
- WORLD EDITIONAustraliaNorth AmericaWorld
September 30, 2025
African Discovery Group (OTC:AFDG) (“AFDG” or the “Company”) has entered into a term sheet to acquire the Butembo Copper exploration license in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by acquiring 100% of the shares of SOCIETE GRABIN MINING SAS (the “Transaction”). The Butembo Copper project is a greenfield exploration project located in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 40km south of the provincial capital of Beni. The project is located 33km west of the Ugandan border with verified road and rail access to the port of Mombasa.
The area is generally underexplored relative to the well-known copper belts of the Katanga copper belt to the south - however the Mesoproterozoic Kibalian greenstone belt is known for its tungsten-tin-gold occurrences, and it hosts the well-known Kilembe Mine nearby which has produced substantial quantities of both copper and cobalt
According to Rio Tinto, African deposits make up eight out of the 10 highest grade deposits discovered since 1990. The recent discovery of the Butembo copper deposit has underscored the need for further exploration work in areas peripheral to the Katanga Copper Belt.It is important to note that the artisanal pits initially targeted and extracted alluvial gold in the surficial gravels that overly the schists hosting the copper mineralization.The implication is that Butembo is prospective for both gold and copper.
The Butembo discovery is a near surface high-grade copper oxidized ore with measured grades of up to 18% with depth and lateral extension potential of over 5km along strike. The project is located at the base of the Ruwenzori mountains and borders Virunga National Park. There is extensive artisanal activity for both copper and gold and by extension a thriving small scale minerals industry exists in Butembo going back years. Regolith clay samples to the north have tested positively for copper – this is interpreted as a positive indicator of a northern extension to Butembo.
The artisanal and first phase exploration pits around the flood plain of the Talehya River, which runs through the concession, have been tested over an initial 500m of strike length – and the results have been positive with one of these analyses reporting the 18% Cu mentioned above as well as 16.3% in another exploration pit.
The deposit is in the vicinity of the historic Kilembe copper mine (4 million tons) across the border in Uganda whose sulphide mineralization occurs within biotite schists thought to have formed by hydrothermal fluids during early tectonic cycles that were trapped in structurally favorable impermeable locations. This offers a unique insight into the potential geological controls of the Butembo deposit. Mineralization is structurally controlled, occurring along northeast-trending shear zones and folds that facilitated hydrothermal fluid flow. The primary ore minerals include chalcopyrite, pyrite, and linnaeite, forming massive sulfide lenses and disseminated zones.
The Butembo deposit holds a strategically advantageous location, benefiting from proximity to regional infrastructure, which includes electrical power being available within reach of the project boundary. The site is located close to the Ugandan border, offering access to the East African transport corridor. This includes road and rail connections through Uganda to the port of Mombasa, Kenya—providing a viable export route for future development.
The combination of surface high-grade mineralization, artisanal activity, infrastructure access, and strategic location positions the Butembo Copper Project as a high-potential target for early-stage exploration and resource delineation.
The Conversation (0)
21h
Copper Quest Exploration: Unlocking District-scale Copper Porphyry Systems in North America
Copper Quest Exploration (CSE:CQX, OTCQB:IMIMF, FRA:3MX) is focused on creating shareholder value through the exploration and development of its North American critical mineral portfolio, with more than 40,000 hectares across tier-one jurisdictions in Canada and the US.
In British Columbia, the company’s assets include the Stars copper-molybdenum discovery in the Bulkley Porphyry Belt, the Stellar property with historic showings and new anomalies, an earn-in on the Rip project, a large porphyry copper-molybdenum system, and the Thane Project in the Toodoggone Belt, prospective for copper-gold-molybdenum.
The Stars project is a 9,694-hectare, road-accessible copper-molybdenum property in the prolific Bulkley Porphyry Belt, home to past producers such as Imperial Metals’ Huckleberry mine and Newmont’s Equity Silver Mine. Stars is defined by a 5 × 2.5 km annular magnetic anomaly coincident with a mineralized monzonite intrusion. Drilling in 2018 confirmed a significant porphyry system at the Tana Zone, highlighted by intercepts of 0.466 percent copper over 195.1 meters from 23 meters, including 40 meters averaging nearly 1 percent copper, and 0.20 percent copper over 396.7 meters from 28 meters. All holes to date have returned copper levels well above background, with alteration, intrusive textures, and veining typical of productive porphyry systems.
Company Highlights
- Large, Tier-one Land Position: More than 40,000 hectares across British Columbia’s Bulkley and Toodoggone Porphyry Belts, plus a newly acquired copper-gold porphyry project in Idaho, USA.
- Flagship Discovery at Stars: Drill intercepts of 0.466 percent copper over 195.1 m confirm a fertile porphyry copper-molybdenum system with over 30 km of untested intrusive contacts.
- Multiple Copper Systems: Canadian portfolio includes Stars, Stellar, Rip (earn-in up to 80 percent) and Thane, each offering district-scale potential in proven belts.
- Idaho Acquisition: The Nekash copper-gold porphyry project in Lemhi County, Idaho, is a milestone acquisition aligned with its strategy to build a portfolio of highly prospective copper assets across North America.
- Strong Technical Bench: Leadership and advisory team include former senior executives from Freeport, Glencore and Trevali, with extensive porphyry exploration and mine development expertise.
This Copper Quest Exploration profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
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29 September
Copper Quest Exploration
Investor Insight
Copper Quest Exploration is advancing a portfolio of high-quality copper porphyry projects across British Columbia and the Western United States. With over 40,000 hectares in tier-one jurisdictions and a discovery-first mindset, the company is positioned to deliver multiple catalysts from both Canadian and US projects in 2025 and beyond.
Overview
Copper Quest Exploration (CSE:CQX,OTCQB:IMIMF,FRA:3MX) is focused on creating shareholder value through the exploration and development of its North American critical mineral portfolio. The company’s land position covers more than 40,000 hectares across tier-one mining jurisdictions in Canada and the US.
In British Columbia, Copper Quest holds a 100-percent-interest in the Stars property, a porphyry copper-molybdenum discovery covering 9,693 hectares in central BC’s Bulkley Porphyry Belt; the 5,389-hectare Stellar property, consolidating multiple historic showings and new geophysical anomalies; an earn-in option of up to 80 percent on the Rip project, a 4,700-hectare porphyry copper-molybdenum system in the same belt; and the 100-percent-owned Thane Project, spanning 20,658 hectares in the Toodoggone Porphyry Belt with multiple copper-gold-molybdenum targets.In Lemhi County, Idaho, Copper Quest has acquired the Nekash copper-gold porphyry project, an early-stage, highly prospective property in the Idaho-Montana porphyry belt. The acquisition marks Copper Quest’s expansion to the US, strategically leveraging Idaho’s growing reputation as a copper exploration frontier.
Company Highlights
- Large, Tier-one Land Position: More than 40,000 hectares across British Columbia’s Bulkley and Toodoggone Porphyry Belts, plus a newly acquired copper-gold porphyry project in Idaho, USA.
- Flagship Discovery at Stars: Drill intercepts of 0.466 percent copper over 195.1 m confirm a fertile porphyry copper-molybdenum system with over 30 km of untested intrusive contacts.
- Multiple Copper Systems: Canadian portfolio includes Stars, Stellar, Rip (earn-in up to 80 percent) and Thane, each offering district-scale potential in proven belts.
- Idaho Acquisition: The Nekash copper-gold porphyry project in Lemhi County, Idaho, is a milestone acquisition aligned with its strategy to build a portfolio of highly prospective copper assets across North America.
- Strong Technical Bench: Leadership and advisory team include former senior executives from Freeport, Glencore and Trevali, with extensive porphyry exploration and mine development expertise.
Key Projects
Stars Project
The Stars project is a 9,694-hectare, road-accessible copper-molybdenum property situated within the prolific Bulkley porphyry belt. The district is home to past-producing operations such as the Huckleberry mine, operated by Imperial Metals, and Newmont’s Equity Silver Mine, making it a proven copper jurisdiction. Stars is defined by a 5 × 2.5-kilometre annular magnetic anomaly that coincides with a copper-molybdenum mineralized monzonite intrusion. In 2018, drilling confirmed a significant porphyry system at the Tana Zone, returning intercepts of 0.466 percent copper over 195.1 m from 23 m with molybdenum credits and 0.20 percent copper over 396.7 metres from 28 metres depth. Shorter, higher-grade sections included 40 metres averaging close to 1 percent copper. Importantly, every hole drilled on the property has returned copper concentrations well above background levels, with strong phyllic and potassic alteration, multi-phase intrusive textures, and quartz-sulfide veining consistent with productive porphyry systems.
Impressive drill results in 2018 have never seen follow-up exploration
Geological comparisons with Huckleberry suggest Stars has the potential to host multiple deposits along more than 30 kilometres of untested intrusive contact. Upcoming work will focus on IP surveys to vector into contact zones, step-out drilling at the Tana Zone, and initial drilling of embayment features such as the “Big Dipper” anomaly.
Rip Project
The Rip project is a 4,750-hectare copper-molybdenum property located 60 kilometres south of Houston, BC, with excellent access via Highway 16 and logging roads. Geophysical surveys completed in 2024, including airborne magnetics and a 3D-DCIP induced polarization program, identified two concentric chargeability anomalies encircling separate magnetic highs. These “donut” features are classic pyrite halos that typically rim porphyry copper centres.
In late 2024, Copper Quest drilled two holes totaling 1,033 metres into the northern anomaly. The results confirmed the presence of multi-phase porphyry intrusions with abundant quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite-molybdenite veining, long intervals of anomalous copper above 0.1 percent, and strong alteration patterns. The larger southern anomaly remains completely untested and represents the project’s most significant target. Copper Quest has the option to earn up to 80 percent in Rip by spending $1 million by the end of 2025, after which the agreement transitions to a joint venture. Planned drilling will test the southern anomaly while stepping out on the northern target to vector into higher-grade zones.
Stellar Project
The Stellar project covers 5,389 hectares and lies immediately north of Stars. It consolidates multiple historic claims and showings that had never been evaluated under a unified geological model. Stellar hosts several key targets, most notably the Cassiopeia anomaly, a 2.5-kilometre magnetic bullseye with an 800-metre magnetic low at its centre, discovered in 2019 but never drill tested. This geophysical feature is strongly consistent with porphyry copper-molybdenum-gold models.
The Jewelry Box area is another high-priority target, hosting eight documented MINFILE showings where historical sampling returned extreme grades, including 36.7 percent copper, 31.2 percent copper, 22.6 percent copper with 4,860 grams per ton (g/t0 silver, and gold values up to 42 g/t. These occurrences are related to a porphyritic intrusion that cuts Hazelton Group volcanic rocks and limestone, with mineralization styles ranging from high-grade copper-gold-silver veins to lead-zinc-silver occurrences and rhodonite-hosted mineralization. Additional targets include the Galena Zone, a 100 × 150 metre area with strong lead-silver-zinc mineralization, and the Northwest Showings, associated with syenite intrusions. Copper Quest is applying a holistic approach to the property for the first time, integrating fragmented historical exploration. Planned programs include ground IP at Cassiopeia, systematic mapping and sampling at Jewelry Box, and drill targeting across the consolidated property.
Thane Project
The Thane project is a 20,658-hectare copper-gold property in the Toodoggone District of the Quesnel Terrane, an area that hosts major porphyry deposits such as Mt. Milligan and Kemess. The property encompasses a 14 km × 6 km alteration footprint with at least ten mineralized centres, including Cirque, Fairway, Bananas, Gail, and Aten. Historical exploration has involved more than $5 million of investment in mapping, geochemistry, geophysics and shallow drilling, with 12 short diamond drill holes completed to date. Rock sampling campaigns between 2013 and 2020 returned copper grades exceeding 9,000 parts per million (ppm) and gold values up to 12.8 g/t, highlighting the system’s fertility. Regional Geoscience BC datasets place Thane in the 100th percentile for copper prospectivity across British Columbia. Copper Quest views Thane as a large-scale discovery opportunity and is considering a joint venture to advance the project while retaining upside exposure.
Nekash Project
The Nekash project is a highly prospective copper-gold porphyry opportunity in Lemhi County, Idaho, situated along the prolific Idaho-Montana porphyry belt. Spanning 70 unpatented federal lode claims (~585 hectares), the property is fully road-accessible via maintained US highways and forest service roads. Historic sampling has confirmed the presence of high-grade surface mineralization, including up to 3.8 percent copper, 0.9 g/t gold, and 25 g/t silver over 6.4 m in a stratabound “manto” horizon, and porphyry-style veins grading as high as 6.6 percent copper with gold values.
Acquired at a modest cost (4.25 million shares, no cash payment or royalties), and coupled with the appointment of an experienced technical advisor, Nekash offers shareholders exposure to a jurisdiction with favorable infrastructure, strong comparables and room for significant upside through geophysics, geochemistry and drilling.
Management Team
Brian Thurston — CEO and Director
Geologist with over 30 years of global exploration experience Brian Thurston is the former country manager for Aurelian Resources in Ecuador during the Fruta del Norte discovery. Has managed and founded multiple public resource companies with expertise in porphyry systems, corporate strategy, and capital markets.
Dong Shim — CFO
Dong Shim is a chartered professional accountant with extensive experience in public company audits, financial controls and cross-border reporting for TSXV, CSE and OTC issuers.
Dr. Mark Cruise — Director
A geologist and mining executive with over 25 years of experience, Mark Cruise is the founder and former CEO of Trevali Mining, which he built into a top-10 global zinc producer with operations in four countries. Previously with Anglo American.
Jason Nickel — Director
Jason Nickel is a mining engineer with three decades of mine design, operations, and project management experience across Canada. Held senior roles in underground and open-pit operations.
Cameron MacDonald — Director
Cameron MacDonald is a capital markets professional with background in M&A, project financing and equity/debt raises exceeding $950 million.
Joshua White – Technical Advisor
Joshua White is an exploration geologist with more than 13 years of experience, and a principal of Aqua Terra Geoscientists LLC. He worked for Kinross Gold as a project generation gold geologist, working at mines and exploration projects on 4 different continents.
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25 September
AFDG - Embracing US strategy, acquisition of Butembo copper deposit in the DRC. Copper added to draft list of US strategic minerals
African Discovery Group (OTC:AFDG) (“AFDG” or the “Company”) has signed a term sheet to acquire the Butembo Copper exploration license in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by acquiring 100% of the shares of SOCIETE GRABIN MINING SAS (the “Transaction”). With this proposed acquisition, AFDG aims to create a combined copper company built to deliver value creation for the next century. Congo has an estimated $24 trillion worth of mineral wealth, according to the World Bank.
First standalone Congolese company in the United States
As part of the renewed strategic alliance and vision between the United States and the DRC to promote strategic minerals, the USA-DRC Economic Forum will be hosted in Washington DC in October, in follow-up to a successful investment hosted by President Trump of the United States and President Tshisekedi of DRC in August in Washington.
Massad Boulos, US Senior Advisor for Africa to President Trump recently stated, "I look forward to working with President Félix Tshisekedi and his team to build a deeper relationship that benefits the Congolese and American people, and to stimulate American private sector investment in the DRC, particularly in the mining sector, with the shared goal of contributing to the prosperity of both our countries." United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio further stressed the importance of protecting U.S. strategic interests in critical minerals, which are important for the tech sector, and bringing stability to the region. Reports indicate his involvement in DRC’s peace process was seen as using U.S. influence in the minerals trade to facilitate U.S. access to critical minerals. President Trump has further stated "Our partnership (with the DRC) would provide the U.S. with a strategic advantage by securing critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, copper and tantalum from the Democratic Republic of Congo. U.S. companies are ready to step up and are eager to invest. But for them to succeed, they need transparency, predictable governance, and a stronger enabling environment in the DRC."At the time of the closing of the transaction, the combined company will become the first stand-alone DRC company to be publicly traded in the United States.
DRC’s copper production is among the largest in the world, with the DRC concentrating 65% of newly announced copper reserves identified worldwide in 2023, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Numerous highly valued copper companies have recognized DRC’s copper potential including Ivanhoe Mining Limited, one of DRC’s largest copper companies, Glencore, and the emerging entity of Kobold, a Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates based mining exploration startup. Copper's demand is predicated on numerous items, including artificial intelligence related infrastructure build, telecommunications and building materials, amongst others.
The new management that will drive value creation are driven by Andrew Groves, whose previous strategic exits in resources on the African continent include: Founder and CEO of CAMEC PLC, a cobalt and copper producer in the DRC that sold to ENRC for a billion dollar exit, Founder and CEO of African Platinum PLC, that sold to Impala Platinum for $900mm, and the founder of Central African Gold that sold to New Dawn for $300mm. Aldo Cesano, who intends to join the Board of Directors of the company, brings over 40 years of experience in mining and logistics development across the DRC, Zimbabwe and Southern Africa. Andrew’s team will succeed as management in entirety post close of Transaction.
The stock-based transaction will create a copper exploration company, with a focus on creating value around Africa and DRC specifically focused on under explored basins of copper. On closing of the Transaction, the Company is expected to change corporate name, domicile, and trading symbol to reflect the nature of the new operations, and apply for an uplisting to the NASDAQ exchange, subject to regulatory approval. As part of the closing of the transaction, AFDG is expected to issue shares to SOCIETE GRABIN MINING SAS. The Transaction is expected to result in the existing AFDG shareholders retaining a minority ownership of the Company. AFDG is aiming to close the Transaction in Q4 2025, subject to due diligence and financing contingency.
On August 27, 2025, the United States government added copper to its draft list of strategic metals. According to veteran energy historian Daniel Yergin,” only one metal represents the linchpin of the energy transition away from fossil fuels, with copper as that fundamental mineral that’s required for all aspects of the energy transition, including electric vehicles and batteries, charging infrastructure and the wires that comprise the grid itself, require more copper than the technologies used to produce energy from fossil fuels”. Current estimates that copper supply needs to double by 2035 — from the current 25 million metric tons per year to a record 50 million metric tons per year. The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects the supply-demand disparity to persist until 2050.
While the east of the DRC is relatively unexplored, prior to the independence of Zaire the Belgian’s had planned on building rail infrastructure from Kisangani to Goma, Bukavu and Bunia to export copper, tungsten, tin and other minerals and agricultural products from the region, plans that adjusted post independence. Traditionally, large mining companies have focused on Katanga province for copper and cobalt, given proximity to export markets and Southern African ports. Logistics are a key component to the project in the Eastern DRC, with the Consortium of Toha and Bulongo Logistics starting works on the Kisangani to Bukavu route via Lubutu (Asphalt road) towards the end of 2025. The consortium will fund the construction from 60% of the proceeds from the Kolwezi to Solwezi toll road project with a new border at Kasabinda, which should be completed by third quarter of 2026.
AFDG Chairman and Founder, Alan Kessler, who is expected to retain a role as a Director of the company post close of transaction, stated, “We are highly enthusiastic to move forward with such a promising Transaction for our company and our shareholders. Numerous tailwinds are expected to drive dramatic value creation, in conjunction with a high correlation to gold price at an all-time high and an easing US Federal reserve, Artificial Intelligence related infrastructure build, meets the energy transition, finds an emerging DRC. The confluence and timing of all of these global factors on the demand side, and constrained supply, ensures the highly promising nature of this opportunity.”
EAS Advisors LLC have been appointed as the corporate advisor for the Company on the Transaction.
About Butembo Copper Project
Butembo is a near surface, low strip, Tier one exploration opportunity, located near the Ruwenzori mountain location of Uganda’s biggest copper mine (Kilembe with 4 million tons of verified reserves), located only 50km from the Ugandan border with verified access to rail. The High-grade copper samples thus far have returned 18% Copper assays, which if maintained at production would rank amongst the highest globally.
About African Discovery Group
African Discovery Group, Inc., is a Delaware corporation, dedicated to the development of the African continent. AFDG’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ADG Subsidiary Corp., is a Delaware corporation (“ADG”). AFDG’s primary businesses from which it intends to generate revenues in the future, include agriculture/sustainability, power, media, strategic minerals, and finance sectors on the African continent. The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, is committed to all aspects of environmental, social and governance issues in its business.
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24 September
Copper Prices Up as Freeport-McMoRan Announces Force Majeure at Grasberg
Copper prices rose on Wednesday (September 24) after Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) announced that operations will remain halted at its Grasberg copper-gold mine in Indonesia.
The mine was shut down on September 8 following the ingress of 800,000 metric tons of wet material, which trapped seven workers. The bodies of two workers have since been recovered, and the search for the remaining five is ongoing.
In Wednesday's release, Freeport-McMoRan stated that it is investigating the cause of the incident, noting that it is unprecedented in the history of operations at the Grasberg block-cave site.
It is expected that the investigation will be completed by the end of 2025.
Due to the mine's closure, Freeport has adjusted its guidance, reporting that third quarter consolidated sales will be 4 percent lower for copper and 6 percent lower for gold compared to its July estimates.
Furthermore, Grasberg's closure means sales from the mine during the fourth quarter will be insignificant; the company previously forecast the sale of 445 million pounds of copper and 345,000 ounces of gold.
The Grasberg site encompasses several underground mines: the Grasberg block cave, the Deep Mill Level Zone (DMLZ) and Big Gossan. DMLZ and Big Gossan were not affected, and could restart production in the fourth quarter.
However, according to Freeport-McMoRan, a preliminary assessment indicates a delayed restart of operations at the Grasberg block cave, resulting in the deferral of significant production in the near term. A ramp up in this area is not anticipated to begin until the first half of 2026, with the mine potentially returning to full production in 2027.
Grasberg is one of the world’s largest copper and gold mines, producing 1.7 billion pounds of copper and 1.4 million ounces of gold annually. Freeport holds a 49 percent interest, with the Indonesian government owning the rest.
The announcement caused copper prices to spike nearly 5 percent in trading on Wednesday, climbing to US$4.84 per pound on the COMEX and US$9,900 per metric ton on the London Metal Exchange.
Freeport’s share price tumbled 16.95 percent in trading, closing the session at US$37.67 after opening at US$41.66.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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17 September
Nine Mile samples up to 18.27% Cu at Wedge
NINE MILE METALS ANNOUNCES XRF HIGH-GRADE RESULTS UP TO 18.27% COPPER FROM THE UPCOMING DRILL AREA AT THE WEDGE PROJECT, BATHURST, NEW BRUNSWICK
Nine Mile Metals Ltd. has released XRF (X-ray fluorescence) results for volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) mineralization grab samples collected from the coming drill area on the Wedge VMS project in the world-famous Bathurst mining camp (BMC) in New Brunswick, Canada. Discovered in 1956, Cominco operated the Wedge mine between 1962 and 1968, producing 1.5 million tonnes of predominantly copper ore. At the time of closure (head pillar collapsed), only the upper portion of the deposit was mined. The expectation is that the lower 60 per cent plus remains untouched based upon recent drill testing and extends at depth with the 3-D modelling.
As previously reported, the Cominco drill data were acquired by Nine Mile and formatted to facilitate modelling. With the addition of Mike Dufresne, MSc, PGeol, PGeo, of Apex Geoscience Ltd. to the technical advisory committee, the company provided the technical database to Apex for 3-D modelling and drill hole targeting. Data provided included all historic drill holes and assays in addition to the recent successful drilling conducted by Nine Mile. To further assist in targeting, the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) magnetics and borehole electromagnetic (BHEM) data collected by EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc. was integrated into the modelling in addition to the initial, reprocessed MegaTEM conductivity interpretation that highlighted the Wedge and the Wedge VMS trend.
At the Wedge mine's western extension (Target 2), modelling has focused on the unmined portions of the deposit with drill holes targeting a copper-rich lens to the west and the unexplored depth extension below 150 metres, where recent drilling and historical cross-sections indicate mineralization occurring to a minimum depth of 300 metres. Apex is designing a sequence of drill holes to test the seven modelled TDEM (time-domain electromagnetic) conductivity plates adjacent to the Tribag VMS occurrence identified by EarthEx (Target 3).
In preparation for drilling, prospecting was conducted at surface in an area proximal to the proposed drill collars along the western flank of the Wedge mine stepping out to test the expansion westward of the mine footprint. A total of 19 samples were catalogued, photographed, and then analyzed with a portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument utilizing an Olympus Vanta 50 portable 50-kilovolt workstation and Reflex XRF software to provide instant real-time geochemical information. Each sample was analyzed in three separate locations and the results averaged by the Reflex XRF software. The XRF process included calibrating the machine and utilizing two standards in the sample stream (OREAS622 and CDN-BL-10) twice during analysis. The results are presented in Table 1. The samples have been forwarded to ALS Global in Moncton, N.B., for preparation, with final geochemical analysis conducted in Vancouver, B.C.
Highlights:
- Samples were massive VMS (copper-lead-zinc) mineralization collected at the coming Wedge drill area.
- The samples were weathered and predominantly copper rich with minor lead/zinc.
- Most samples consisted of 90 per cent plus sulphides and minor quartz and accessory minerals.
Samples 280370 and 280375 are examples of the massive high-grade cooper sulphide mineralization. The samples were collected in the area immediately to the northeast of proposed drill holes 25WG-01 and 25WD-02.
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Mr. Dufresne, Apex's president and an independent consultant and technical adviser, commented that these high-quality conductivity targets at the Wedge mine's western extension and TriBag target line up with the horizons that have yielded high-quality VMS drill intersections at the Main Wedge deposit and, based upon the modelling to date, could provide some new exciting discoveries for Nine Mile with the planned drilling.
Gary Lohman, PGeo, vice-president, exploration, stated: "With the provincial-wide fire ban lifted and Apex Geoscience's 3-D modelling complete, the team is looking forward to drilling at the Wedge mine's western extension. With the assistance of Apex, two main zones of mineralization have been identified, one copper rich and another primarily lead/zinc. Targeting has been refined by leveraging the extensive geological and geophysical data (including recent borehole EM and plate modelling), allowing us to prioritize copper mineralization in the upcoming program. This western extension area is the high-grade section of the deposit focused on the copper-rich lens. These massive sulphide samples clearly demonstrate the potential of this untapped area at depth. We are building on last year's new eastern extension successes with our eight VMS drill holes with results of 136.31 metres of 0.68 per cent copper equivalent, including 40 metres of 2.03 per cent copper equivalent (see news release [dated March 26, 2024]). A key aspect here is testing this deposit at depth and how far it extends westward resulting in additional new tonnage."
Qualified person
The technical content of this news release pertaining to the Wedge project was reviewed and approved by Mr. Lohman, a non-independent qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
About Nine Mile Metals Ltd.
Nine Mile Metals is a Canadian public mineral exploration company focused on VMS (copper, lead, zinc, silver and gold) exploration in the world-famous Bathurst mining camp in New Brunswick, Canada. The company's primary business objective is to explore its four VMS projects: the Nine Mile Brook VMS project, the California Lake VMS project, the Canoe Landing Lake (East West) project and the Wedge VMS project. The company is focused on exploration of minerals for technology, positioning for the boom in EV (electric vehicle) and green technologies requiring copper, silver, lead and zinc with a hedge with gold.
We seek Safe Harbor.
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17 September
Empire Metals Limited Announces Appointment of Marketing Manager
Empire Metals Limited (LON:EEE), the AIM-quoted and OTCQX-traded resource exploration and development company, is pleased to announce the appointment of a Marketing Manager, a key role which, along with Empire's partnership with titanium marketing experts, TiPMC Consulting, strengthens the in-house marketing and product development team and supports the rapid advancement of the Pitfield Titanium Project ("Pitfield" or the "Project") in Western Australia.
Key Points
- Appointment of Marketing Manager, Michael Tamlin, to lead product strategy and end-user engagement.
- Partnership with TiPMC Consulting extended, providing strategic titanium market insights.
- Bulk metallurgical testwork progressing well, producing concentrate for downstream processing and larger product samples for end-user evaluation.
Appointment of Marketing Managerto Accelerate Product Development
Empire has appointed Mr. Michael Tamlin as Marketing Manager, which is aligned with the Company's objective to optimise product development, assess commercial process flowsheet options and progress the Project toward a feasibility study.
Further strengthening the Company's in-house product development capabilities. Mr. Tamlin is a metallurgist with over 30 years' experience in the resources sector, including senior roles in marketing and commercialising mineral products. Most recently, he served as Head of Lithium at Neometals Ltd, where he was responsible for managing the pilot development and commercialisation of the ELi™ lithium hydroxide production process in joint venture with Mineral Resources Ltd. His expertise will be instrumental in building Pitfield's product strategy and engaging with potential end-users in high-value titanium markets.
Continuing Partnership with TiPMC Consulting:
Empire has extended its consultancy agreement with TiPMC, a highly respected, US-based titanium industry consultancy. TiPMC will provide oversight of the titanium pigment and metal markets and provide guidance to the Company's technical and marketing team as they continue to develop the processing flowsheet and optimise the products.
Commenting on the announcement, Shaun Bunn, Managing Director, said:
"I am delighted to welcome Michael to our team. His extensive marketing expertise will be invaluable as we move toward defining the economic potential and product strategy for Pitfield. This appointment marks an important next step towards building a strong, in-house team, an approach which has been key to our successful and rapid progress.
"We are also very pleased to continue to be working with TiPMC Consulting, whose reputation and experience in the titanium industry is unparalleled."
Product Development Update
Initial results from the large-scale metallurgical testwork programme, involving mineral separation techniques that required bulk feed samples of between approximately 0.5 to 1.5 tonnes each, was announced on 28 August 2025. The bulk testwork programme is progressing well, focusing on ore scrubbing, desliming and gravity spiral testwork, as well as flotation testwork on both the fines fraction, separated in the desliming step, and whole of ore samples. Large scale scrubbing and spiral gravity testwork has been completed on Thomas and Cosgrove weathered sandstone bulk samples and the screened fines have been sent for flotation testwork. As part of this programme, mineral concentrates will be produced for downstream processing, testing both hydrometallurgical and product finishing flowsheet concepts.
This bulk testwork programme will produce significant volumes of concentrates which will feed into the product development and optimisation testwork and result in larger product samples which can be delivered to potential end users for assessment. The role of Marketing Manager will be fundamental to identifying these potential end users and for the development of a high value customer base for a variety of titanium products from Pitfield.
The Marketing Manager will also be responsible for conducting market research, focusing on high value end uses and likely consumers, preparing a Marketing Strategy and Marketing Presentation for the Project and for identifying key customers and suitable product suites in advance of sending out marketing enquiries and product samples.
About TiPMC Consulting
TiPMC Consulting provides independent consulting analyses, perspectives and recommendations for financial as well as industry functions and segments. Their expertise includes thorough reviews of business data as well as the operational, technical, and marketing functionalities for mining, metals, pigments, and chemical industry segments.
Their industry clients recognize the value of their incisive focus on the TiO2 value chain as well as associated businesses, including thorough reviews of fluorochemicals, fluoropolymers, titanium metal and alloys, costings, and other industries associated with the titanium value chain.
The Pitfield Titanium Project
Located within the Mid-West region of Western Australia, near the northern wheatbelt town of Three Springs, the Pitfield titanium project lies 313km north of Perth and 156km southeast of Geraldton, the Mid West region's capital and major port. Western Australia is a Tier 1 mining jurisdiction and has mining-friendly policies, stable government, transparency, and advanced technology expertise. Pitfield has existing connections to port (both road & rail), HV power substations, and is nearby to natural gas pipelines (refer Figure 2).
Figure 2. Pitfield Project Location showing theMid-West Region Infrastructure and Services.
Competent Person Statement
The scientific and technical information in this report that relates to process metallurgy is based on information reviewed by Ms Narelle Marriott, an employee of Empire Metals Australia Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Empire. Ms Marriott is a member of the AusIMM and has sufficient experience relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code 2012. Ms. Marriott consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.
The technical information in this report that relates to the geology and exploration of the Pitfield Project has been compiled by Mr Andrew Faragher, an employee of Empire Metals Australia Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Empire. Mr. Faragher is a member of the AusIMM and has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code 2012. Mr Faragher consents to the inclusion in this release of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
**ENDS**
For further information please visit www.empiremetals.co.uk or contact:
About Empire Metals Limited
Empire Metals is an AIM-listed and OTCQX-traded exploration and resource development company (LON: EEE,OTCQX: EPMLF) with a primary focus on developing Pitfield, an emerging giant titanium project in Western Australia.
The high-grade titanium discovery at Pitfield is of unprecedented scale, with airborne surveys identifying a massive, coincident gravity and magnetics anomaly extending over 40km by 8km by 5km deep. Drill results have indicated excellent continuity in grades and consistency of the in-situ mineralised beds and confirm that the sandstone beds hold the higher-grade titanium dioxide (TiO₂) values within the interbedded succession of sandstones, siltstones and conglomerates. The Company is focused on two key prospects (Cosgrove and Thomas), which have been identified as having thick, high-grade, near-surface, in-situ bedded TiO₂ mineralisation, each being over 7km in strike length.
An Exploration Target* for Pitfield was declared in 2024, covering the Thomas and Cosgrove mineral prospects, and was estimated to contain between 26.4 to 32.2 billion tonnes with a grade range of 4.5 to 5.5% TiO2. Included within the total Exploration Target* is a subset that covers the in-situ weathered sandstone zone, which extends from surface to an average vertical depth of 30m to 40m and is estimated to contain between 4.0 to 4.9 billion tonnes with a grade range of 4.8 to 5.9% TiO2.
The Exploration Target* covers an area less than 20% of the overall mineral system at Pitfield which demonstrates the potential for significant further upside.
Empire is now accelerating the economic development of Pitfield, with a vision to produce a high-value titanium metal or pigment quality product at Pitfield, to realise the full value potential of this exceptional deposit.
The Company also has two further exploration projects in Australia; the Eclipse Project and the Walton Project in Western Australia, in addition to three precious metals projects located in a historically high-grade gold producing region of Austria.
*The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Target is conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. See RNS dated 12 June 2024 for full details.
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
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