Tertiary Minerals plc has discovered a new shallow mineralised copper zone from preliminary analysis of its completed 4,000 metres reverse circulation drilling at Mushima North in Zambia.
Named the Western Zone, the new zone lies around 900m west-southwest of the Discovery Zone, which has an exploration target of 15-30 million tonnes at 40-60 g/t silver equivalent.
The company used portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) to analyse samples taken from two scout holes, drilled to the west of the Discovery Zone, at the A1 silver-copper-zinc target.
Drill intersections include 25m at 0.38% copper from 19m downhole, including 13m at 0.53% copper from 29m downhole.
Tertiary said that the pXRF results suggested that mineralisation at the Western Zone hosted only copper, without any silver or zinc.
Further results are expected over the coming weeks as well as certified laboratory results, to include silver, from the entire drill programme.
Alongside the 39-hole campaign, which represents phase IV drilling, a larger infill drilling programme is underway at the Discovery Zone, with results expected soon, followed by metallurgical testwork ahead of mineral resource modelling.
A mineral resource estimate is targeted for before the end of 2026.
Managing director Richard Belcher added that the Western Zone results indicated potential for further mineralisation “well beyond” the boundary of the Discovery Zone’s exploration target.
“These results continue to support our wider geological model and belief that the Mushima North project has the potential to host a much larger mineralised system than has been delineated to date.”