Copper Hunt Heats Up in Famed Mining Camp as Microcap Drills Into Massive Sulphide

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Wednesday, June 24, 2026

The race to secure copper, the metal that wires everything from electric vehicles to the power-hungry data centers driving the AI boom, has investors scouring the globe for new sources of supply. Demand forecasts keep climbing while major new discoveries grow scarce, putting fresh attention on historically rich mining districts where the geology is already proven and explorers can chase known mineralized trends with confidence.

Shares of Nine Mile Metals Ltd. (CSE: NINE) (OTCID: VMSXF) are climbing Wednesday after the company reported strong visual results from a freshly completed drill hole at its flagship Wedge project in New Brunswick's world-famous Bathurst Mining Camp.

The company announced that drill hole WD-26-01 intersected 129.72 meters of visual mineralization, identifying two distinct massive sulphide zones including a new zone at depth. The hole cut base metal sulphides, pyrite, and chalcopyrite mineralization between 34.60 and 164.32 meters in true width, with the lower zone carrying visible sphalerite for zinc and galena for lead alongside the copper.

Drilled from the north at a 155-degree azimuth and a 50-degree dip, the hole reached a final depth of 202.00 meters. Visible copper increased near the 119.50-meter mark, with sulphide mineralization intensifying through 147.55 meters. Coarse, visible chalcopyrite extended to 160.98 meters, and massive pyritic VMS mineralization carried through to 164.32 meters, where on-site XRF analysis confirmed copper, zinc, and lead. A standout feature was the coarse-grained, visible chalcopyrite running throughout the mineralized sections.

"Drill results continue to impress, with coarse grained chalcopyrite and massive VMS mineralization demonstrating the robust nature of the Wedge," said Gary Lohman, VP Exploration and Director, who also announced the addition of veteran Bathurst Camp geologist Art Hamilton to the team.

CEO Patrick J. Cruickshank said the hole confirms that the north-eastern extension of the Wedge is strongly mineralized. He noted the company expects its second drill rig the week after July 2, with supplier Orbit Garant having built more than 20 new rigs this winter to meet surging demand. A track-mounted rig is secured for September onward.

All core has been logged, photographed, and marked for sampling at the company's Bathurst warehouse, with samples bound for ALS Global in Moncton for base metal, precious metal, and antimony analysis. Nine Mile is targeting critical minerals across four VMS projects in the Bathurst camp, positioning for copper, silver, lead, and zinc demand tied to AI data centers and green technologies.

Shares of NINE are up 6.3% to C$0.085 in Wednesday trading, while VMSXF is flat at $0.0625.

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