Empire Metals Ltd (AIM:EEE) has confirmed the presence of extensive copper anomalism at the Pitfield copper project in Western Australia.
Several very high-grade rock samples have been discovered, it noted. The showings occur just south of the historic Mt Scratch workings.
Empire said its exploration team has completed two field campaigns, collecting soil and rock samples as well as surface mapping of geological features.
Sampling has confirmed an historic copper-in-soil anomaly associated with the Mt Scratch workings, and has extended this anomaly over four kilometres to the south of the workings, trending along the western margin of highly magnetic stratigraphic units, the company added.
It noted that the soil and rock sampling results add further evidence that Pitfield has the potential to contain multiple sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposits.
Among the highlights from the rock samples were 17.88% copper and 125.46 grams per tonne silver, 4.63% copper and 7.15 grams silver, and 0.65% copper and 3.68 grams silver.
The third and final field phase of initial geological mapping and soil sampling programme is now underway. Additional soil sampling and reconnaissance geophysical surveying are likely to be completed in the first quarter of 2023.
"I am delighted to provide an update on our emerging Giant copper exploration project at Pitfield, where our recent geochemical sampling has confirmed highly anomalous values of copper, silver and other base metals over a 4km extent to the south of the historical Mt Scratch copper mine,” said Shaun Bunn, managing director of Empire Metals in a statement.
“These results bring us a step closer to confirming our previous belief of Pitfield containing a potential giant copper mineral system. This discovery is happening at a crucial time in the world's transition to a more electric future, which is largely reliant on copper production, with substantial copper deficits forecast in the coming years," he added.