Soaring demand for copper will help drive mergers, BHP CEO says
Demand for copper, a key element in the energy transition, is set to rise by 70% to 100% by 2050, Mike Henry said
Geoscience BC launched the Central Interior Copper-Gold Research series, a C$2.9-million initiative that aims to focus mineral exploration and attract investment across 50,700 square kilometres of British Columbia’s Cariboo and Fraser Canyon Countries.
According to the non-profit organization, these areas host potential copper-gold deposits which are buried below a layer of glacial sediment or till left by receding glaciers between the Mount Milligan and Gibraltar and Mount Polley mines.
The CICGR initiative contemplates a Surficial Exploration Project, whose goal is to combine analysis of new and existing till samples with high-resolution satellite imagery to trace till samples and geochemical anomalies back to their source, which may help to identify areas of potential mineral exploration interest.
It also includes the Identification of New Porphyry Potential Under Cover in Central British Columbia Project, which is using existing Geoscience BC and other publicly available geophysical data to identify, map and model prospective copper-gold deposits.
In a media statement, Geoscience BC said the results from both projects will also guide future CICGR research, which is expected to include a program of drilling to further understand the thickness and composition of the till and potentially the bedrock beneath.
