Cooper Metals Limited announced the outstanding assay results from samples taken from the recent RC drilling program at King Solomon and Python Cu-Au prospects at the Mt Isa East Copper Gold Project in northwestern Queensland. Overview of Drilling Program: A total of nineteen reverse circulation holes for 2,816m was completed on a range of targets at King Solomon 1, King Solomon 2, King Solomon 3, Python and the Camp gossan. The bulk of the drilling was completed at King Solomon, with 15 holes for 2,314m drilled.

The first batch of assay results was reported to the ASX on 12 December 2022. The laboratory has now provided assay results for all of the fifteen holes submitted to the laboratory. King Solomon 1 November Drill Program Overview: The November drill program is the third program completed by Cooper at King Solomon in 2022.

This third phase included eleven drill holes for 1,824m of RC drilling at King Solomon 1 prospect, drilling under historical workings and testing three plunging shoots identified in the August RC drilling program. To recap, King Solomon 1 has steeply dipping Cu-Au mineralisation hosted within a NNW trending shear zone within the Corella Formation. Mineralisation has been traced for around 650m along strike, with higher grades in three interpreted plunging shoots.

The latest results have now confirmed mineralisation down to at least 170m deep, in hole 22MERC048A. Significant results from 22MERC048A include: 14m at 1.1% Cu and 0.04g/t Au from 44m, incl: 1m at 4.6% Cu and 0.23g/t Au & Incl: 3m at 2.7% Cu and 0.07g/t (22MERC048A); 21m at 0.8% Cu and 0.09g/t Au from 158m, incl: 8m at 1.5% Cu and 0.2g/t Au (22MERC048A); These latest results build on assays released in December last year including assays from drill hole 22MERC055 located in the northern part of King Solomon, which contained three significant intercepts of Cu-Au mineralisation. Importantly, the western zone of mineralisation intersected individual one metre gold grades up to 4.1g/t. Significant Cu-Au intercepts from 22MERC055 include: 17m at 1.7% Cu and 0.38g/t Au from 49m incl: 4m at 6.2% Cu and 1.31g/t Au (western zone); 9m at 2.5% Cu and 0.25g/t Au from 94m incl: 5m at 4.2% Cu and 0.39g/t Au (middle zone); 12m at 0.6% Cu and 0.02g/t Au from 148m incl: 2m at 1.3% Cu and 0.04g/t Au (eastern zone); Other significant intercepts at King Solomon 1 from the recent drilling include: 14m at 1.3% Cu and 0.07g/t Au from 97m, incl: 7m at 2.1% Cu and 0.11g/t Au (22MERC048); 13m at 0.8% Cu and 0.02g/t Au from 29m incl: 1m at 3.0% Cu and 0.08g/t Au (22MERC048); 6m at 1.2% Cu and 0.06g/t Au from 166m (22MERC050); 8m at 0.6% Cu and 0.1g/t Au from 128m, incl: 2m at 1.2% Cu and 0.24g/t Au (22MERC057); 10m at 0.5% Cu and 0.15g/t Au from 55m, incl: 3m at 1.2% Cu and 0.4g/t Au (22MERC058); 12m at 0.3% Cu and 0.01g/t Au from 158m, incl: 1m at 1.0% Cu and 0.01g/t Au (22MERC064).

The new drilling has helped define the edges of the three higher grade plunging shoots, with further drilling required to ascertain the depth potential of copper-gold mineralisation. Encouragingly, deeper holes 22MERC055, 22MERC048A and 22MERC50 show significant mineralisation is open at depth. Importantly, the recent IP survey3 announced last December indicates that the southern chargeability response extends at depth, plunging to the SSE, which may indicate strong potential for copper-gold mineralisation in this area down to at least 250m below surface.

King Solomon 2: Drilling at the northern end of King Solomon 2 was designed to test two target areas, with 22MERC060A a redrill of 22MERC060 testing a deeper target to the east. Significant shallow mineralisation was interested including in both holes including: 16m at 0.8% Cu and 0.03 g/t Au from 12m, incl: 5m at 2.0% Cu and 0.05 g/t Au (22MERC060); 16m at 0.5% Cu and 0.02 g/t Au from 16m, incl: 3m at 1.2% Cu and 0.05 g/t Au (22MERC060A). The nearest drill hole located approximately 110m to the southeast of 22MERC060A indicates continuation of the mineralised horizon with a broad zone of low grade copper mineralisation (<1%) intersected in 22MERC024.

This leaves an untested area downdip and along strike for follow up.