AIC Mines has reached a key development milestone at its Jericho copper project in Queensland, successfully intersecting mineralisation through an underground access drive from the Eloise copper mine.
The company confirmed that development of the Jericho access drive (JAD) has reached the J1 lens, providing direct underground access to the deposit and validating geological expectations for the project.
The achievement marks a major step forward for AIC’s plans to integrate Jericho into the broader Eloise operations.
AIC Mines managing director Aaron Colleran said reaching Jericho mineralisation ahead of schedule reflects both operational discipline and exploration success at the northern extent of the orebody.
“In just three years, we have taken the project from acquisition, through permitting, funding and development,” Colleran said.
The Jericho deposit is located about 4km south of the Eloise copper mine and shares similar geology, mineralisation style and metallurgical characteristics.
The project hosts a mineral resource of 19.2 million tonnes (Mt) grading 2.0 per cent copper and 0.4 grams per tonne gold, containing approximately 381,000 tonnes of copper and 246,000 ounces of gold.
Jericho also includes an ore reserve of 6.2Mt at 1.8 per cent copper and 0.4g/t gold, which forms a key component of AIC’s growth strategy for the Eloise operation.
Development of the access drive began in May 2024 and has now advanced roughly 2.35km underground.
According to AIC, developing Jericho directly from the existing Eloise decline has enabled faster access to new discoveries and earlier interception of mineralisation, including the high-grade Jolly shoot discovered in late 2024.
The company said confirming mineralisation style, hanging wall competence and ground conditions consistent with the geological model significantly reduces technical risk as detailed mine planning progresses.
Next steps for the project include further underground development towards the Matilda shoot and continued advancement along the Jolly shoot to support drilling, trial mining and future stoping activities.
Trial mining and bulk sampling at Jolly are expected to support mine planning and operational optimisation, with material able to be processed through the existing Eloise plant.
The Jericho project underpins AIC’s expansion of the Eloise processing facility from 725,000 tonnes per annum to 1.1 million tonnes per annum.
The upgrade is expected to support copper production exceeding 20,000 tonnes annually, with commissioning of the expanded plant targeted for the December 2026 quarter.
Since then, there has been steady progress, where in November 2025, Australian Mining noted that depth extension drilling highlighted strong potential, with new results confirming high-grade mineralisation continuing below the then-current mineral resource.
Looking ahead, the integration of Jericho is expected to strengthen production growth and extend the life of the Queensland asset.
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