A conceptual open pit is supposed to mark where a deposit ends, at least on paper. This week one company drilled 275 metres past the bottom of its own pit model and kept hitting the same grade it had been mining on paper the whole way up. Two copper stories landed the same week too, one in the coastal mountains of Alaska, the other in a newly discovered mineralized intrusion buried beneath an Ontario copper system that keeps getting bigger.
Volta Metals Extends Springer Rare Earth-Gallium System 275 Metres Below Modelled Pit
Volta Metals Ltd. (CSE: VLTA; OTCQB: VOLMF; FSE: D0W) reported on September 3 that drill hole SL26-37 at its Springer rare earth and gallium project near Sturgeon Falls, Ontario returned 414 metres of continuous mineralization grading 0.41% total rare earth oxides and 35.0 g/t gallium oxide, extending the system roughly 275 metres below the current conceptual open pit, including a peak assay of 5.00% TREO and 74.1 g/t gallium oxide over 0.65 metres. A companion hole, SL26-39, returned 417.5 metres at 0.42% TREO and 38.4 g/t gallium oxide, confirming mineralization from near surface to depth.
Springer already carries a resource of 56.6 million tonnes Indicated at 0.70% TREO and 119.5 million tonnes Inferred at 0.58% TREO, one of the larger rare earth resources in North America, though gallium itself is not yet included in that estimate. Volta says 90% of samples from this year’s program have exceeded 30 g/t gallium oxide across the deposit, and the company is targeting an updated resource incorporating both rare earths and gallium later this year, pending metallurgical results. This is resource-expansion drilling at an already-defined deposit, not a new discovery. Volta’s market capitalization sits near CA$45 million.
Vizsla Copper Intersects 8.4% Copper Equivalent at Palmer, Alaska
Vizsla Copper Corp. (TSXV: VCU; OTCQB: VCUFF; FSE: 97E0) reported on September 3 initial assay results from its Palmer copper-zinc VMS project in Southeast Alaska, with hole CMR26-199 intersecting 49.2 metres grading 4.7% copper equivalent, including a high-grade core of 27.0 metres at 8.4% copper equivalent and a narrower 13.1-metre interval at 10.3% copper equivalent. A second hole, CMR26-201, tested the same zone roughly 50 metres downdip and returned 40.4 metres at 3.0% copper equivalent.
Palmer already carries an Indicated resource of 4.77 million tonnes grading 1.69% copper and 5.17% zinc, along with meaningful silver, gold, and barite credits, so this drilling extends and refines an existing high-grade core rather than opening new ground. Vizsla acquired Palmer in late 2025 and has now expanded the program to 12,250 metres for the year. The company’s market capitalization sits in the CA$100 to CA$135 million range.
Sterling Metals Discovers Mineralized Porphyry Stock at Depth, Extends MEPS Strike to 1.3 Kilometres
Sterling Metals Corp. (TSXV: SAG; OTCQB: SAGGF) reported on September 3 that hole SC-26-16 at the MEPS Zone of its Soo Copper Project near Batchewana Bay, Ontario intersected 451 metres grading 0.30% copper equivalent from the top of bedrock, including 101 metres at 0.50% copper equivalent and a higher-grade core of 12 metres at 1.70% copper equivalent. The same hole also intersected a granite porphyry stock at 301 metres depth that the company says is mineralized for the first time, carrying disseminated and vein molybdenum alongside copper.
The company discloses its copper-equivalent assumptions: US$4.18/lb copper, US$2,600/oz gold, US$30.54/oz silver, and US$21.46/lb molybdenum, based on a three-year trailing average, with an assumed 80% metallurgical recovery across metals. Drilling has now outlined mineralization over roughly 1.3 kilometres of east-west strike at MEPS, with the system remaining open to the east and at depth. No resource estimate exists yet at Soo Copper; this remains discovery-stage drilling. Reported intervals are core lengths, with true widths not yet established. Sterling’s market capitalization sits near CA$80 million.
Frequently Asked Questions
The company is targeting an updated mineral resource estimate that incorporates both rare earth and gallium content, expected later this year, contingent on positive metallurgical test results.
No specific date has been given. The company has expanded its 2026 program at Palmer to 12,250 metres and is using these results to guide follow-up drill targeting currently underway.
Drilling continues stepping outward from the core of the MEPS discovery to test the boundaries of the system, which remains open to the east and at depth, as part of the company’s ongoing 20,000-metre 2026 program.
Volta Metals and Vizsla Copper both have existing resource estimates at Springer and Palmer respectively, which this drilling is working to expand and upgrade. Sterling Metals’ Soo Copper project has no resource estimate yet; MEPS remains a discovery-stage target.
Sources
- Newsfile Corp.: Volta extends Springer rare earth and gallium system 275 metres below modelled open pit, highlighted by 5.00% TREO in drill hole SL26-37, September 3 2026
- Junior Mining Network / CNW: Vizsla Copper intersects 49.2 meters grading 4.7% copper equivalent at its Palmer Project in Southeast Alaska, September 3 2026
- Junior Mining Network / ACCESS Newswire: Sterling increases strike of MEPS discovery to 1.3km and discovers molybdenum-copper porphyry stock at depth, September 3 2026
Editorial Disclosure
This analysis is based entirely on publicly available information including company press releases sourced directly from named wire services and company websites, and verified market data. Securities discussed include Volta Metals Ltd. (CSE: VLTA; OTCQB: VOLMF; FSE: D0W), Vizsla Copper Corp. (TSXV: VCU; OTCQB: VCUFF; FSE: 97E0), and Sterling Metals Corp. (TSXV: SAG; OTCQB: SAGGF). aktiego.com has not received any compensation from any company mentioned, their management, investor relations representatives, or any third party. No staff member or principal of aktiego.com holds a position in any security mentioned at the time of publication. Volta Metals’ and Vizsla Copper’s results discussed here sit within existing resource estimates at Springer and Palmer respectively; this drilling extends and upgrades those estimates rather than representing new discoveries. Gallium is not yet included in Springer’s current resource estimate. Sterling Metals’ Soo Copper project carries no resource estimate; MEPS remains discovery-stage drilling, and its copper-equivalent grades rely on disclosed three-year trailing average metal price assumptions and an assumed 80% recovery rate rather than metallurgical testwork. Reported drill intervals across all three companies are core lengths; true widths have not been established. All company data verified against original press releases from named wire services. Forward-looking commentary regarding exploration outcomes, resource estimates, and financing is opinion only. References to individual companies are for market context and analytical purposes only and do not constitute investment recommendations. All securities carry significant investment risk including total loss of capital. Coverage on aktiego.com is provided for informational and educational purposes only. aktiego.com is not a registered investment advisor. Nothing in this article constitutes financial, investment, or professional advice. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own due diligence and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. For more information please see our full DISCLAIMER.
