South Pacific Metals has acquired a man-portable diamond drill to support faster and more cost-effective mobilisation efforts.
The company plans to use the drill across its four gold-copper projects in PNG, enabling South Pacific Metals to accelerate early-stage target testing of known high-grade bearing structures.
The equipment is scheduled to arrive on-site in May, with drilling to begin soon after.
“The acquisition of our first man-portable drill rig marks a major milestone in accelerating our exploration efforts across Papua New Guinea,” South Pacific Metals executive chair Michael Murphy said.
“With a strong treasury following our recent financing, we’re now in a position to aggressively advance our gold and copper projects.”
Former K92 exploration operator and manager Dean Williamson will lead the in-country drill crew to transport, set up and operate the drill throughout the campaign.
The drill will be put to work at the Osena, Anga, Kili Teke and May River projects.
“The bulk of our identified drill targets fall well within the depth range of this rig, allowing us to operate more efficiently and cut estimated drilling costs by nearly half,” Murphy said.
“While surface work continues to refine and expand our target pipeline, upcoming drill programs are designed to test both known zones of mineralization and newly prioritised areas with strong potential. We’re confident this next phase will drive significant value across our portfolio.”
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