Domestic Metals Drills Smart Creek Copper Project in Montana Amid Record Copper Prices

Domestic Metals Corp. has initiated a fully financed diamond drilling program at its Smart Creek Copper Porphyry Project in Montana, targeting porphyry copper and carbonate replacement style mineralization.

The project, which is held through a joint venture with Rio Tinto, will involve up to 9,000 meters of drilling across six to eight holes. Initial assay results are expected within six to eight weeks after drilling began, with ongoing visual observations from core providing earlier updates.

The current program marks the first major drill test of targets refined over two years of modern exploration at the 8,000-hectare property. Prior drilling by Rio Tinto returned 109.73 meters grading 0.75 percent copper, including 89 meters at 0.97 percent copper.

Copper prices recently reached record levels on the London Metal Exchange, driven by AI data-center demand and potential U.S. tariffs. The project benefits from a substantial historical database compiled by prior operators, with Domestic Metals combining older results with new Z-TEM, magnetic, and induced polarization data to refine targets.