Hawk Resources Limited (ASX: HWK) has completed its Cactus Corridor drilling programme at the Cactus copper-gold project in Utah, USA, reporting visible copper mineralisation across the majority of holes drilled and further evidence that the mineralised system remains open to the northwest.
The final stage of drilling targeted the Cactus zone of the corridor, with the last hole, DD26CT016, completed at the northwestern end of the 550m Comet-Cactus zone.
The Cactus Corridor stretches for roughly one kilometre, running from the historical Comet deposit through the Cactus mine and on to the New Years prospect.
Four of the final five holes drilled into the Cactus Corridor intersected visible copper mineralisation, with spot portable XRF (pXRF) assays on drill core reaching as high as 35.5 per cent copper.
The one hole that did not intersect mineralisation encountered altered intrusive rock, interpreted to have passed either above or marginal to the tourmaline breccia hosting the copper.
Company-wide, visible copper mineralisation has now been recorded in eight of the eleven holes drilled into the Cactus Corridor during this programme, which is designed to test the 550m Comet-Cactus zone for near-surface mineralisation.
The copper occurs in veinlets, veins, fractures, coarse blebs and disseminations within tourmaline breccia and altered quartz monzonite intrusive.
Hawk’s broader drilling history along the corridor adds further context.
Two holes drilled at New Year’s in 2024 intersected 26 metres at 1.3 per cent copper and 30 metres at 0.78 per cent copper from surface, while three additional holes drilled towards the northwestern end of the Cactus deposit intersected mineralised intervals of 71-80 metres grading 0.36-0.48 per cent copper, including higher-grade sections above 1 per cent copper.
Molybdenum-rich intercepts of 30-46 metres grading 0.016-0.03 per cent molybdenum were also recorded down these holes.
Including the current programme, near-surface copper mineralisation has now been identified in 13 of 16 Hawk holes drilled along the corridor to date.
Of particular interest to the company is the final hole in the programme, DD26CT016, positioned at the northwestern end of historical drilling at the Cactus mine.
That hole returned a downhole length of 45m of visible copper mineralisation, pointing to an open mineralised zone extending towards New Years.
There is currently a 250-metre gap with no drilling between DD26CT016 and the New Years prospect.
Taken together, the results suggest the mineralised system could extend a further 300 metres to the northwest, an area where past drilling at New Years has already intersected strong copper mineralisation from surface.
Historical drilling and past mining activity also indicate that mineralisation extends to depths of up to 300m below surface across the corridor.
Managing Director Scott Caithness said the results reinforce the company’s confidence in the system.
“Strong visual copper mineralisation has again been intersected in Cactus Corridor drilling, this time in the Cactus Zone with spot pXRF grades of 35.5 per cent copper confirming chalcopyrite mineralisation,” said Caithness.
He added that samples have been submitted to the laboratory, with assay results expected in early October, after which Hawk will determine its next steps at Cactus, including further drilling.
The company said the intersection of copper mineralisation in the last two holes of the programme was the most encouraging outcome, given its implications for the continuity of mineralisation toward New Year’s.
