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By Andrew Todd
Norfolk Metals has laid the groundwork for a busy new year drilling blitz at its Carmen copper project in Chile, with environmental permitting and early development studies now advancing steadily.
The company has wrapped up comprehensive baseline surveys covering its flora, fauna, palaeontology and archaeology as part of its environmental impact declaration application, known as a DIA.
Norfolk Metals’ Carmen copper project near Alto de Carmen in Chile’s Huasco province.
With no major hurdles identified, Norfolk says it remains on track to lodge the DIA with the Chilean regulator by early next year.
Once approved, the company says the five-year permit will clear the path for a broader drilling assault across its 46.6 square kilometre concession package, including follow-up work from a high-impact diamond drilling program currently underway.
‘2026 will see further geological news flow with results from the final holes of the RC program’
Norfolk Metals executive chairman Ben Phillips
In parallel, Norfolk says it has commissioned Chilean water specialists to evaluate its future supply options for a potential heap leach processing scenario at Carmen.
The company says that early heap-leach desktop studies are in the final stages, evaluating both local sources and external desalination alternatives to supply its copper production ambitions.
Infrastructure work has also progressed smoothly since Norfolk recently wrapped up its reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign, with a fully operational base, complete with core processing and storage facilities, now established in the nearby township of Alto de Carmen.
The project is in one of the most mining-friendly spots on earth and thanks to all-weather roads, year-round access to the project area from Carmen is available within an hour.
Norfolk Metals executive chairman Ben Phillips said: “We continue to work with stakeholders within the permitted and the surrounding areas in an effort to best prepare for success in the Company’s ambition to delineate a JORC-compliant resource at Carmen Copper Project. Ǫ1 2026 will see further geological news flow with results from the final holes of the RC program, along with the assays from historical mineralised core submitted for analysis.”
Carmen sits in Chile’s copper-rich Huasco Province in the Atacama region, 16 kilometres from the massive Nueva Unión mine, jointly owned by mining giants Teck Resources and Newmont.
Nueva Unión includes the JV’s immense Relincho-Fortuna deposit – a copper-gold behemoth boasting 16.6 billion pounds of copper, 8.9 million ounces of gold and 464 million pounds of molybdenum.
With the RC drilling phase now complete, permitting progressing smoothly and water studies close to wrapping up, Norfolk is steadily ticking off the key milestones needed to advance Carmen toward a defined oxide resource suited to low-cost production. At the same time, the company is pushing deeper with drilling to test for higher-grade sulphide potential beneath the oxide profile.
Copper continues its strong run into year-end, providing a supportive backdrop as Norfolk prepares for a busy upcoming year of results and regulatory milestones. More assays are due early in the new year, with the company showing no signs of downing tools over what looks set to be a busy Chrissie period.
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