Hawk Resources Hits Up to 37% Copper Near Surface in Utah Cactus Corridor Drill Holes

High-Grade Copper Mineralisation Intersected Near Surface

Hawk Resources (ASX:HWK) has unveiled striking preliminary copper results from its ongoing drilling campaign at the Cactus copper-gold project in Utah, USA. Two drill holes along the 1km-long Cactus Corridor; DD26CT003 and DD26CT004; have intersected coarse visible chalcopyrite mineralisation with spot portable XRF (pXRF) assays reaching up to 37.3% copper. These readings were recorded at shallow depths between roughly 19m and 77m down hole, suggesting robust near surface mineralisation.

The mineralised zones are estimated to have potential true widths of 38m and 25m respectively, though these figures await confirmation from forthcoming laboratory assays. Hawk’s Managing Director Scott Caithness highlighted that these are the first drill holes to test near surface mineralisation at Cactus since the 1960s, designed to cross the mineralised zone and provide an indication of true thickness. The company is also sampling for gold and silver, key by-products historically mined in the district.

Drilling Targets Historic Mines with Limited Recent Activity

The Cactus Corridor hosts a string of historical mines including the Comet, Cactus, and New Years prospects. Past production from the Cactus mine alone reportedly yielded 1.3 million tonnes of ore grading 2.07% copper with notable gold and silver credits between 1905 and 1920. However, shallow drilling and exploration along this corridor have been sparse since the 1960s, with recent Hawk drilling filling a critical gap in near surface data.

Drill holes DD26CT003 and DD26CT004 were drilled from the same pad but oriented differently to intersect the steeply northeast-dipping mineralised breccias. Both holes encountered copper sulphides primarily as veins, blebs, and fracture fills within brecciated and altered granodiorite host rock. The ongoing hole DD26CT005 is also collared from this pad, aiming to complete a detailed 50m vertical window of near surface mineralisation along the corridor.

Meanwhile, a deeper hole testing the Copperopolis target, designed to probe a strong geophysical anomaly, returned only weak pyrite and low copper levels, underscoring the localized nature of the high-grade mineralisation at Cactus.

Awaiting Laboratory Confirmation and Further Delineation

Hawk cautions that the pXRF readings are preliminary and not a substitute for laboratory assays, which are in progress at ALS laboratories in Nevada. These assays will provide definitive grades and multi-element data including gold and silver, essential for understanding the economic potential of the mineralised zones.

The company plans to continue drilling along the corridor with angled holes spaced at 50m intervals to delineate mineralisation from surface to about 50m depth. This approach aims to refine geological modelling and guide future deeper drilling campaigns. The rig will soon move eastward to the Comet area before working back along the corridor to Cactus, indicating a systematic exploration strategy.

Hawk’s recent activities at Cactus build on its broader US copper ambitions, including an option deal to acquire a major copper project in Arizona, positioning the company within prolific Laramide copper belts. This strategic positioning is detailed in the company’s recent option deal for Meerkat copper project, underscoring its focus on critical metal exploration in under-explored but prospective regions.

While the initial results are promising, the true extent, grade continuity, and economic viability of the mineralisation remain to be established through comprehensive assay results and further drilling. Investors will be watching for the forthcoming laboratory data and subsequent updates on the drilling progress that will shape the project’s potential resource development.