Trilogy Metals' (TMQ.TO, TMQ) field crews have successfully mobilized to site and seasonal field operations are officially underway for the 2026 summer exploration program at the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects (UKMP) in northwestern Alaska's Ambler Mining District, it said on Tuesday.
The company also said that Ron Rimelman was appointed as President of Ambler Metals to lead the joint venture management team during the permitting of the Arctic Project. Ambler Metals LLC, a 50/50 JV operating company equally owned by Trilogy and South32 Limited (S32.AX, S32.L), is advancing the UKMP asset portfolio, which encompasses about 190,929 hectares and hosts both the high-grade Arctic polymetallic deposit and the Bornite copper-cobalt deposit.
This fully financed program is expected to encompass about 40 drill holes intended to firm up final engineering plans for the development of the Arctic mine. The company said it is also prioritising re-establishing the exploration camp at Bornite and initiating drill-target assessments that will form the basis for future regional exploration along the UKMP mineral belt.
The 2026 drill program is being carried out using two diamond drill rigs.
"This year's favourable snow conditions support the planned start of drilling at the Arctic Project on June 15, and drilling is expected to continue into September, with the campaign efficiently sequenced to combine geotechnical and hydrogeological holes supporting mine design and permitting, with deeper exploration step-outs along the Arctic mineral horizon," said the company in a statement. "Rounding out the season, the field program will carry out regional exploration aimed at advancing known mineral occurrences and targets across the UKMP, with the goal of readying targets for drilling in 2027."
U.S.-listed shares of the company were last seen up 2.3% at US$4.03 in pre-market trading.