QMines Hits Copper Sulphides 180m Beyond Mt Chalmers With Assays Due in October
Key Takeaways
- QMines intersected an 11m zone of chalcopyrite-pyrite stringer mineralisation from 192.15m to 203m, about 180m NNE of the Mt Chalmers Resource and outside the 2024 PFS open pit.
- Two semi-massive bands logged 20 to 30% and 25 to 35% total sulphide, but they are visual estimates and the thin intervals mean no whole-zone grade is reported.
- Laboratory assays for gold, copper, zinc, lead and silver are due towards the end of October 2026, the next hard catalyst for the stock.
- The result supports testing the interpreted 4km Woods Shaft–Mt Chalmers–Botos corridor, though no continuous link to Mt Chalmers or Botos has been established.
- The zone is outside the Mineral Resource, the Ore Reserve and the Definitive Feasibility Study now underway, so it is pure exploration upside until assays confirm it.
Copper sulphides intersected 180m beyond Mt Chalmers Resource
QMines (ASX:QML) has intersected an 11m downhole zone (192.15m to 203m) of visually identified chalcopyrite–pyrite stringer mineralisation in diamond hole 26MCDD052. It sits approximately 180m NNE of the current Mt Chalmers Mineral Resource and outside the 2024 PFS open pit.
This Mt Chalmers copper discovery is a visual result only. Metal grades, true width and continuity remain unknown, and laboratory assays are expected towards the end of October 2026. Treat it as a drilling target, not a grade.
The logging does record two semi-massive sections: 192.5m to 194m (20 to 30% total sulphide) and 201.5m to 202.1m (25 to 35%). Both are visual estimates, not assay results.
The intercept lies approximately 167m below surface. Hole 26MCDD052 is only the second to test this area north of the main pit, and access came from the recently announced property acquisition agreements (18 September 2026).
Tom Bartschi, Exploration Manager
“…26MCDD052 is only the second hole to test this highly prospective area north of the main pit.”
Bartschi also cautioned that “…the connection between Mt Chalmers and Botos remains to be demonstrated…”. That is the honest framing: an interesting signal, not yet a proven link.
What the core showed
The table below shows the first six logged subintervals. These are semi-quantitative visual estimates by volume from whole-core logging.
| From (m) | To (m) | Mineralisation style | Total sulphide (%) | Chalcopyrite (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 192.15 | 192.5 | Silicified, vein stringer | 3 to 7 | 1 to 3 |
| 192.5 | 194 | Semi massive | **20 to 30** | 10 to 15 |
| 194 | 196.5 | Stringer (quartz carbonate veins) | 8 to 12 | 3 to 5 |
| 196.5 | 201.5 | Disseminated, pyrite dominant | 3 to 5 | 1 to 2 |
| 201.5 | 202.1 | Semi massive | **25 to 35** | 15 to 20 |
| 202.1 | 203 | Disseminated | 3 to 5 | 1 to 2 |
Most of the zone is weaker, and the central 196.5m to 201.5m section is pyrite dominant. The strongest material sits in thin intervals, so no whole-zone average or metal-grade estimate is reported.
The company’s cautionary statement applies: visual estimates of mineral abundance should never be considered a proxy or substitute for laboratory analyses where grades are the factor of principal economic interest.
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Why VHMS stringer zones matter to explorers
In Volcanic Hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) systems, stringer zones can represent hydrothermal fluid pathways beneath massive sulphide accumulations. Stringers are networks of thin, irregular veins.
The sulphide assemblage and vein textures match the stringer mineralisation logged beneath the massive sulphide lenses at Mt Chalmers. That makes the zone a target for assessing a possible further lens, though a lens cannot be assumed to lie directly above the intersection, and none has been demonstrated.
Three geological interpretations are being considered:
- A northern extension of the Mt Chalmers main lode
- A separate NNE-trending mineralised zone (“East Lode” interpretation)
- Mineralisation associated with Botos
Woods Shaft, Mt Chalmers West Lode and Mt Chalmers Main Lode all lie on NNE trending controls, each to the NE of the other. The new intercept could lie on a further such feature, and there is no significant drill testing in this position.
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Testing a 4km corridor as drilling continues
The intercept supports further exploration of the interpreted approximately 4km Woods Shaft–Mt Chalmers–Botos corridor, first outlined on 16 June 2026, with significant areas remaining untested. The current drilling has not established a continuous connection to either Mt Chalmers or Botos.
The interpreted 4km untested corridor linking Woods Shaft, Mt Chalmers and Botos is the framework against which each new northern hole is being judged, with the geometry of the NNE trending controls central to the targeting.
Next steps include:
- Follow-up drilling is underway to test orientation, true width and continuity.
- Assays for gold, copper, zinc, lead and silver are expected towards the end of October 2026.
- Further results are anticipated from the expanded Mt Chalmers drilling program, with many holes marked “Assays pending”.
For status, the zone is outside the current Mineral Resource and 2024 PFS open pit, is not included in the Ore Reserve underpinning the Mt Chalmers PFS, and has not been incorporated into the Definitive Feasibility Study now underway.
For context, the existing estimates from the 30 April 2024 PFS announcement are separate from this zone:
- Mt Chalmers Mineral Resource: 11.3Mt @ 0.75% Cu, 0.42g/t Au
- Mt Chalmers Ore Reserve: 9.6Mt @ 0.65% Cu, 0.48g/t Au
What it means for you: the intercept shows exploration potential beyond current boundaries, and the assays due in late October are the next catalyst. Until then, the result is a visual indicator that needs laboratory confirmation.
Want to Explore More About QMines’ Mt Chalmers Copper Discovery?
QMines (ASX:QML) has intersected an 11m zone of visually identified chalcopyrite-pyrite stringer mineralisation roughly 180m beyond the Mt Chalmers Resource. The result supports exploration of the interpreted 4km Woods Shaft-Mt Chalmers-Botos corridor, with assays due towards the end of October 2026.
Investors tracking this potential catalyst can visit the QMines company page on Discovery Alert to explore the company’s projects and latest announcements. Stay informed as follow-up drilling and laboratory results emerge.