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Highlights
- QMines ramps up Develin Creek drilling to strengthen copper resource.
- Resource upgrade enhances integration with Mount Chalmers project.
- Develin Creek contributes to broader ASX200 copper development outlook.
QMines Ltd (ASX:QML) is making strides in its copper development strategy by ramping up drilling activity at its Develin Creek Project in central Queensland. This aggressive 44-hole, 8,260-metre drilling campaign, now in full swing with two rigs on-site, is targeting high-grade copper across three deposits—Sulphide City, Scorpion, and Window. With 11 holes already drilled and 10 samples sent for assay, initial results are expected by early Q3 2025.
This campaign aims to elevate resource classifications from Inferred to Measured and Indicated, enhancing the asset’s confidence level and setting the stage for future integration into QMines’ broader development blueprint. These activities follow a notable March 2025 resource upgrade that increased Develin Creek’s Indicated Resource by 42%, now totalling 4.13 million tonnes at 1.07% copper, 1.16% zinc, 0.15g/t gold, and 6.02g/t silver.
A focal point of the drilling is Sulphide City, with 34 planned holes targeting high-grade copper zones—including prior intercepts of 13.5 metres at 3.3% Cu and 12 metres at 2.58% Cu. This phase is set to drive a revised Mineral Resource Estimate by Q4 2025 and refine the mine planning process at the nearby Mt Chalmers Project.
Drilling at Scorpion and Window, covering 2,618 metres across 10 holes, is probing the potential for lateral extensions and new mineralised zones. Targets include promising historical hits such as 9 metres at 1.89% Cu and 0.6 metres at 4.9% Cu, indicating strong expansion potential.
Importantly, the Develin Creek Project, situated 90 kilometres from Mount Chalmers, is integral to QMines’ strategy to develop a copper hub in Queensland. When combined, the resource base across both projects now stands at 15.5Mt grading 0.82% copper, 0.47% zinc, 0.35g/t gold and 5g/t silver. This equates to approximately 127,000 tonnes of copper and 173,000 ounces of gold, reinforcing the company’s growth outlook within the broader ASX200 landscape.
For income-seeking investors watching the resource sector, QMines' developments at Develin Creek add an interesting angle to the conversation around ASX dividend stocks, particularly as the copper-gold narrative evolves into tangible mining and revenue prospects.
As open pit optimisation studies and metallurgical testing progress, Develin Creek is fast becoming a cornerstone asset, reinforcing QMines’ intent to integrate and scale its operations. A consolidated Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) encompassing both Mt Chalmers and Develin Creek is expected in the first half of 2026, marking a major milestone in the company’s expansion plans.
