Patriot Resources Confirms High-Grade Copper Discovery at Tonic Prospect in Zambia

Maiden Drilling Validates New Copper Discovery

Patriot Resources Limited (ASX:PAT) has delivered a significant greenfield copper discovery at its Tonic prospect in Zambia, confirmed by its inaugural Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling campaign. The standout intercept came from hole TBRC03, which revealed a broad 58m zone from surface averaging 0.23% copper, 7.6 g/t silver, and 0.24% zinc, including a high-grade 1m interval grading 2.56% copper, 62.3 g/t silver, and 0.76% zinc starting at 55m depth. This polymetallic mineralisation also includes cobalt, adding to the project's strategic appeal.

Open-Ended Mineralisation and Strategic Infrastructure Proximity

The discovery remains open in multiple directions; depth, along strike, and laterally; with several drill holes curtailed by groundwater and fractured ground conditions before reaching their intended depths. Follow-up drilling, such as TBRC10, intersected further high-grade copper zones, including a 2m interval at 0.76% copper from 145m, suggesting continuity of the mineralised system. The Tonic prospect is interpreted as a zoned hydrothermal polymetallic system hosted within Katanga Supergroup shales and mudstones, featuring a copper-silver-cobalt core surrounded by a zinc-lead halo.

Crucially, Tonic is located just 18 kilometres from Sinomine’s US$600 million Kitumba copper project, which includes a processing plant and smelter scheduled for commissioning in 2026. This proximity offers a rare infrastructure advantage for an early-stage greenfield discovery, with potential access to processing facilities already under negotiation, enhancing the project's commercial prospects.

Capital-Efficient Discovery Aligns with Strategic Portfolio Review

Patriot’s maiden drilling at Tonic was part of a strategic review of its asset portfolio, which included initiating an expression-of-interest process for its Gorman Lithium Project in Canada. The company consolidated 100% ownership of the Kitumba 27715 licence by acquiring the remaining 20% interest for US$50,000 before executing a 2,035m RC drilling program designed to test coincident geophysical and surface geochemical anomalies. This low-cost, staged approach leveraged its existing Zambian base and in-country team, underscoring a capital-efficient discovery pathway.

Managing Director Dominic Duggan emphasised the discovery’s significance, stating, “The Tonic prospect appears to be a genuine greenfields discovery, taking an undrilled target from surface mineralisation through to drill-confirmed copper-silver-zinc-cobalt mineralisation. While Tassa remains our flagship priority, Tonic offers compelling optionality near new copper processing infrastructure.”

Regional Geological Context and Peer Comparisons

The Tonic prospect sits within the Mumbwa-Kitumba Copper-Gold corridor, controlled by the NW-SE trending Mumbwa Fault Zone; the same structural setting hosting Sinomine’s Kitumba deposit, which boasts a mineral resource estimate of approximately 109 million tonnes at 0.96% copper (0.35% cutoff). Nearby, Sinomine’s Target H copper-cobalt discovery, just 7km from Tonic, shares analogous geological host rocks and mineralisation styles, highlighting the district’s prospectivity.

Historical copper-silver mines like Silver King, located 27km northwest of Tonic, further attest to the region’s mineral endowment. The combination of structural controls, hydrothermal alteration, and polymetallic mineralisation at Tonic fits within this well-recognised copper belt, reinforcing the discovery’s geological credibility.

Next Steps and Exploration Potential

Patriot plans to advance the Tonic prospect with further exploration, including phase 2 RC drilling and diamond drilling, to test the open extensions and better define the mineralised system. The geophysical footprint remains substantially under-drilled, indicating significant upside potential. The company’s strategy to add Tonic as a growth asset complements its flagship Tassa silver-gold project in Peru, providing strategic optionality without detracting from the latter’s development focus.