EuroPacific Metals (TSX-V:EUP) announced initial assay results from the first drill hole and the completion of the fifth drill hole of its 2024 exploration program at the Miguel Vacas mine area.
Results from the drilling program on the property, located in Portugal's Alentejo region, returned promising intercepts, according to Europacific.
Assays from the first drill hole revealed a continuous intercept of 22.8 meters grading 2.76% copper (Cu), including 9 meters grading 7.49% Cu.
The broad mineralized interval includes secondary copper minerals within a wide polyphase breccia/shear zone. Notable minerals include malachite, pseudomalachite, libethenite, tenorite, chalcocite, chrysocolla, atacamite, and covellite. Below 80 meters, primary sulphides such as pyrite and chalcopyrite dominate, Europacific said.
Further, the results indicate the potential for a new northern extension and confirm mineralization to the south of the Miguel Vacas pit.
Europacific has completed a total of five holes, with all intercepting the main cupriferous breccia/shear zone. The sixth hole, the southernmost to date, is currently in progress.
CEO Karim Rayani told shareholders that the company was “very pleased” with the first round of results.
“The first intercept not only confirms and validates the high-grade nature of the deposit but the continuity of the zone,” Rayani said in a statement.
“We have also opened the potential for a new extension to the North, which is very exciting. We look forward to receiving the next sampling results from the other holes which have already confirmed the presence of mineralized breccia to the south of the Miguel Vacas pit."
Initial core recovery issues due to the porous nature of ore zones have been addressed with the Triplex Core Barrel System, improving recovery rates from 65% to 87%.
The 2024 drill program is midway through its 1,500-meter campaign, aiming to further define a shallow open pit resource of oxide copper mineralization suitable for hydrometallurgical recovery methods.
Future steps will include step-out drilling to assess the sulphide-rich portion of the deposit below the oxidized layer, where chalcopyrite and pyrite are predominant.