Cooper Metals has completed site and heritage preparations to begin RC drilling at its Ardmore North and Attina prospects, both showing significant copper-gold anomalies. Drilling will test 2,000m of combined strike with assays pending from recent surface sampling.
- Site and heritage clearances completed at Ardmore North and Attina
- Drilling to target 1,250m at Ardmore North and 750m at Attina
- Ardmore North hosts a 1.5km copper-gold anomaly with rock chips up to 14.45% Cu
- Attina features rock chips with up to 52.8 g/t Au and 12.35% Cu
- Surface channel sampling assays awaited to complement drilling
Drilling Set to Commence on Priority Copper-Gold Targets
Cooper Metals (ASX:CPM) is poised to kick off reverse circulation (RC) drilling at two of its most promising copper-gold prospects within the Mt Isa East Project; Ardmore North and Attina; following completion of site works and cultural heritage clearances. The company plans to drill approximately 1,250m at Ardmore North before moving south to undertake a further 750m at Attina.
Ardmore North: A 1.5km Copper-Gold Anomaly with Visual Mineralisation
Ardmore North stands out as a coherent 1.5km long by 150m wide copper-gold anomaly characterised by elevated rock chip assays, including grades up to 4.49 g/t gold and 14.45% copper. The prospect lies along the Mt Hope corridor, a major northeast-trending geological structure that hosts several neighbouring projects with recent drilling success from Austral Resources and Carnaby Resources.
Recent earthworks have exposed mineralised stratigraphy with multiple quartz vein systems hosting hematite, magnetite, malachite, and chalcopyrite, alongside a separate massive ironstone unit. These visual observations, while preliminary and unassayed, suggest potential for significant mineralisation. Cooper has submitted a 96m continuous surface channel sample across the strike of the anomalous zone, with assay results pending. The upcoming RC drilling will test these geological targets and validate the mineralisation extent.
Attina: High-Grade Gold and Copper Rock Chips Spark Interest
The Attina prospect, located 5.5km northeast of Carnaby Resources' Mt Hope Project, has delivered some of Cooper's most compelling surface sampling results to date. Rock chip assays have returned highly anomalous copper and gold values, including a standout sample grading 52.8 g/t gold and 12.35% copper; the highest gold grade recorded across the Mt Isa East Project's extensive sampling program.
Other notable rock chips at Attina include 10.95 g/t gold with 8.85% copper and copper grades exceeding 20% in several samples. The prospect features gossanous quartz veins traced over 700m, with gold-rich samples clustering southwest of the main copper-in-soil anomaly. With cultural heritage surveys now complete, track and drill pad construction is imminent ahead of the planned 750m drilling program.
Strategic Positioning within a Prospective Copper-Gold Belt
Both Ardmore North and Attina sit within the Mt Isa Inlier, a region well-known for iron oxide copper gold (IOCG) and iron sulphide copper gold (ISCG) deposits. The Mt Hope corridor, hosting Ardmore North, is a structurally significant zone that includes several advanced exploration projects. Cooper’s focus on these targets aligns with recent regional activity and growing investor interest in copper amid global supply dynamics.
The company’s Executive Director, Tim Armstrong, emphasised the priority status of these prospects and the excitement around the upcoming drilling season, highlighting the strategic importance of the Mt Isa East tenure and the potential for discovery in these underexplored areas.
Next Steps and Market Implications
Cooper Metals is preparing to mobilise the Bullion Drilling RC rig imminently, with pad construction at Ardmore North nearly complete and earthworks to begin shortly at Attina. The company awaits assay results from the recently collected surface channel sample at Ardmore North, which will provide critical data to guide the drilling program.
While no new assay results are reported yet, the combination of historical high-grade rock chips, recent geological mapping, and imminent drilling sets the stage for a pivotal exploration phase. Investors will be watching how these programs unfold, particularly given the proximity to successful projects by Carnaby and Austral Resources, and the broader copper market interest.
Bottom Line?
Assay results from surface sampling and early drilling will be pivotal in defining the potential scale and grade of mineralisation at these high-priority copper-gold targets.
Questions in the middle?
- Will assay results from the Ardmore North surface channel confirm the preliminary visual mineralisation?
- Can the drilling at Attina replicate the exceptionally high-grade rock chip results in subsurface mineralisation?
- How will Cooper Metals position itself amid increasing regional exploration activity and copper market dynamics?