The 780-metre campaign completed at Conglomerate Creek represents the first sub-surface test across a 2-kilometre by 2.5-kilometre intrusive complex within the company’s 100%-owned Mt Isa North landholding in northwest Queensland, located approximately 39 kilometres from Glencore's Mt Isa Operations. Hole ACD002 returned 4 metres at 0.81% copper (8,140 ppm) from 84 metres, while the deepest hole, ACD001, intersected 1 metre at 1,060 ppm copper from 169 metres and 8 metres at 651 ppm copper from 176 metres. Remaining intercepts across the program ranged from 504 ppm to 856 ppm copper.

The drilling was designed to test beneath mapped breccia stockwork veining and a dense gravity anomaly, providing a key data point for evaluating the broader target inventory across the property. Six of the seven geophysical anomalies identified within the intrusive complex remain untested by drilling.

“This is the first time a drill bit has ever tested the Conglomerate Creek intrusive system, and it has confirmed what we mapped at surface. We have not yet matched the tenor we see at surface, but for a first-pass program across a 2km by 2.5km target, intersecting the vein system at depth is exactly the result we needed to keep going. We have now tested one of seven anomalies. Detailed electrical geophysics will sharpen our targeting across the rest of the system, and Target 5, where our rock chips ran to 22% copper, is the one we are most keen to get a rig onto. Antares is applying modern exploration to ground that previous operators barely touched, in one of the best copper addresses in the world.”

— Terry Topping, Managing Director

Antares plans to complete surface electrical geophysics ahead of a follow-up reverse circulation drilling program at the Conglomerate Creek Target 5 prospect, which immediately north of the drilled area carries a stronger geochemical response and rock chip samples grading up to 22.0% copper.

Concurrently, the company is advancing field activities at the Quinns project in Western Australia, where a Program of Work for maiden drilling has been approved. Antares plans to advance drill targeting at Quinns while continuing field activities including geological mapping and expanded soil sampling.

Read the full announcement: Maiden Drilling Confirms Copper Mineralisation at Depth