Gunnison Copper (TSX:GCU) is accelerating a district-wide drilling program and preparing to expand its fleet to six rigs, supporting metallurgical optimisation, resource expansion, and conversion across its namesake project in Arizona, US.
The 2026 drilling program is expected to include up to 120 drill holes totalling 42,000m.
Two drill rigs are currently active at the Gunnison Copper Project, with the initial phase of metallurgical drilling at the deposit now complete. Core samples have been collected and submitted to independent laboratories for analysis and will support the company’s ongoing metallurgical optimisation program.
Metallurgical drilling has begun at the Strong & Harris deposit, and a column leach testing program has been initiated and expanded, with 68 of the 405 tests currently in process.
Gunnison Copper expects to increase the drill rigs from two to six in September as it accelerates the next phase of the program. The company expects to release preliminary results in Q4 2026, with the full results anticipated in mid-2027.
CEO Craig Hallworth says completing initial metallurgical drilling at Gunnison and advancing work at Strong & Harris are “important” milestones as the company continues to optimise the project and unlock additional value across the district.
“With six drill rigs expected to be operating in September, we’ll significantly increase the pace of drilling as we begin an exciting phase focused on expanding and upgrading the resource base,” Hallworth says.
“We believe the district offers exceptional potential to add additional mineral resources, as well as the possibility of recovery payable zinc and silver by-product credits, and we look forward to sharing preliminary results as they become available later this year.”
The Strong & Harris deposit, located around 3km from the Gunnison processing facilities, is included in the project’s mine plan and hosts an inferred resource of 76 million tonnes (Mt) @ 0.49% total copper (Cu), 0.56% zinc (Zn), and 0.12 ounces per tonne of silver (Ag), containing 740 million pounds (Mlb) of Cu, 856Mlb of Zn, and 9 million ounces of Ag.
The Gunnison Copper Project has a main pit measured and indicated resource totalling 846Mt @ 0.33% total Cu, containing 5.19 billion pounds of Cu.
Gunnison Copper is a multi-asset, pure-play copper developer and producer that controls the Cochise Mining District in Arizona.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Gunnison Copper
