Tertiary Minerals plc is pleased to provide an update on planned activities, including a deeper drill programme, at Target A1, Mushima North Project, Zambia.
Target A1 is a polymetallic, silver-copper-zinc prospect, where the Company has previously reported a near-surface Exploration Target range of 15-30 million tonnes at 40-60 g/t silver equivalent (up to 58 million ounces silver equivalent) at the Discovery Zone.
Mushima North is located in the prospective Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold region of Zambia and is located 28km to the east of the historic Kalengwa copper-silver mine which is currently under redevelopment.
Richard Belcher, Managing Director of Tertiary Minerals plc, commented: “We are pleased to provide an update on the next steps for our flagship project in Zambia. This programme marks our first planned diamond drill programme on the Project and will test for the continuation of mineralisation below the Discovery Zone, and in particular for the potential of underlying primary sulphides. “With the completion of the recent fundraise, and subject to shareholder support at the upcoming General Meeting, we will have sufficient funds to undertake this additional drill programme. Extending the depth of mineralisation and identifying an underlying sulphide system would have significant positive implications for the Project, and we are excited to get back into the field and continue drilling.
“Other additional planned programmes include expanding the analytical suite for critical metals including rare earth elements, additional metallurgical testwork, and environmental and community baseline surveys. With the last of the laboratory results for the recent drilling due soon, along with the initial metallurgical testwork results, we are gearing up for a very strong finish to this year’s Zambian field season. I look forward to providing further updates as these programmes advance.”
Drilling Programme
A programme of approximately 1,000m diamond drilling is planned as an initial “proof of concept” programme to test for the continuation of mineralisation at depth beyond the current mineralisation being defined by the recent Phase 4 programme. Currently, up to 4 holes, each between 200m and 250m in length, inclined at approximately (-60 to -70°) are planned. This will test for mineralisation up to a vertical depth of approximately 200m, considerably deeper than the current Exploration Target (~95m vertically) and the recent Phase 4 drill programme (maximum hole depth 125m vertically).
The new drill programme at Target A1 is designed to:
- Test the depth extent of mineralisation below the Discovery zone and the potential for primary sulphide mineralisation.
- Increase the geological (lithological and structural) understanding of the deposit to support orebody knowledge and future drilling and technical studies.
- Provide drill core samples for additional metallurgical and technical testwork.
The drill programme is expected to commence as soon as the funding is secured following the General Meeting to be held on 28 October 2026, with access and field preparation expected to start in the coming days. The drill programme is estimated to take approximately 4 weeks to complete. Samples will be initially analysed on site using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (“pXRF”) analyser for copper and zinc. Selected mineralised intervals will also be submitted for external assaying at a certified laboratory for a wider suite of elements than previously analysed for, including silver, copper, zinc, cobalt, bismuth, antimony, gallium, gallium and rare earth elements. These will be submitted in regular batches throughout the drill programme, with the first results expected approximately 6-8 weeks after the initial batch is submitted.
Target A1 silver oxide discovery
The Company has previously reported a JORC-compliant Exploration Target for the Discovery Zone of between 15 and 30 million tonnes with an average grade of between 40 and 60 g/t silver equivalent for up to 58 million ounces silver equivalent. As currently defined, this is a near-surface, tabular body located within the oxide zone and is some 500m long, 300m wide and up to 75m thick (based on a lower cut-off of 25 g/t silver equivalent). The mineralisation remains open to the northwest, southwest and at depth, so the full extent and true geometry of the mineralisation remain to be determined. Further information on the Exploration Target can be found in the Company’s announcement on 30 March 2026.
Recent Phase 4 drilling defined a higher-grade zone with a surface footprint of up to 400m by 150m, and mineralisation down to a vertical depth of 125m, the current maximum depth of drilling, and the mineralisation remains open at depth. The potential for the near-surface oxide mineralisation to transition to underlying sulphide mineralisation has yet to be tested. Elevated bismuth (up to 0.53%), antimony (up to 0.22%), cobalt (0.39%) and gallium (up to 40 g/t) are also associated with the mineralisation, but, as yet, have not been fully investigated.
A new shallow, copper mineralised zone located approximately 900m west-southwest from the Discovery Zone was also identified during the Phase 4 drilling. This zone, called the Western Zone, has also only been intersected in scout drilling and remains open.
Mushima North Project
The Mushima North Copper Project (Licence 27068-HQ-LEL) is held through Group company Copernicus Minerals Limited (“Copernicus”), which is 90% owned by Tertiary Minerals (Zambia) Limited and 10% by local partner, Mwashia Resources Limited.
The Project is under a technical cooperation agreement with First Quantum Minerals Limited (“FQM”), which allows Tertiary to benefit from FQM’s historic exploration data in the area, as well as FQM’s geological team’s extensive experience and understanding of the area’s geology. The agreement is non-binding and does not create any obligation to enter into any further agreement. There are no commercial restrictions for Tertiary and FQM does not have a right of first refusal over the Project. Further details can be found in the announcement on 15 September 2022.
Target A1 lies 28km to the east of the Kalengwa copper (-silver) mine in northwest Zambia, one of the highest-grade copper deposits ever to be mined in Zambia. In the 1970s, high-grade ore, averaging approximately 11% Cu copper, was trucked for direct smelting at other mines in the Copperbelt. The Kalengwa Mine is currently under redevelopment.
