Aruma Resources Ltd (ASX:AAJ) has started its maiden diamond drilling campaign at the Tillex Copper-Silver Project in Ontario’s Timmins mining district, as it looks to build on previous high-grade copper and silver results and test the deposit beyond the limits of earlier work.
The initial phase of drilling will cover about 1,500 metres and is aimed at extending the broad, high-grade copper intersections returned by previous owners, with holes planned to test mineralisation along strike to the north and south as well as at depth.
The deepest hole in the opening program is expected to reach about 350 metres and has been supported by Aruma’s recent EM survey, which identified a significant conductor coincident with known mineralisation to a depth of at least 400 metres. The campaign will also create platform holes for downhole electromagnetic surveys to trace conductors below the current EM survey depth limit and sharpen targeting for follow-up drilling.
Plan view of Aruma Phase 1 Diamond Drilling Program with EM survey modelled conductors.
Overall, the program is designed to define the full strike and depth extent of Tillex’s copper-rich mineralised footprint and support a future mineral resource estimate.
The campaign is expected to continue beyond this first phase, subject to results, with initial assays expected in May 2026.
“The commencement of our maiden drilling campaign at the Tillex Copper–Silver Project represents a pivotal milestone for the Company and underscores our commitment to the rapid advancement of the Project and unlocking its full value proposition, having completed the acquisition in February 2026," Aruma Resources managing director, Grant Ferguson, said.
"The drilling campaign has commenced with an initial phase of approximately 1,500 metres of diamond core drilling, and is planned to continue ongoing, subject to results, to fully test and define the strike and depth and extent of the Tillex Deposit. Our longer-term goal is to deliver a significant copper Mineral Resource estimate at Tillex, and the commencement of drilling marks a key moment in that journey. We look forward to releasing results as they become available.
"Our recently completed electromagnetic survey has validated and enhanced the existing high-grade copper mineralised zone at the Tillex Deposit, extending the strike extent to around 600 metres and the depth extent to at least 400 metres. This has helped augment our drill targeting, with a diamond hole to a depth of around 350m in the current drilling, planned to test for copper mineralisation at depth below the existing deepest copper intersection, which is approximately 150 metres.”
Drilling to test strike and depth extensions
The diamond core program has been planned to follow up very wide, high-grade intersections returned by previous owners and to test targets generated by Aruma’s recent electromagnetic survey. That work identified a significant conductor coincident with known mineralisation to a depth of at least 400 metres, extending the interpreted depth potential by about 250 metres below the deepest existing copper hit and increasing the interpreted strike extent to about 600 metres from around 450 metres.
The company also intends to use holes from the current campaign as platforms for downhole electromagnetic surveys, which are expected to help map conductors below the 400-metre limit of the surface EM survey and improve targeting for follow-up drilling. A cross-section of the planned program shows deeper drilling testing beneath the existing mineralised zone and into an interpreted open target area at depth.
Tillex sits in a well-established mining region in Ontario and is interpreted to host volcanogenic massive sulphide-style copper-silver mineralisation. The project benefits from good infrastructure and is located near several major mining operations, including the Kidd Creek copper-zinc-silver mine.
Regional location map showing Tillex Project within the Timmins mining district, Ontario, Canada.
Historic drilling at Tillex totals 10,284 metres of diamond core and has already outlined multiple broad, high-grade intersections. Better previous results include 110 metres at 1.69% copper and 7.05 g/t silver from 34 metres, 98.2 metres at 1.82% copper and 13.17 g/t silver from 35.8 metres, and 92.05 metres at 2.12% copper and 12.18 g/t silver from 36.95 metres. Other notable intercepts include 84.13 metres at 1.78% copper and 8.39 g/t silver from 40 metres, and 63.9 metres at 1.94% copper and 10.2 g/t silver from 38.6 metres.
Aruma acquired the Tillex project in February 2026 and has since moved quickly to complete EM surveying and begin drilling as it works to advance the asset toward a defined resource.