Vizsla Copper set to drill Poplar project in central B.C.

Vizsla Copper Corp. [VCU-TSXV, VCUFF-OTCQB, 97E0-Frankfurt] said preparations are underway for a Phase 1 drill program at the Poplar project in central British Columbia. The company said drill crews have mobilized to the Poplar Project to commence a program consisting of 2,000 metres of diamond drilling across five to six holes covering a potential footprint of 500 to 600 metres. Drill holes are designed to test the Thira porphyry-related copper-molybdenum target and drilling is expected to commence in the coming days. Drill holes are planned to test moderate and high-chargeability anomalies associated with resistivity and conductivity anomalies.

This program marks the first deep drilling at Thira (plus 100 metres) and the first tests across the strongest anomalies at the Thira target.

“Over the last year we have systematically advanced the Thira target with mapping, geochemistry, and geophysics and have outlined a very  compelling drill target,’’ said Steve Blower, Vice-President, Exploration at Vizsla.

The 44,200-hectare Poplar project covers Mesozoic-aged arc-related volcanic, sedimentary and intrusive rocks considered prospective for porphyry-related copper and gold mineralization. The Thira target is centred approximately 10 kilometres south of the porphyry-related Poplar copper-gold deposit (historic mineral resources of 152.3 million tonnes at 0.32% copper, 0.09 g/t gold indicated and 139.3 million tonnes at 0.29% copper and 0.07 g/t gold inferred).

Poplar is estimated to contain close to 2.0 billion pounds of copper and 750,000 ounces of gold.

Looking ahead to potential development, Vizsla said the Poplar project possesses a higher-grade core that also extends to the top of the bedrock and may be beneficial to phased mining scenarios

A historical shallow drill hole completed in 1995 in the Thira target area, near the margins of the strongest coincident anomalies, returned 67.1 metres of 0.18% copper.

Vizsla Copper shares were unchanged Monday at 11.5 cents and trade in a 52-week range of 13.5 cents and $0.05.

Vizsla Copper has evolved from a move by Vizsla Silver Corp. [VZLA-TSX] to spin out its British Columbia copper assets. Combining the Poplar project with Vizsla Copper’s Woodjam, Regold, Copperview and Carruthers Pass properties, offers shareholders exposure to a growing pipeline of projects ranging from expansion driven brownfield development to exciting discovery-seeking greenfield exploration, the companies said in a press release.

Vizsla has been primarily focused on its flagship Woodjam project, located within the Quesnel Terrane, 55 kilometres east of the community of Williams Lake, B.C.

The company’s growth strategy is focused on exploration and development of its copper properties within its portfolio in addition to value accretive acquisitions.