Somerset Minerals Limited (SMM) has commenced a maiden reverse circulation drilling program at the Talisker copper target, located within the company’s flagship Coppermine project in Nunavut, Canada. The program is designed to test a 3.4-kilometre central corridor identified through recent infill soil geochemical sampling, which highlighted a high-grade zone within a larger 17-kilometre geophysical and geochemical anomaly. This operation represents the first time the Talisker fault has been tested by a drill bit.

The initial campaign consists of 10 holes across five section lines, with approximately 2,500 metres of drilling scheduled to be completed over the next three to four weeks. The company has already secured permits for up to 100 holes, providing the operational flexibility to quickly initiate follow-up drilling should initial results prove successful. Samples will be processed on a rolling basis, with assays sent to the laboratory in Yellowknife as they become available.

"Drilling at Talisker is a potentially defining moment for Somerset - and it's been six months in the making. Since late last year we've systematically built this target through regional geochemical and geophysical surveys, then sharpened it with infill geochemistry. Now, for the first time ever, a drill bit is testing the Talisker fault - a ~17 km corridor where geophysics, geochemistry and copper mapped at surface all line up, just ~4 km from White Cliff Minerals' Danvers deposit and on a similar regional structure." — Chris Hansen, Managing Director

This drilling activity follows a strategic shift for the company, which recently completed the divestment of its interest in the Blackdome-Elizabeth Gold Project in British Columbia. By finalizing this exit, Somerset has consolidated its resources to focus entirely on its copper exploration priorities in Nunavut.

The company also recently confirmed the successful resolution of a long-standing tax dispute in Ecuador, where the country’s highest court dismissed a claim against its subsidiary. With these legacy matters now settled, the company is positioning itself to focus exclusively on project advancement at Coppermine as assay results from the current drilling program begin to flow through in the coming weeks.

Read the full announcement: Maiden RC Drilling Commences at Talisker Copper Target