Norsemont Mining (CSE: NOM, OTC: NRRSF, Germany: LXZ1) reports an update on the ongoing drilling program at its Choquelimpie gold and copper project in Chile. According to the company, the first seven core drill holes (DDH) of the Phase 3 program have been completed and a total of 1,650 meters were drilled. The goal of the work is, among other things, to better delineate higher-grade gold zones at depth and thus gain additional information for possible extensions of the resource.
However, the operational schedule has been affected by the annually recurring weather phenomenon known as “Altiplano Winter.” Norsemont Mining has therefore announced that it will temporarily suspend drilling operations. According to current plans, work is scheduled to resume in April 2026 in order to complete the Phase 3 program as planned: a total of 20 drill holes totaling approximately 5,000 meters.
Norsemont Mining Advances Phase 3 – Seven Holes Completed, 20 Planned
According to Norsemont Mining, the Phase 3 drilling campaign is focused on the extension of higher-grade gold mineralization down-dip. The company cites gold grades of over 1 gram per ton within specific breccia-like zones (hydrothermal breccias) as the threshold. The seven holes drilled to date were designed to test precisely these areas at depth and to more accurately define the geometry of the mineralized bodies.
CEO Marc Levy in this context speaks of encouraging geological indications from the observation of the drill cores obtained so far: higher-grade hydrothermal breccia bodies have been intersected at depth. This supports the assumption that the known zones could be extended not only laterally but also vertically. At the same time, planning and permit preparation for a more extensive Phase 4 program in 2026 are already underway.
Norsemont Mining is counting on weather conditions stabilizing sufficiently in April. The team will then complete the remaining Phase 3 drilling and thus broaden the data basis for the next steps.
Samples in the Lab: Initial Evaluations Available – Further Assays Expected This Quarter
Norsemont Mining also announces that the drill samples from the 2025 program have been delivered to the laboratory. Initial results have already been received for two drill holes, although individual sections will have to be re-examined due to so-called “over-limit” values, which means that the initial analysis results exceed the laboratory’s detection limits. In addition, according to the company, partial results for further drill holes are already available. The company expects the outstanding analyses to be completed during the current quarter.
If measurements for individual metals exceed the accuracy limits of the standard method, re-assays are performed. Norsemont specifies concrete thresholds: 100 ppm for silver, 10,000 ppm for copper, 5,000 ppm for lead, and 10,000 ppm for zinc. Such re-analyses are standard practice in the industry because they allow for a more precise classification of very high grades.
What the Drill Cores Show So Far – Indications of Breccia Bodies and Mineralized Zones at Depth
Even without published grade data to date, Norsemont Mining describes what the initial drilling has revealed geologically. As expected, drill hole MV25-DD01 intersected the Vizcacha hydrothermal breccia; initial assays are already available, but as mentioned, individual areas must be reanalyzed due to over-limit values. MV25-DD02 was drilled to 239 meters and encountered mainly Vizcacha breccia from the starting point to a depth of 145 meters; below this, brecciated porphyritic rocks dominated.
With MV25-DD03, Norsemont Mining targeted the Choque Zone at depth, below an area where the 2025 resource model shows higher gold grades. The drill hole reached 275 meters and mainly intersected argillic altered porphyritic units; in the upper half, sections of hydrothermal breccia were also added. Oxidation is reported here up to 12.5 meters of drill hole length – a detail that may play a role later in metallurgical considerations.
MV25-DD04 (200 meters) and MV25-DD05 (221 meters) were also used to explore the Choque Zone. Both drill holes report a sequence of porphyritic rocks and breccia sections; MV25-DD04 describes a matrix of predominantly pyrite, while MV25-DD05 mentions breccia bodies, locally containing enargite. MV25-DD06 (225 meters) tested the Vizcacha Zone again and, according to the team’s assessment, could indicate that a breccia body is larger than previously modeled.
This results in a clear work plan for Norsemont Mining: First, complete the remaining Phase 3 drilling after the weather window closes; second, obtain all outstanding laboratory results; and third, expand the database for Phase 4, which is already in preparation. The company intends to make statements on specific gold grades as soon as the assays are complete – Norsemont Mining expects to make the first announcements “shortly.”
