Drill results include 10.69% copper over 21 metres, 5.60% copper over 26 metres, and 3.01% copper over 15 metres
Vancouver, British Columbia, January 29, 2025. Midnight Sun Mining Corporation (TSXV: MMA / OTC: MDNGF) (“Midnight Sun” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the results of the 2024 oxide copper drilling program, carried out on the Kazhiba Target (“Kazhiba”). Kazhiba is one of 4 key target areas that comprise the Solwezi Project in Zambia, located approximately 6 kilometres southwest of First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi Copper Mine. This drill program was designed to validate and confirm the potential oxide copper resource at the Kazhiba Target and is the first major step under the previously announced Cooperative Exploration Plan with First Quantum Minerals (see news release dated April 23, 2024).
Highlights of surface drilling from the Kazhiba Oxide Copper Target include:
- 10.69% copper over 21.0 metres from drill hole MSZ22-028
- 5.60% copper over 26.0 metres from drill hole MSZ22-020
- 3.01% copper over 15.0 metres from drill hole MSZ22-012
- 4.66% copper over 7.0 metres from drill hole MSZ22-030
Exploration Highlights
- 54 Reverse Circulation (“RC”) drill holes, totalling 2,005 metres (“m”) completed
- Mineralization appears to extend north-northeast and remains open. 13 additional RC holes are planned to test this extension, as an initial part of a broader follow up program, currently being designed and anticipated to start April 2025
- Total of 625 Partial Ionic LeachTM samples acquired in the Kazhiba Target – results pending and expected Q1 2025
- A total of 3,250 m of gradient and dipole-dipole induced polarization survey (“IP Survey”) was completed over additional geochemical targets. Results are due Q1 2025
Midnight Sun’s President & CEO, Al Fabbro, stated: “We believed that high-grade, at-surface oxide copper mineralization encountered during previous work programs at our Kazhiba and Mitu Targets, was significant. We now have proof of concept. Oxide copper represents a tremendous value-driver for our Solwezi Project. By demonstrating that the mineralization has grade, scale, and growth potential, we intend to leverage the opportunity toward significant potential near-term cash flow. In parallel, we are excited to unlock the potential of the multiple large scale sulfide targets hosted within our property boundaries. Our geological team, led by our COO, Kevin Bonel, have delivered a successful drill program, complete with impressive high-grade intercepts, and an established mineralized footprint forming the basis to develop a resource. We have room to extend and expand the mineralized footprint at Kazhiba, and a geological thesis as to how this high-grade mobilized oxide copper blanket came to be in its current location. We have executed and delivered the first major steps in our Cooperative Exploration Program with First Quantum, and we will continue to demonstrate both the optionality and true value of this incredible project, through our two-fold attack plan.”
Overview
Midnight Sun’s 2024 exploration program was designed to validate and confirm oxide copper mineralization at the Kazhiba Target as well as establish continuity, distribution, and grade of this mobilized, near-surface oxide copper blanket. The program successfully returned high-grade results, from multiple holes, providing proof of concept, as well as the basis for a resource study to be completed later in Q1 2025. In addition, the same licence area was sampled using Partial Ionic LeachTM methodology to explore for additional blind oxide copper occurrences and attempt to geochemically identify possible sulphide sources for the overburden-hosted oxide copper at Kazhiba. Results from the Partial Ionic LeachTM sampling are pending.
A total of 54 Reverse Circulation holes were drilled into the Kazhiba oxide copper target for a total of 2,005 metres drilled. Thirteen initial additional holes are planned for April 2025.
The resource potential of the drill tested Kazhiba oxide copper target is being internally modelled as a transported occurrence. The mineralization returned by the recent work indicates areas of extension, and the company intends to follow up with additional drilling later in 2025. Follow up exploration in 2025 will focus on further extending this initial oxide copper footprint, finding more of these transported occurrences as well as trying to confirm the primary sulfide source of the secondary oxide copper at Kazhiba.
Kazhiba Target Results
The Kazhiba Target was originally identified by a weakly elevated copper-in-soil anomaly that earlier drill testing confirmed is due to significant quantities of malachite fragments in transported overburden.
To delineate the potential for an oxide copper resource, a 50 m x 50 m Reverse Circulation drill grid was executed over the resource area, with a 100 m x 100 m ring of drilling around the target to test for potential extensions.
A total of 54 holes were drilled for 2,005 m of drilling. The drill chips were sampled and assayed every metre. A minimum of five m of bedrock was drilled after passing through the malachite-bearing overburden to check for a bedrock source. A bedrock source of the malachite in the overburden was not encountered so the source of the oxide copper remains a significant exploration target within the licence.
The malachite appears to continue to the north and north-east and 13 initial drill holes have been designed to test this extension, with work expected to begin in April 2025.
Kazhiba Target Significant Downhole Intercepts
| HOLE_ID | FROM (m) | TO (m) | Interval (m) | Copper Grade (%) |
| MSZ22-004 | 3 | 20 | 17 | 0.45 |
| MSZ22-010 | 19 | 21 | 2 | 0.40 |
| MSZ22-012 | 12 | 27 | 15 | 3.01 |
| MSZ22-013 | 18 | 37 | 19 | 0.91 |
| MSZ22-014 | 14 | 19 | 5 | 1.21 |
| MSZ22-019 | 11 | 34 | 23 | 0.82 |
| MSZ22-020 | 14 | 40 | 26 | 5.60 |
| MSZ22-022 | 35 | 41 | 6 | 0.23 |
| MSZ22-027 | 20 | 31 | 11 | 0.82 |
| MSZ22-028 | 13 | 34 | 21 | 10.69 |
| MSZ22-030 | 13 | 20 | 7 | 4.66 |
| MSZ22-031 | 37 | 40 | 3 | 0.16 |
| MSZ22-036 | 25 | 30 | 5 | 0.14 |
| MSZ22-037 | 35 | 45 | 10 | 0.12 |
| MSZ22-038 | 28 | 38 | 10 | 0.09 |
| MSZ22-061 | 9 | 21 | 12 | 0.11 |
| MSZ22-058 | 6 | 19 | 13 | 0.11 |
*All reported intercepts are down hole lengths. True thickness estimated to be ~85-100% of down hole lengths.
Location of Reported Drill Holes
| HOLE ID | XCOORD | YCOORD | AZIMUTH | DIP | EOH (m) |
| MSZ22-004 | 422400 | 8661853 | VERTICAL | -90 | 40 |
| MSZ22-010 | 422300 | 8661803 | VERTICAL | -90 | 30 |
| MSZ22-012 | 422400 | 8661803 | VERTICAL | -90 | 36 |
| MSZ22-013 | 422450 | 8661803 | VERTICAL | -90 | 37 |
| MSZ22-014 | 422500 | 8661803 | VERTICAL | -90 | 28 |
| MSZ22-019 | 422300 | 8661753 | VERTICAL | -90 | 37 |
| MSZ22-020 | 422350 | 8661753 | VERTICAL | -90 | 40 |
| MSZ22-022 | 422450 | 8661753 | VERTICAL | -90 | 47 |
| MSZ22-027 | 422250 | 8661703 | VERTICAL | -90 | 36 |
| MSZ22-028 | 422300 | 8661703 | VERTICAL | -90 | 40 |
| MSZ22-030 | 422400 | 8661703 | VERTICAL | -90 | 23 |
| MSZ22-031 | 422450 | 8661703 | VERTICAL | -90 | 48 |
| MSZ22-036 | 422250 | 8661653 | VERTICAL | -90 | 46 |
| MSZ22-037 | 422300 | 8661653 | VERTICAL | -90 | 48 |
| MSZ22-038 | 422350 | 8661653 | VERTICAL | -90 | 42 |
| MSZ22-061 | 422300 | 8661903 | VERTICAL | -90 | 24 |
| MSZ22-058 | 422350 | 8661853 | VERTICAL | -90 | 23 |
- WGS84 UTM35S
Quality Control/Quality Assurance
RC chips were collected from the rig cyclone every metre and assigned a unique sample number. A duplicate (witness) sample was split from the cyclone sample. All samples were delivered to ALS Chemex laboratory at Kansanshi Mine for copper content determination. ALS Chemex Kansanshi is a fully accredited laboratory. Once received the samples are sorted, dried, crushed and pulped followed by four-acid digest to determine acid soluble and total copper by an AAS scan. Gold was assayed by fire assay. Standards, duplicates and blanks were inserted regularly in the sample stream and checks performed for Cu.
Qualified Person: Darin Labrenz, P.Geo., a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical data and contents of this release.
About Midnight Sun
Midnight Sun is focused on exploring our flagship Solwezi Project, located in Zambia. Situated in the heart of the Zambia-Congo Copperbelt, the second largest copper producing region in the world, our property is vast and highly prospective. Our Solwezi Project is surrounded by world-class producing copper mines, including Africa’s largest copper mining complex right next door, First Quantum’s Kansanshi Mine. Led by an experienced geological team with multiple discoveries and mines around the world to their credit, Midnight Sun intends to find and develop Zambia’s next generational copper deposit.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF MIDNIGHT SUN MINING CORP.
Al Fabbro
President & CEO
For Further Information Contact:
Adrian O’Brien
Director of Marketing and Communications
Tel: +1 604 809 6890
Em: adrian@midnightsunmining.com
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