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C3 Metals Inc. (TSXV: CCCM,OTC:CUAUF) (OTCQB: CUAUF) ("C3 Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce exploration diamond drilling has commenced within C3 Metals' 100%-owned Bellas Gate Project, Jamaica.
The Bellas Gate Project comprises three separate Special Exclusive Prospecting Licenses and totals 13,020 hectares (Figure 1). On February 11, 2025, the Company announced it had entered into an earn-in agreement with Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Corporation ("Freeport"), a wholly-owned affiliate of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX) whereby Freeport can earn up to 75% in the project by funding up to US$75 million in exploration and project related expenditures (see press release dated February 11, 2025).
Drilling is designed to test multiple copper-gold porphyry prospects identified over a 18km strike extent. In total, 14 porphyry prospects have been identified at Bellas Gate. Drilling will primarily be targeting prospects with limited to no prior drilling so that essential data can be collected in the first 500m. This data, as well as additional geophysical data that is planned to be collected, will help inform optimal locations for potential deeper drilling in the future. Drilling will also target volcanic redbed copper-silver mineralization in the northwest project area (see press release dated July 28, 2025).
Dan Symons, President and CEO, stated, "The technical data that we have collected at Bellas Gate thus far suggests that we are the in the upper portions of these confirmed copper-gold porphyry clusters. Previous C3 Metals drilling has primarily focused on 4 of the 14 copper-gold porphyry prospects identified over a 18km strike extent. The current drill program will primarily focus on testing some of the other 10 prospects in the first 500m where there is limited to no drill data. The drill data from this program, combined with the data to be collected during an extensive geophysical survey, will aid in targeting deeper into these copper-gold porphyry systems. Essentially, we are aiming to collect important data over the next several months that will inform where to rate and rank deeper holes into the confirmed porphyry systems."
Program Highlights
- Bellas Gate Project drilling has confirmed near surface copper-gold porphyry mineralization at multiple porphyry centres exposed within an erosional window, including:
- Provost - 390.7m at 0.37% Cu and 0.19 g/t Au in PVT0900-002 from 64.1m, including 279.5m at 0.43% copper and 0.24 g/t gold intersected in drill hole PVT0900-002 (See press release dated September 25, 2023).
- Camel Hill - 208m at 0.43% Cu and 0.20 g/t Au in CMH8350-001 from only 22m downhole, incl. 135m at 0.52% Cu and 0.27 g/t Au (See press release dated October 4, 2023).
- Connors - 309.0m at 0.44% Cu and 0.33g/t Au in CON9325-001 from 15.0m (See press release September 12, 2022).
- Volcanic redbed copper-silver mineralization located on the northwest project area will also be tested by short holes targeting the favorable horizons.
Figure 1: Map showing the Bellas Gate Project area identifying the locations of the copper-gold porphyry prospects and a volcanic redbed copper-silver prospect.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2661/262297_4f7cd0e9c4808bb9_001full.jpg
2025 Drilling Program
The 2025 drilling program will target a cluster of high-level copper-gold porphyries situated along three parallel structural corridors over a 18km strike extent. These porphyry clusters are locally telescoped by low, intermediate and high sulfidation epithermal vein style copper, gold and silver mineralization. All known porphyries at Bellas Gate Project contain gold mineralization, with copper typically in chalcopyrite form and hosted in volcanic andesite rocks and less commonly in diorite porphyry dykes and stocks. Historical and recent drilling confirms copper-gold mineralization is open at depth and along strike in most systems. Four diamond drill holes over 2,000m have been designed for this phase of relatively shallow drilling into various copper-gold porphyry prospects.
A second target of this drilling campaign is volcanic redbed style copper-silver mineralization in the northwest project area. A recently announced closely spaced soil sampling campaign confirmed a strongly anomalous copper in soil zone that extends for 2,700m and is up to 205m in width. Soil sampling confirmed a 120m wide zone that averaged 0.12% copper and a second soil line assayed 0.16% copper over 50m zone (see press release dated July 28, 2025). This volcanic redbed target has never been drill tested and could potentially be related to a distal porphyry system. Redbed deposits are typically stratabound and can be of significant lateral extent. These styles of deposits account for the second most copper production globally after porphyry deposits. An initial 5-hole, 750m program has been designed to conduct an initial test of the redbed system where strong copper in soil geochemistry has been observed.
In total, 9 diamond drill holes over 2,750m are planned to test porphyry and redbed targets. This drilling program is anticipated to run concurrent with an extensive geophysical survey. Both drill and geophysical data are essential for preparing for the next phase of drilling, which is anticipated to target deeper portions of these porphyry systems.
For additional information, contact:
Dan Symons
President and CEO
+1 416 716 6466
dsymons@c3metals.com
ABOUT C3 Metals Inc.
C3 Metals Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on creating substantive value for its shareholders through the discovery and development of large copper and gold deposits. The Company holds approximately 31,000 hectares located in the prolific high-grade Andahuaylas-Yauri Porphyry-Skarn belt of Southern Peru. Mineralization at Jasperoide is hosted in a similar geological setting to the nearby major mining operations at Las Bambas (MMG), Constancia (Hudbay) and Antapaccay (Glencore). At Jasperoide, the Company has identified over 15 skarn prospects and an outcropping porphyry system over two parallel 28km belts. The Company has published a maiden resource estimate on the first of these skarn targets, which contained Measured & Indicated Resources of 52Mt at 0.5% copper and 0.2 g/t gold[1]. The Company is also actively exploring in Jamaica where it has identified 16 porphyry, 40 epithermal and multiple volcanic redbed copper prospects over a 30km strike extent. The Company holds a 100% interest in 17,855 hectares of exploration licenses, of which Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Corporation, a wholly-owned affiliate of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX), has the option on 13,020 hectares to earn up to a 75% interest by funding up to US$75 million of exploration and project related expenditures. The Company also holds a 50% interest in 9,870 hectares in a joint venture with Geophsyx Jamaica Ltd, the largest mineral tenure holder in the country. Barrick Gold Corp. announced on May 1, 2024 that it had entered into an earn-in agreement with Geophysx Jamaica Ltd. on approximately 400,000 hectares of exploration licenses, several of which surround C3 Metals' mineral concessions. Mining is currently the second largest industry in Jamaica, and historical mining dates back to the colonial eras of the 1500s (Spanish) and 1800s (British).
Related Link: www.c3metals.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
QP Statement
Stephen Hughes, P.Geo. is Vice President Exploration and a Director for C3 Metals and is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Hughes has reviewed the technical information in this news release and approves the written disclosure contained herein.
Technical Program
C3 Metals adheres to a strict QA/QC protocol for handling, sampling, sample transportation and analyses. Chain-of-custody protocols are designed to ensure security of samples until their delivery at the laboratory.
Samples will be cut at C3 Metals' operations base in Bellas Gate, St Catherine, Jamaica by Company personnel. Diamond drill core will be sampled in maximum 3-metre intervals, stopping at geological boundaries, and using a rock saw. Core diameter will be a mix of HQ3 and NQ3 depending on the depth of the drill hole. Samples will be bagged, tagged and packaged for shipment by DHL air freight service to the ALS preparation laboratory in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada where entire samples were crushed to 70% passing 10 mesh (2mm), and a 250g split was pulverized to 85% passing 200 mesh (75µm).
The prepared samples will be sent to the ALS assay laboratories in Vancouver, Canada for copper, gold and silver assays, and multi-element ICP. ALS is an accredited laboratory which is independent of the Company. Gold assays will be by fire assay fusion with AAS finish on a 30g sample and the overlimit gold assay was completed by fire assay and gravimetric finish on 30g sample. Copper and silver assayed by ICP-AES following a 4-acid digestion on the ME-ICP61 package for a suite of 33 elements and the over limit copper by 4-Acid digestion and assayed by ICP-AES on each sample with copper greater than 10000ppm (1%). Copper and gold standards as well as blanks and duplicates (coarse crush split) will be randomly inserted into the sampling sequence for quality control. On average, 9% of the submitted samples will be quality control samples.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the exploration operations of the Company and the timing which could be affected by the current global COVID-19 pandemic. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company. Although such statements are based on reasonable assumptions of the Company's management, there can be no assurance that any conclusions or forecasts will prove to be accurate.
While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in project parameters as plans continue to be redefined, risks relating to variations in grade or recovery rates, risks relating to changes in mineral prices and the worldwide demand for and supply of minerals, risks related to increased competition and current global financial conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic, access and supply risks, reliance on key personnel, operational risks, and regulatory risks, including risks relating to the acquisition of the necessary licenses and permits, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks.
The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.
1Â Based on the assumptions and parameters outlined in the NI 43-101 Technical Report titled Jasperoide Copper-Gold Project Cusco Region, Peru dated July 5, 2023.
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