Why Cooper Metals (ASX:CPM) reports copper intersections from reverse circulation drilling at Attina and Ardmore North

Sonal Goyal

15 October 2026 10:45 PM AEDT

Why Cooper Metals (ASX:CPM) reports copper intersections from reverse circulation drilling at Attina and Ardmore North

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The program comprised 16 holes for 1,984 metres, with 13 holes at Ardmore North and three at Attina.
Hole 26MIE-005 at Ardmore North returned 2 metres at 2.66 per cent copper, and hole 26MIE-016 at Attina returned 5 metres at 1.21 per cent copper.
True widths are not known, and no Mineral Resource is reported or implied.

The drilling

Cooper Metals Limited (ASX:CPM) announced on 15 October 2026 results from Reverse Circulation Drilling at the Attina and Ardmore North prospects, part of its 100 per cent held Mt Isa East copper-gold project in north-west Queensland, about 80 kilometres south-east of Mount Isa. The program comprised 16 holes for 1,984 metres, with 13 holes at Ardmore North and three at Attina, drilled at a nominal dip of minus 55 degrees. Holes 26MIE-001 to 26MIE-004 returned no intersection above the 0.3 per cent copper cut-off.

Attina results

At Attina, hole 26MIE-014 intersected 12 metres at 0.60 per cent copper and 0.14 grams per tonne gold from 12 metres, including 1 metre at 1.38 per cent copper. Hole 26MIE-016 returned 5 metres at 1.21 per cent copper and 0.22 grams per tonne gold from 112 metres, including 2 metres at 2.07 per cent copper, and a further 11 metres at 0.58 per cent copper from 121 metres. Hole 26MIE-015 returned 1 metre at 1.70 per cent copper from 69 metres. The company notes one interval in 26MIE-016, from 1 to 2 metres, came from the cased collar zone and carries a caution.

Ardmore North results

At Ardmore North, hole 26MIE-005 returned 2 metres at 2.66 per cent copper and 0.54 grams per tonne gold from 22 metres, including 1 metre at 4.91 per cent copper. Hole 26MIE-007 returned 2 metres at 2.51 per cent copper from 85 metres, including 1 metre at 4.15 per cent copper. Hole 26MIE-013 returned 7 metres at 0.93 per cent copper from 9 metres, including 1 metre at 3.64 per cent copper, and 8 metres at 0.56 per cent copper from 46 metres. The highest gold value in the program was 1.07 grams per tonne over 1 metre in hole 26MIE-012, within 2 metres at 1.03 per cent copper.

Limits of the data

The company states that true widths are not known. All intervals are downhole lengths, and the holes are expected to intersect steeply dipping veins obliquely, so downhole lengths are likely to exceed true widths. Only 991 of the 1,984 metres drilled were assayed for copper and 444 metres for gold, with sampling selected on logging and portable XRF readings. The company says data spacing is insufficient to establish geological or grade continuity, and no Mineral Resource is reported or implied.

Quality control notes in the announcement list exceptions, including a certified reference material failure that was re-assayed, blank carryover, duplicate variance and limited gold precision at low grades. Some samples from the cased collar zone arrived below the nominal weight. One collar, 26MIE-012, was located with handheld GPS accurate to 3 to 5 metres, while 15 of the 16 were surveyed by RTK, and the elevations are model values rather than survey grade. Assays were completed by ALS, and the Competent Person is Dr Christopher Reed of Maverick Geo Pty Ltd.

Project context

Mt Isa East covers about 1,200 square kilometres of granted tenements and applications, and the company says Attina and Ardmore North are two of eleven identified targets. The announcement refers to transactions by other companies in the region, which the company states it is not involved in.

Next steps

Cooper says it will integrate the drilling results with existing geological, geochemical and geophysical data and refine its geological models using multi-element data. It plans targeted field mapping of key structural contacts at both prospects before the wet season, and mapping of the surface expression of the host sequence at Attina. Follow-up drilling is being planned to test the southern along-strike extension and depth extent at Ardmore North and the depth extent at Attina, though no timetable or budget is given for that work.

These are exploration results rather than a resource estimate, and follow-up work is a plan, not a confirmed program.

FAQs

Q: What did the drilling at Attina and Ardmore North return?

A: Several narrow copper intercepts. At Attina, 26MIE-014 returned 12 metres at 0.60 per cent copper, and at Ardmore North, 26MIE-013 returned 7 metres at 0.93 per cent copper. Holes 26MIE-001 to 26MIE-004 returned no intersection above the 0.3 per cent copper cut-off.

Q: What limits the data?

A: True widths are not known, and only 991 of the 1,984 metres drilled were assayed for copper. The company says data spacing is insufficient to establish geological or grade continuity, and the announcement lists quality control exceptions.

Q: What are the next steps?

A: Cooper plans to integrate the results with existing data, carry out field mapping before the wet season and plan follow-up drilling at both prospects. No timetable or budget is given for the follow-up work.

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