Nicola Mining (TSX-V:NIM) has completed its inaugural drill hole at the Jotun target within the wholly owned New Craigmont Copper Project near Merritt, British Columbia, confirming the strong potential of a porphyry copper target.
Nicola has also completed an extensive soil geochemistry program at the Draken target, another prospective porphyry target, and an airborne geophysical survey over the entire New Craigmont property.
The Craigmont mine holds the historic title of the highest-grade major copper mine in North America and sits near Highland Valley Copper, Canada’s largest copper mine.
The company’s 2026 program is the most comprehensive and technically advanced porphyry exploration campaign undertaken by Nicola at New Craigmont.
Nicola notes that the 2026 campaign is expected to significantly enhance target definition, improve vectoring toward potential mineralised centres, and establish a robust technical framework for further exploration.
The data from this campaign is expected to refine future drilling and support a focused exploration program in 2027.
The completed hole was drilled to a depth of 840m at a key target in Nicola’s district-scale exploration model for New Craigmont. The hole intersected mostly hornblende diorite of the Guichon Creek Border Phase, which is consistent with the company’s geological interpretation.
The hole also intersected several fault zones and fractured intervals, with several of these structures containing visible copper along fractures and fault planes that are associated with hematite and limonite alteration. Visible observations confirm that copper-bearing fluids are active within the system and are evidence of a fertile mineralised environment.
Nicola notes that the top 186m of the hole showed the strongest porphyry-style alteration drilled to date, confirming Jotun as a porphyry target.
The company is planning to generate another drill target for 2027, with modelling focused on using geophysics to understand the faults and their interaction with the targets.
The geophysical survey was a mobile magnetotelluric (MobileMT) survey undertaken to improve the resolution of previous geophysical datasets and define future exploration targets. The survey was completed across 1,436 line-kilometres on survey lines spaced 100m apart.
Nicola also completed a Mobile Metal Ion soil sampling program at the Draken area, with the program conducted by Geotronics Consulting, with analysis provided by SGS Canada. The program covers a 3.5km by 2.5km area, along lines spaced 200m apart.
Nicola is now preparing a drill program at the Treasure Mountain Silver Project near Hope, British Columbia, and will return to New Craigmont later in the year once it has the results from the 2026 program to add into existing geological, geochemical, geophysical, and drill data.
According to the company, New Craigmont benefits from its British Columbia setting when compared with jurisdictions such as Chile and Mexico.
It says copper projects in the province can have comparatively low cut-off grades, low water and power costs, low altitude, a mild climate, and logistical proximity to global markets.
Nicola Mining is a junior mining company with a wholly owned mill and tailings facility and is focused on advancing the New Craigmont Project in Canada.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Images: Nicola Mining
