Norsemont Mining (CSE:NOM) has initiated drilling activities for the latest phase of exploration at its wholly owned Choquelimpie high-sulfidation gold-silver-copper project in northern Chile. The company reported that the first diamond drill hole of the Phase 3 program has been collared, coinciding with the arrival of a second drill rig that will be used to accelerate work through the end of December.
The announcement marks the start of a program designed to test deeper and potentially higher-grade zones within the Vizcacha hydrothermal breccia. Drilling will be carried out by DV Drilling Ltd. of Coquimbo, Chile, which is operating a Longyear LF230 truck-mounted drill on a 24-hour schedule. All analytical work will be conducted at Activation Geological Services SpA (AGS), an ISO 17025-certified laboratory located in Coquimbo.
Initial Hole Collared at Vizcacha Zone
The first hole of the campaign, MV25-DD01, has been positioned at coordinates E473,285 and N7,975,980 at an elevation of 4,694 meters. It was collared at an azimuth of 275 degrees, inclined at 70 degrees, and is planned to reach a depth of 225 meters. According to the company, the target is an area where higher-grade gold mineralization has been modeled within the Vizcacha hydrothermal breccia.
Norsemont stated that MV25-DD01 has been specifically designed to explore the Vizcacha Zone at depth, beneath the area where grades were calculated in the April 2025 resource model. Historical drilling in the Vizcacha deposit largely focused on shallow rotary holes, and the company intends to expand the geological understanding of the deeper breccia system through this hole.
Scope of the Phase 3 Program
The Phase 3 exploration campaign is planned to include up to 5,000 meters of diamond drilling, utilizing two diamond drill rigs. Drilling is scheduled to continue into late December. The broader design of the program comprises up to 20 holes, each averaging approximately 250 meters. Priority drill stations for the campaign were outlined in figures accompanying the company’s release.
The focus of this phase is to evaluate down-dip extensions of high-grade gold mineralization hosted within hydrothermal breccia zones. Norsemont is conducting the program through its wholly owned Chilean subsidiary, SCM Vilacollo. Oversight of the exploration activities is being provided by Roman Flores, a Persona Calificada (Q.P.) with the Commission Minera Chile.
Operational and Technical Framework
Drill core from the program will be handled using established sampling and analytical procedures, with assays completed at AGS’s ISO 17025-certified facility. The Vizcacha target, described by Norsemont as a hydrothermal breccia zone with potential for higher-grade gold, will be assessed using deeper drilling than historically conducted in the area. The company reiterated that MV25-DD01 is expected to intersect this breccia zone at depth.
With the second drill rig now on site and the first hole underway, the company plans to maintain continuous drilling activity through the final weeks of the year. Results from the ongoing work will contribute to future evaluations of the Choquelimpie project’s mineral potential and may inform subsequent project development planning.
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