True North Copper (ASX:TNC) is planning its next exploration campaign to expand its geological understanding of the Aquila discovery within the Mt Oxide Project in northwest Queensland, following results from phase two of drilling.
The 2026 program will focus on extending the discovery at depth and along strike by targeting previously identified ‘high grade’ shoots.
Exploration will also expand regional geophysical coverage with additional induced polarisation surveys at the Aquila, Apollo, and Acanthis trends, and targets at the Mt Gordon and Dormon fault corridors.
Phase two drilling has defined mineralisation with estimated true widths of between 45-60m over a 250m strike length zone at the Aquila discovery. Mineralisation has been defined as over 1,000m of total strike.
True North reported intersections from Aquila at drillhole MOX267 including 74m @ 0.49% copper, 0.01% cobalt, and 1.7 grams per tonne silver from 136m, including 18m @ 0.88% copper, 0.01% cobalt, 1.8g/t silver from 136m, and 3m @ 3.44% copper, 0.00% cobalt, 5g/t silver from 144m.
Drillhole MOX269 has extended mineralisation by a further 100m to a total length of 1,000m at Aquila, before the hole’s exploration focus was terminated due to operational factors.
Managing Director Andrew Mooney says the results from the Mt Oxide Project demonstrate the scale and robustness of the Aquila system.
“This gives us the clarity to make informed decisions around capital allocation, sequencing and growth as we move into a fully funded 2026 program, consistent with our develop, grow, and discover strategy,” Mooney says.
“The phase two program was about increasing certainty and building a technical foundation we can confidently plan from.
“It has significantly increased our confidence in the geometry, thickness, and continuity of Aquila, which is critical as we consider how Mt Oxide fits alongside the Cloncurry Copper Project in a staged and capital-disciplined growth strategy.”
Exploration Manager Barry Jones says the project has seen limited modern exploration activity and is a “rare example of a highly prospective, high grade mineral district”.
“This phase two drilling has materially improved our understanding of the system architecture and confirmed that our geophysical tools are effectively vectoring us into mineralisation,” Jones says.
“In 2026, we will build on this momentum by extending induced polarisation coverage, advancing our geological understanding through diamond drilling, and then executing targeted reverse circulation step-out drilling.
“This disciplined, staged approach is designed to unlock the district-scale potential of Mt Oxide, grow the Aquila discovery, and test multiple parallel trends for additional large-scale opportunities.”
True North Copper is advancing their portfolio of copper assets in northwest Queensland.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: True North Copper
