Breakthrough Minerals Ltd (ASX:BTM, FRA:24X) has delivered further high-grade copper-gold results from resource expansion drilling at the Turpentine deposit in North Queensland, strengthening the case for growth beyond the existing mineral resource.
Three new holes returned significant mineralisation, led by 5 metres at 3.21% copper equivalent (CuEq) from 137 metres in hole 26TUR005, comprising 2.96% copper and 0.31 g/t gold.
Other results included 12 metres at 0.87% CuEq from 235 metres in 26TUR006, including 4 metres at 1.42% CuEq, and a broad 26 metres at 0.63% CuEq from 249 metres in 26TUR007, including 15 metres at 0.99% CuEq and 8 metres at 1.39% CuEq.
High-grade zones outside resource
The latest drilling is targeting extensions of mineralisation to the north and at depth, testing an interpreted down-plunge continuation of the Turpentine system beyond the existing resource envelope.
Importantly, the 5-metre intersection in 26TUR005 was returned outside the current Turpentine resource model, while the width of mineralisation in 26TUR007 provides further evidence of continuity within the system.
The results follow earlier intersections from the same campaign, including 17 metres at 1.24% CuEq in 26TUR002 and 19 metres at 1.03% CuEq in 26TUR003.
Breakthrough managing director Nigel Broomham said the results continued to build confidence in the scale and quality of Turpentine, with the program identifying a combination of broad mineralised intervals and higher-grade zones.
Turpentine resource growth strategy
Turpentine is Breakthrough’s largest deposit, hosting an Inferred Mineral Resource of 8.7 million tonnes at 1.16% CuEq for 101,000 tonnes of contained CuEq.
It forms part of the company’s broader North Queensland Copper-Gold Project, which contains a total mineral resource inventory of 200,000 tonnes of CuEq.
An initial roughly 4,000-metre drilling program is underway at Turpentine, with further assays still pending.
Breakthrough also plans around 2,500 metres of reverse circulation drilling across the broader Hazel Creek Copper-Gold Project, targeting Turpentine South, Eight Mile Creek North and Eight Mile Creek East. The work forms part of a wider 10,000-metre 2026 exploration campaign aimed at expanding the North Queensland resource base.
About Breakthrough Minerals
Breakthrough Minerals is focused on advancing its North Queensland copper-gold portfolio in the Mount Isa region.
Its resource base totals 18.8 million tonnes at 1.07% CuEq for 200,000 tonnes of contained CuEq, encompassing the Barbara, Mt Colin, Turpentine and Turpentine South-Eight Mile Creek North deposits.