Edge Copper Mobilizes Drill Rigs and Commences 53,000 Foot Drilling Program at Zonia
Edge Copper Mobilizes Drill Rigs and
Commences 53,000 Foot Drilling Program at
Zonia
VANCOUVER, BC
,
Jan. 22, 2026
/CNW/ -
Edge Copper Corporation
(TSXV: EDCU) ("
Edge
Copper
" or the "
Company
") today announces that drilling has commenced on its 100%-owned
Zonia Copper Project ("Zonia"), located in
Arizona
. Two diamond drill rigs have been mobilized on
site, initiating a six-month drill program.
"The commencement of this drill program represents an important step in advancing Zonia toward
the next stage of development,"
said
Gil Clausen
, Chair and CEO of Edge Copper
. "By optimizing
the drill plan and integrating advanced data analytics through our collaboration with GeologicAI, we
are able to efficiently upgrade and expand the resource while supporting future mine planning. The
results from this program and the updated mineral resource are expected to establish the
foundation for the size and development potential of Zonia. As a first step, we expect to announce
a Preliminary Economic Assessment next month on the Zonia Project, which will represent an
initial development milestone and provide a framework upon which the Company intends to
advance the project."
GeologicAI's Resource Exploration Strategies (RXS), Edge Copper's technical collaborator and
manager of the exploration program, has completed a drill spacing and optimization study for Zonia,
which has improved program and capital efficiency, while maximizing value and maintaining the
program's technical objective. As a result, the original planned drilling has been reduced from
approximately 60,000 feet to approximately 53,000 feet for a total of 78 holes.
Approximately 65% of the drill holes planned will focus on the conversion of Zonia's oxide copper
Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources to higher confidence categories. Approximately 24% of
the holes will be for step-out and expansionary drilling and the remaining 14% will be for
condemnation and geotechnical drilling. A drill hole location map is provided in Appendix A.
The Company has also mobilized GeologicAI's proprietary core scanner, which will be used to
digitize historical core and scan newly drilled core in real time, with remote geological logging. This
approach is expected to enhance data quality, enable near-real-time evaluation of results, and allow
the Company to dynamically adjust drill targeting as the program progresses.
Edge Copper expects to report drill results over the next seven to eight months, subject to assay
laboratory turnaround times. Based on the results of this drill program, the Company expects to
update the Zonia mineral resource in late Q3 or early Q4 2026. Successful execution of the program
could support an expanded mineral resource and contribute to a larger-scale and longer-life
operation at Zonia.
About Edge Copper Corporation
Edge Copper Corporation is a copper-focused exploration and development company advancing its
100%-owned Zonia Copper Project in
Arizona
. Zonia is a past-producing SX-EW heap leach
operation on private land, located in
Arizona's
historic Walnut Grove mining district. With existing
infrastructure and significant potential for resource expansion, Zonia is well-positioned to become a
key U.S. copper development project. For more information, please visit
www.edgecopper.com
.
The TSX Venture Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the Transaction or the
Concurrent Financing and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news
release.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term
is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy
or accuracy of this release.
Appendix A: Drill Hole Location Map (CNW Group/Edge Copper Corporation)
SOURCE
Edge Copper Corporation
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For further information:
For further information regarding Edge Copper: Patricia Fong, Chief
Financial Officer, Telephone: +1 604 307-1128, Email: [email protected]
CO: Edge Copper Corporation
CNW 08:00e 22-JAN-26