First Hole Completed in Timmins Area Diamond Drill Program
Noble identifies anomalous zinc at Carnegie while shifting toward a royalty-heavy project generator model.
The news release dated January 19, 2026, announces the completion of the first diamond drill hole (CG-25-01) at the Carnegie Township project near Timmins, Ontario. The hole intersected 6.5 meters of 0.64% zinc, including a 1.0-meter interval of 1.90% zinc, with associated anomalous copper, silver, and lead. Mineralization was found in sulphide-rich graphitic sediment. Noble has initiated a second hole (CG-25-02) to test the same zone at a greater vertical depth (~200m) and has scheduled an additional 1,000 meters of drilling for Southwest Carnegie in early 2026. This program is a 50/50 partnership with a private partner (11530313 Canada Inc.) on lands where Noble retains exploration rights for Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) and precious metals.
- Technical Success, Commercial Uncertainty: While finding zinc mineralization validates the company’s geophysical targeting, the grades reported (0.64% Zn) are low-grade for an exploration target aiming to emulate the nearby Kidd Creek Mine. At this stage, it is a technical success that keeps the story alive but does not yet represent a discovery of economic significance.
- Strategic Synergy: The news follows a period of heavy administrative and strategic positioning. Noble has successfully offloaded the "heavy lifting" of the Crawford/Project 81 assets to Canada Nickel (CNC), retaining a 20% stake in East Timmins Nickel Ltd (ETN) and various royalties. This drill program represents Noble’s pivot back to its own exploration roots using flow-through funds raised in late 2025.
- Risk Mitigation: The 50/50 partnership structure for this specific drill program reduces the immediate capital outlay for Noble, which is critical given its historically low cash balances.
Noble Mineral Exploration is a project generator and explorer focused on the Timmins-Cochrane area of Northern Ontario. - Flagship Project: Carnegie Township. Located near the world-class Kidd Creek VMS mine, the project is being explored for zinc-copper-silver-lead mineralization. - Secondary Focus: Through its 20% interest in East Timmins Nickel Ltd (partnered with Canada Nickel), the company has exposure to a massive 38,729-hectare land package targeting bulk-tonnage nickel. - Portfolio: Noble also holds significant REE properties in Quebec/Labrador and a Uranium prospect (Taser North), along with a 30% interest in the Great Burnt Copper/South Pond Gold properties through Homeland Nickel.