VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 22, 2026 /CNW/ – Edge Copper Corporation (TSXV: EDCU) (“Edge Copper” or the “Company“) today announces that drilling has commenced on its 100%-owned Zonia Copper Project (“Zonia”), located in Arizona. Two diamond drill rigs have been mobilized on site, initiating a six-month drill program.
“The commencement of this drill program represents an important step in advancing Zonia toward the next stage of development,” said Gil Clausen, Chair and CEO of Edge Copper. “By optimizing the drill plan and integrating advanced data analytics through our collaboration with GeologicAI, we are able to efficiently upgrade and expand the resource while supporting future mine planning. The results from this program and the updated mineral resource are expected to establish the foundation for the size and development potential of Zonia. As a first step, we expect to announce a Preliminary Economic Assessment next month on the Zonia Project, which will represent an initial development milestone and provide a framework upon which the Company intends to advance the project.”
GeologicAI’s Resource Exploration Strategies (RXS), Edge Copper’s technical collaborator and manager of the exploration program, has completed a drill spacing and optimization study for Zonia, which has improved program and capital efficiency, while maximizing value and maintaining the program’s technical objective. As a result, the original planned drilling has been reduced from approximately 60,000 feet to approximately 53,000 feet for a total of 78 holes.
Approximately 65% of the drill holes planned will focus on the conversion of Zonia’s oxide copper Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources to higher confidence categories. Approximately 24% of the holes will be for step-out and expansionary drilling and the remaining 14% will be for condemnation and geotechnical drilling. A drill hole location map is provided in Appendix A.
The Company has also mobilized GeologicAI’s proprietary core scanner, which will be used to digitize historical core and scan newly drilled core in real time, with remote geological logging. This approach is expected to enhance data quality, enable near-real-time evaluation of results, and allow the Company to dynamically adjust drill targeting as the program progresses.
Edge Copper expects to report drill results over the next seven to eight months, subject to assay laboratory turnaround times. Based on the results of this drill program, the Company expects to update the Zonia mineral resource in late Q3 or early Q4 2026. Successful execution of the program could support an expanded mineral resource and contribute to a larger-scale and longer-life operation at Zonia.
About Edge Copper Corporation
Edge Copper Corporation is a copper-focused exploration and development company advancing its 100%-owned Zonia Copper Project in Arizona. Zonia is a past-producing SX-EW heap leach operation on private land, located in Arizona’s historic Walnut Grove mining district. With existing infrastructure and significant potential for resource expansion, Zonia is well-positioned to become a key U.S. copper development project. For more information, please visit www.edgecopper.com.
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