Gunnison Copper Corp (TSX:GCU, OTCQB:GCUMF, FRA:3XS0) has announced plans for a district-wide drilling program at its Gunnison copper project, including the Strong & Harris satellite deposit, in Arizona's Cochise Mining District.
The company said the program has been fully contracted and committed, with drill rig mobilization expected to begin this month.
The campaign is expected to include up to 120 drill holes totaling about 138,000 feet (42,000 metres) of drilling.
According to Gunnison, the work is intended to support ongoing pre-feasibility study (PFS) activities, resource expansion, metallurgical optimization and resource conversion across its copper assets.
The drilling campaign will begin with a metallurgical optimization phase using two drill rigs. Gunnison expects to expand capacity to as many as six rigs after completing a larger core processing and storage facility, which is anticipated during the third quarter of 2026.
The company estimates the total direct cost of the drilling program and related laboratory testing at approximately US$15 million, excluding employee payroll. Preliminary results are expected within six months, with full results anticipated within 12 to 15 months.
The metallurgical component of the program is expected to include up to 36 drill holes totaling roughly 33,000 feet (10,000 metres) across the Gunnison and Strong & Harris deposits. The samples will be used for metallurgical testing, engineering studies and mine planning activities associated with the PFS and permitting process.
As part of that work, Gunnison plans to conduct up to 270 column leach tests over the next 12 months, which it described as the industry standard for predicting and optimizing large-scale copper heap leaching.
After the initial metallurgical phase, the company plans to undertake a resource drilling program of up to 84 drill holes totaling approximately 105,000 feet (32,000 metres).
The objectives include expanding known mineralization, identifying new mineralized zones, upgrading inferred resources to measured and indicated classifications, further defining mineralization limits at both deposits, and evaluating the continuation of the Gunnison mineralized system at depth.
Gunnison said the Gunnison Copper Project and the Strong & Harris deposit are part of its district-scale land package in Arizona's Southern Copper Belt, where it believes additional opportunities exist to expand and further define mineralization across multiple nearby deposits.
"We are moving forward with a great sense of urgency to deliver on our vision of fueling America's security and prosperity by acting to rapidly increase the domestic copper supply," Gunnison Copper CEO Craig Hallworth said in a statement.
"This program is designed not only to potentially add more copper to our flagship project, but also support metallurgical optimization and the resource conversion required to support a mineral reserve in our planned PFS."