Manning Ventures (CSE:MANN) announced the completion of the first two drill holes at its Copper Hill Project, located along the Walker Lane Trend in western Nevada, USA. This marks a significant milestone in the company’s phase one drill program at the site.

Progress on Phase One Drilling

The first drill hole, CH-1, reached a depth of 200 meters, while the second, CH-2 (PDH-3), was completed at 150 meters. Both holes are targeting areas with strong geochemical indicators and favorable structural zones. Initial analysis of material from CH-1 is underway, while CH-3 (PDH-2), the third hole, was drilled to approximately 150 meters as of Sunday. CH-3 is aimed at one of the northwest-trending magnetic corridors known for historic copper values.

The ongoing drill program consists of up to nine Reverse Circulation (RC) drill holes, totaling about 2,500 meters. The focus is to test for skarn mineralization at the contact between limestone and intrusive rocks in the Northern and Southern Zones. These zones have previously yielded significant copper values ranging from 0.5% to over 1.0% in areas with intense skarn alteration.

Several drill pads have already been prepared, with additional work progressing steadily. The Copper Hill Project spans 108 unpatented lode mining claims, covering 2,215 acres (896.3 hectares).

Geological Context and Mineralization

Copper Hill presents a highly prospective copper-gold bearing skarn target, with potential for deeper porphyry-type copper deposits. Two key exploration zones, the Northern Zone and the Southern Zone, feature over 1,500 meters of strike length, hosting intense skarn alteration and elevated copper values. Past mapping and exploration data highlight the project’s potential, with porphyry-related veins, chloritic alteration, and sericitic alteration along northwest trends.

The project is centered around Jurassic Age quartz monzonite porphyry intruding Triassic age Luning Limestone. It lies 33 miles east of the Yerington Copper District, a prolific mining area home to notable deposits and operations such as the Yerington Copper Mine, Ann Mason Deposit, Bear Deposit, MacArthur Deposit, and Pumpkin Hollow Mine.

Historical Mining and Exploration

Copper Hill has a rich history of mining and exploration. Between 1914 and 1926, the Copper Mountain Mine produced an estimated one million pounds of copper from shallow underground workings. Historical reports describe ore zones with skarn and porphyry-copper mineralization, with shipping grades ranging from 3.5% to 11.0% copper.

From 1959 to 1979, companies like Idaho Mining Corp. and Walker-Martel conducted extensive exploration, including ground geophysics, underground mapping, and prospecting. This period saw about 6,000 feet of rotary drilling. Later, in 2007, ground magnetic surveys were conducted, and rock sampling yielded values of 7.2% and 12.7% copper, alongside gold values of 1.06 g/t and 1.19 g/t.

The Copper Hill mineralizing system forms a topographic high partially covered by younger volcanic rocks. Mineralization types identified at the site include bornite, chalcocite, chalcopyrite, chrysocolla, native copper, covellite, cuprite, gold, malachite, molybdenite, silver, and others.