Midnight Sun Mining Corp (TSX-V:MMA, OTCQB:MDNGF) Vice President Adrian O'Brien talked with Proactive about the company’s latest progress at its Dumbwa Project in Zambia, where drilling continues to define a potentially large-scale copper discovery.
Proactive: Let’s remind everyone about the project and the work to date.
Adrian O'Brien: We’re in the most exciting phase now—the resource delineation phase. We made a discovery at Dumbwa in August and have drilled 166 holes so far. We’ve stayed on the system the entire time, though only 29 holes have assays released so far. This thing is really taking shape. We’ve already established four kilometres of strike length. The broader target is a 20km copper-in-soil anomaly—almost unprecedented in Zambia.
Are you focusing on one area or multiple targets?
The drilling is along one main target in the southeast of our property in Zambia’s domes region, known for large, near-surface deposits. It’s analogous to Barrick’s Lumwana mine. Our COO Kevin Bonel, who advanced Lumwana, is leading this work.
What’s the drilling plan for this year?
We’re drilling it like a major would—tight spacing at 50 metres, with 100–200 metre line spacing across the 20km target. We’re drilling about 10,000 metres per month with five rigs and have a $20 million budget, backed by $35 million in cash. Our goal is to define the first 12km by Q3, targeting 1 to 1.5 billion tonnes.
Are you working toward reports?
Yes, that will position us for an initial MRE on the first half of the deposit. We’ll then decide whether to continue north or explore additional targets.
There’s also a geopolitical angle here. Can you explain?
There’s a perfect storm for M&A in Zambia. Major companies are all looking for large copper deposits. At the same time, infrastructure developments like the Lobito Corridor and competing rail lines backed by the US and China highlight the global demand for copper. Midnight Sun is positioned right in the middle of this dynamic.
Quotes have been lightly edited for style and clarity