Somerset Minerals Uncovers Thick, High-Grade Copper Zones at Coppermine
Somerset Minerals has confirmed significant near-surface copper mineralisation at its Coppermine Project in Nunavut, Canada, with assays revealing thick, high-grade intercepts. The company is gearing up for an expanded exploration phase to unlock further district-scale potential.
- 42.7m at 2.69% copper from near surface at Jura
- 29.0m at 0.67% copper at Laphroaig with high-grade zones
- Project spans 1,665 km² with over 110 historic copper occurrences
- Phase-2 exploration planned with drilling, geophysics, and geochemical surveys
- Drill rig on standby to maintain rapid exploration momentum
Somerset’s Early Success at Coppermine
Somerset Minerals Limited (ASX, SMM) has delivered encouraging first assay results from its maiden 2025 drilling campaign at the Coppermine Project, located in Nunavut, Canada. The company reported thick, high-grade copper mineralisation near surface at two key targets, Jura and Laphroaig, which lie approximately 75 kilometres apart within its extensive 1,665 km² landholding.
The standout intercept at Jura, drillhole JURC001, returned 42.7 metres grading 2.69% copper starting from just 15.2 metres depth. This includes a high-grade core of 16.8 metres at 3.96% copper and a further 6.1 metres at 5.51% copper. Meanwhile, at Laphroaig, drillhole LARC002 intersected 29.0 metres at 0.67% copper, including a 12.2-metre section at 1.23% copper. These results confirm the presence of substantial, near-surface copper mineralisation and validate Somerset’s geological model of a district-scale copper system.
District-Scale Potential and Geological Insights
Somerset’s Coppermine Project is notable for its size and the density of historic copper occurrences, over 110 mapped sites, across a largely underexplored region. The mineralisation is structurally controlled, hosted predominantly within chalcocite-rich fault zones and basalt flows, bearing strong geological similarities to well-known copper districts such as Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula and Queensland’s Mt Isa region.
Geophysical data reveals that copper mineralisation is associated with pronounced magnetic lows and intense hematite alteration, which Somerset plans to leverage in upcoming airborne magnetic surveys. These geophysical signatures provide a powerful vectoring tool to identify new targets across the vast landholding.
Strategic Exploration and Next Steps
Building on the rapid turnaround of assay results just weeks after drilling completion, Somerset is preparing for a significantly expanded Phase-2 exploration program. This will include more extensive drilling, geophysical surveys, and geochemical sampling aimed at both advancing resource definition at mature prospects like Jura and testing newly identified targets across the district.
Importantly, Somerset has negotiated to keep its reverse circulation drill rig on standby in Kugluktuk for the next four to six weeks, allowing the company to rapidly recommence drilling as new assay data arrives and targets are refined. This operational flexibility underscores Somerset’s commitment to maintaining momentum and unlocking value swiftly.
With additional assay results pending from recent surface sampling and drilling at multiple prospects, Somerset is entering a pivotal phase that could transform its Coppermine Project into a major copper discovery hub.
Bottom Line?
Somerset’s early drilling success and strategic exploration plans position it well to unlock the vast copper potential of the Coppermine Project, with upcoming assay results and expanded programs set to define the next chapter.
Questions in the middle?
- Will pending assays confirm and extend the high-grade copper zones at Jura and Laphroaig?
- How will Somerset’s geophysical targeting refine exploration across its 1,665 km² landholding?
- What timeline and scale will the Phase-2 drilling campaign follow to advance resource definition?
