfolio of promising targets positions AIC Mines well to deliver on its growth ambitions in a competitive copper and gold market.