Patriot Resources Limited (“Patriot”) is pleased to announce the discovery of a new copper drill target at its 100% optioned Sugarloaf Licence in the Mumbwa District of Zambia.
The discovery is located approximately 850 meters from the historical Sugarloaf Pit, reinforcing the area’s geological prospectivity and expanding Patriot’s pipeline of priority drill targets.
Key Highlights
- New copper target has been identified, approximately 850 m from the Sugarloaf pit, within Patriot’s existing Sugarloaf licence (Licence 34479).
- The discovery comprises a syenite-chert body with visible copper mineralization (malachite) across 800 m strike length, and up to 240 m width (trending NE–SW and open-ended).
- pXRF surface tests returned anomalous copper values up to 3.12% Cu, with an average of 0.62% Cu across the mapped surface zone.
- The mineralization style is geologically similar to both the Sugarloaf pit mineralization, as well as to the nearby Sinomine Kitumba Copper Deposit, located 4.4 km to the NW.
- Mapping and sampling confirm significant upside for future drilling and resource development.
The copper-bearing lithology is a feldspar porphyry syenite unit intercalated with ferruginous chert, mapped over an 800 m strike with mineralized zones observed at surface as malachite staining. Portable XRF (pXRF) assays on grab samples returned values ranging from 0.05% to 3.13% Cu, with 13 out of 14 samples returning copper above 0.2% Cu.
While pXRF readings are indicative only, they provide strong confirmation of widespread surface mineralization. Historical reports referenced diamond drilling within the area, with copper intersections recorded to depths of ~100 m.
Next Steps
- Resource modelling to support a JORC (2012) Mineral Resource Estimate, followed by Reserve definition
- Validation diamond drilling
- Metallurgical and process route testwork
- Pit optimization and engineering design
- Ongoing regional exploration within the Sugarloaf licence
- Progressing a toll treating agreement with Sinomine Resources Group to potentially process Sugarloaf ore at the nearby Kitumba facility