C3 Metals Inc (TSX-V:CCCM, OTC:CARCF) has begun diamond drilling at its Bellas Gate copper-gold project in Jamaica, targeting multiple prospects along an 18-kilometre strike length.
The program will test 14 porphyry targets, most of which have seen little or no previous drilling, as well as a volcanic redbed copper-silver zone in the project’s northwest.
In total, the company is planning to drill nine holes over 2,750 metres, running alongside an extensive geophysical survey.
Bellas Gate, which spans 13,020 hectares under three Special Exclusive Prospecting Licences, hosts copper-gold mineralization confirmed by previous drilling at prospects including Provost, Camel Hill and Connors, with intercepts such as 390.7 metres at 0.37% copper and 0.19 g/t gold.
“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,” CEO Dan Symons said in a statement.
“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.”
The program follows a February earn-in deal with Freeport-McMoRan Exploration, a unit of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX), under which the US miner can acquire up to 75% of the project by funding as much as $75 million in exploration and related costs.
The redbed copper-silver target, never before drilled, will be tested by five short holes after soil sampling outlined a 2.7-km-long anomalous copper zone.