Tertiary Minerals plc is progressing closer to drilling its copper projects in Nevada, US and Zambia.
PROSPECTIVITY
The company has signed a contract for up to 2,500m air core drilling at Mushima North to test the A1 copper-in-soil geochemical anomaly.
Access roads and initial drill pad preparation are complete with drilling expected to begin today.
A geophysical programme is also planned to refine drill targets at target C1.
Tertiary reported continued slow drilling at Konkola West, now more than 2,000m in hole KWDD001, due to the technical challenges of drilling at such depths in new, undrilled areas.
The project is under an earn-in agreement with KoBold Metals as operator.
Tertiary’s second joint venture of Mukai is nearing diamond drilling, subject to approvals, this dry season by First Quantum Minerals which is also funding operations.
The two-phase, 12-hole programme will test copper-in-soil geochemical anomalies.
And a pitting programme has started at Jacks’ copper-in-soil geochemical anomalies B and C to prioritise drilling targets.
The company’s fifth Zambia project at Mupala was in August about to undergo soil sampling.
In the United States, Tertiary plans four reverse circulation drill holes “as test of coincident geochemical and geophysical anomalies” at Brunton Pass in Nevada.
The company said it had submitted a drilling application and chosen a drilling contractor, with a provisional start date for operations in mid to late October.
“We are particularly pleased to see FQM is committed to drilling at Mukai just a few weeks into the term of our agreement, subject to the necessary consents being obtained,” added executive chairman Patrick Cheetham.
“This confirms our view of the prospectivity of the licence and is testament to the success of our exploration team in defining drill targets across our exploration portfolio.”
STORUMAN
Tertiary has additionally decided to appeal against the refusal of a mining concession for its
Storuman fluorspar project in Sweden.
The company said it wanted to keep its options open but did not want the legacy project to be a “burden” on time or funds.
In August, the country’s Mining Inspectorate issued its second refusal following opposition from reindeer herders.