Breakthrough Minerals Limited (ASX: BTM) has commenced a 4,000-metre diamond drilling program at its Turpentine copper-gold deposit, located within the Hazel Creek project in North West Queensland. The company is targeting northern and down-dip extensions of the mineralised system, which currently hosts an inferred resource of 8.7 million tonnes. As the largest deposit in the company's portfolio, Turpentine accounts for more than half of its total copper-equivalent inventory.

The drilling campaign is underpinned by recent gravity inversion modelling and magnetic data, which indicate that the mineralised lode continues to plunge to the north beyond the existing resource envelope. This geophysical evidence provides a key vector for the current exploration, with the company aiming to extend the footprint of the deposit where it remains open at depth.

"Turpentine is a cornerstone deposit for Breakthrough, and this program marks an important step in our strategy to grow our North Queensland copper-gold resource base. With over 100,000 tonnes of contained copper equivalent already defined and mineralisation remaining open to the north and at depth, we believe there is significant opportunity to expand the resource through systematic drilling." — Nigel Broomham, Managing Director

Beyond the diamond drilling at Turpentine, Breakthrough Minerals is actively balancing a multi-project exploration strategy across its North Queensland portfolio. The company is simultaneously advancing operations at its nearby Barbara project and expects to release assay results from its maiden diamond drilling campaign there in the coming weeks.

The wider 2026 campaign also includes plans for 2,500 metres of reverse circulation drilling across several other prospects within the Hazel Creek project area. These regional targets remain high-priority, as the company seeks to build out its exploration pipeline following the completion of initial site assessments.

Read the full announcement: Drilling Commences at Turpentine Copper-Gold Deposit