Nevada Copper Exploration Program Targets Recently-Staked Ground and New Zones Near Open Pit

 

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Copper Corp. (TSX: NCU) (“Nevada Copper” or the “Company’’) is pleased to announce plans for a $3 million exploration program in 2019 at its 100%-owned Pumpkin Hollow copper project in Nevada, USA. The program has the following goals:

• Newly-staked land exploration: drill-test high-priority areas including Tedeboy and East targets where areas of both porphyry and skarn-style copper mineralization have been identified at surface
• Open pit exploration: drill-test open extensions to the Open Pit ore body and follow up on successful 2018 results
• Open pit advancement: Infill drilling of in-pit Inferred resource material¹ with objective to increase resource tonnage and grade

Matt Gili, Chief Executive Officer of Nevada Copper, stated, “While our operations team focuses on putting our underground mine into production in Q4, 2019, our experienced geological team is executing on our exploration and expansion goals. The new program has been designed in line with our corporate philosophy of pursuing smart, low-cost growth options. It will encompass drilling some of the high-priority targets in underexplored areas of the Pumpkin Hollow project, including newly-staked ground that has encouraging copper showings on surface. In addition, we will also be targeting areas of potential growth in and around the open pit via exploration and expansion drilling.”

2019 Exploration Program Details

Newly-Staked Land Exploration and East Target (see news release dated February 22, 2019)

In February 2019, the Company expanded its land position by 32% with the staking of 5,700 acres of Federal Land to the northwest of its prior land position (shown below Figure 1), known as the Tedeboy Area. This area contains porphyry-style alteration and copper oxide mineralization at surface with multiple zones of copper mineralization sampled in outcrops and trenches.

• Objective: Demonstrate the potential of both existing and newly-staked lands and test multiple new targets, including both porphyry and skarn mineralization
• Key activities:
  o Airborne geophysics survey, and mapping and sampling
  o Drill test Tedeboy and East Targets (see Figure 1.) 

Open Pit Exploration

Following on the success of the 2018 drilling program, the Company has identified several directions of open mineralization around the current Open Pit, notably to the north and the west.  Additionally, the Company intends to increase its understanding of the area immediately between the North and South pit boundaries, known as the “Connector Zone”.

• Objective: Continue to test open extensions to the Open Pit ore body, following the successful extensions identified in 2018
• Key activities:
  o Drill test the new, shallow mineralization in the Northern & NW Extension areas, discovered during the summer 2018 drill program (see news release dated September 24, 2018)
  o Drill test a possible offset of mineralization west of the Open Pit
  o Drill test the connector zone between the north and south pits 

Open Pit Advancement

Current work on the resource model has identified several areas within the Open Pit shell where increased drilling density may add to the resource model as well as potentially convert some of the Inferred Resource to the Indicated Resource category.  Additionally, as we go into detailed engineering, the Company recognizes the need to drill test areas of potential future infrastructure locations to verify no mineralization will be sterilized by their positioning.

• Objective: Infill areas of in-pit inferred material, with the aim of increasing the Open Pit resource tonnage and grade
• Key activities:
  o Drill areas classified as waste and Inferred Resources with goal to convert to Indicated Resources zones in pit
  o Drill areas classified as waste and Inferred Resources to Indicated Resources with goal to convert in open areas along the open pit borders.
  o Drill mineralized areas with goal to upgrade areas of poor core recovery
  o Drill-test targets that fall within proposed infrastructure

Underground In-Fill Drilling

While not part of the current year exploration budget, the underground near-mine exploration continues to hold significant potential for adding new mineral resources and extending the mine life of the Underground Project through in-fill drilling.  We plan on initiating this drilling commensurate with underground mine activities as the underground drilling platforms are developed.

Please visit our website at www.nevadacopper.com for updated construction progress photos and additional project information.

Qualified Persons

The information and data in this news release was reviewed by Greg French, P.G., VP Exploration and Project Development for Nevada Copper, who is a non-independent Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101.

About Nevada Copper

Nevada Copper’s (TSX: NCU) Pumpkin Hollow underground project is in construction with a view to commencement of copper production in Q4, 2019. Located in Nevada, USA, Pumpkin Hollow has substantial reserves and resources including copper, gold and silver. Its two fully-permitted projects include a high-grade underground project (under construction) and a large-scale open pit project.

Additional Information

For further information please visit the Nevada Copper corporate website
(www.nevadacopper.com).

NEVADA COPPER CORP.

Matthew Gili, President and CEO

For further information call:

Rich Matthews,
VP Investor Relations
Phone: 604-355-7179
Toll free: 1-877-648-8266
Email: rmatthews@nevadacopper.com 

We seek safe harbour. 

_________________

¹ References to Inferred, Indicated and Measured Resources are based on the Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM) definitions

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cd81a557-f2d9-4619-a0a2-e24a6d3345d5

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bdfb601f-0362-4c06-9f16-e8465b8bdbae

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cbe2eace-b3f0-46df-8574-5794ff1980c9

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c7d6db1d-5859-4732-97b7-52baf5702d95