Nicola Mining Inc. has commenced its 2025 diamond drilling campaign at the New Craigmont Copper Project, located near Merritt, British Columbia. The program is set to explore 4,000–5,000 meters across five priority zones, including two new targets identified through a partnership with ALS Geoanalytics (GoldSpot Discoveries Ltd.), leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance exploration efforts. This technological approach represents a significant advancement in mineral exploration methodology, potentially transforming how mining companies identify and evaluate mineral deposits.
The initiative, with a budget of $1.5–2 million, focuses on delineating porphyry-style copper mineralization and advancing exploration around key areas such as MARB, CAS, West Craigmont/WP, and the newly identified Draken prospect. The drilling campaign, expected to continue through September, incorporates advanced data collection techniques like pXRF and SWIR to refine geological models and support future exploration strategies. These sophisticated analytical methods provide real-time geochemical data that enables more precise targeting and reduces exploration uncertainty.
This drilling program underscores Nicola Mining's commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology in mineral exploration, potentially setting a precedent for future projects in the mining industry. The use of AI to generate targets represents a significant step forward in exploration efficiency and could lead to the discovery of new mineralization zones. By integrating artificial intelligence with traditional geological expertise, the company aims to accelerate discovery timelines and improve the success rate of exploration programs.
The partnership with ALS Geoanalytics (GoldSpot Discoveries Ltd.) through https://www.alsglobal.com/en/geochemistry/geoanalytics brings specialized machine learning capabilities to the project, analyzing vast datasets to identify patterns and anomalies that might escape conventional analysis. This collaborative approach demonstrates how technology partnerships are becoming increasingly important in modern mineral exploration. The program's focus on the Draken prospect, one of the AI-identified targets, highlights how data-driven discoveries are complementing traditional prospecting methods.
The implications of this AI-enhanced drilling campaign extend beyond the immediate project, potentially influencing how junior mining companies approach exploration in an era of increasing technological integration. As copper demand continues to grow for renewable energy and electrification applications, efficient discovery methods become increasingly valuable. The success of this program could validate the use of artificial intelligence in mineral exploration, encouraging wider adoption across the industry and potentially leading to more discoveries with reduced environmental impact through better targeting.
