Hercules Metals (TSXV:BIG) has provided an updated look at the progress and discoveries made in their ongoing drilling operations at the Leviathan porphyry copper system in western Idaho. The company has reported advances in its Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling campaign, with promising signs of shallow porphyry mineralization and new zones of interest.

Drill holes HER-24-19 through -21 are noteworthy as they highlight early biotite alteration, with mineralization occurring at increasingly shallow depths—beginning as early as 72 meters in hole HER-24-20. These findings mark a clear trend: mineralization becoming more accessible as exploration moves toward a large, untested copper anomaly at the surface to the east.

Geologically, the holes start in shallow phyllic alteration and then transition deeper into biotite alteration, part of what seems to be the outer potassic shell of the system. The extension of this biotite alteration zone southward is a critical expansion, providing new directions for future exploration.

The company has also discovered a magmatic-hydrothermal breccia intercepted in HER-24-20, the first of its kind found at the property. This breccia, spanning 76 to 157 meters downhole, showcases intense mineralization, including pyrite-chalcopyrite occurrences that grow stronger downward. This find adds a new layer of geological complexity and resource potential to the Hercules project.

While the team continues to test the mineralization at deeper levels and interpret these early findings, the extensive exploration effort holds promise. The alteration data and mineralization trends hint at the broader potential of the system, suggesting that there may be even more to uncover.

Highlights from the results are as follows:

• Mineralization begins at 72m depth in HER-24-20 and remains open toward a large surface anomaly.

• Mineralized early biotite alteration intersected in 3 new holes to the southeast – and potentially plunging under HER-23-14, previously thought to be the edge of the system.

• A separate zone of early biotite was also encountered at depth in holes HER-24-08 and HER-24-12, which may be related to a separate intrusive center to the north.

• New magmatic-hydrothermal breccia pipe discovered by HER-24-20 represents a new target type, with vertically extensive potential.

• Mineralized envelope continues to expand – remains open in multiple directions.

• RC drilling continues to provide additional value, testing new targets rapidly, both pre-collar and otherwise.

The above references an opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a licensed professional for investment advice. The author is not an insider or shareholder of any of the companies mentioned above.