Copper is poised for a significant increase in demand, driven by technological advancements and a push towards sustainability. According to Trafigura, a leading commodities trading firm, new technologies are increasing power usage, thereby boosting the need for copper. This trend is expected to be further fueled by the rapid adoption of electric vehicles, renewable energy infrastructure, and other green technologies. First Quantum Minerals, a major copper producer, echoes Trafigura’s sentiments, forecasting a rally in copper prices as the metal becomes increasingly crucial for the green industry. The growing emphasis on renewable energy production, electric vehicles, and sustainable infrastructure underscores copper’s pivotal role in facilitating the transition towards a greener economy. At the same time, copper supply concerns are growing. The limited availability of mined copper or concentrate, critical for copper metal production, has pushed prices upward this year. Supply disruptions, such as the closure of First Quantum’s Cobre mine in Panama last year, have intensified these constraints, propelling prices even higher. A lack of new copper projects and declining ore grades pose significant challenges to meeting the burgeoning demand. This imbalance between supply and demand has prompted investors to re-enter the copper market, betting on the metal’s long-term prospects. Funds are buying back into copper’s super-cycle credentials, recognizing its potential for substantial returns amid the global shift towards sustainability. Despite recent market volatility, investors remain optimistic about copper’s enduring appeal and its ability to deliver solid performance over the coming years. In the midst of surging demand and tightening supply, Abitibi Metals is poised to make a substantial impact with a 400-million-pound (Indicated and Inferred) historical high-grade copper deposit in the heart of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. Abitibi Metals just secured the funding to complete a 7-year option agreement in just four months to acquire an 80% stake in the B26 Polymetallic Copper Deposit, an advanced, high-grade development project that was initially funded by the Quebec government. The B26 deposit boasts a historical resource estimate of 7.0 million metric tons at 2.94% Cu Eq (Ind) & 4.4 million metric tons at 2.97% Cu Eq (Inf), with significant room for expansion. The company also owns the Beschefer Gold Project, where historical drilling has revealed promising intercepts, including 55.63 g/t gold over 5.57 meters and 13.07 g/t gold over 8.75 meters across four identified zones. Abitibi Metals Expands Exploration Efforts Following Success at B26 Polymetallic Deposit just announced the initial results at the B26 deposit, which revealed promising concentrations of copper equivalent and high metal factor zones close to the surface including 2.6% CuEq over 37.0 meters and 2.5% CuEq over 61.3 meters in different drill holes. The company also discovered significant semi-massive and massive sulphides during extensional drilling at the Central Lens of the B26 deposit, where it recently announced some of the highest-grade intercepts in the project’s history, including 11.4% CuEq over 10.6 metres at 135 metres depth and 6.3% CuEq over 10.6 metres at 120 metres depth. Abitibi Metals has successfully drilled 44 diamond drill holes, totaling 13,502 meters as part of a comprehensive 50,000-meter drill program planned for 2024-2025. The company is fully-funded with $19 million to complete the remaining 16,500 meters planned for the 2024 work program and an additional 20,000 meters in 2025, which will then be used to complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) to complete the option to earn 80% of the B26 Deposit over 7 years from SOQUEM Inc. “We are thrilled with these initial results of our maiden drill program at the B26 Polymetallic Copper Deposit. We had initially planned to drill 2,750 metres but with the continued success in drilling and support from our shareholders, we expanded our maiden program to 13,500 metres, larger than our initial total program for 2024,” said Abitibi Metals’ CEO John Deluce. “The significance of this program cannot be understated. Part of our thesis when we optioned B26 was to assess the potential open-pit component that could be added to the historical underground resource.” With the recently completed financing bringing our total treasury to approximately $19 million, Abitibi Metals is well-positioned to build on this maiden program with a further 36,500 metres to be drilled into 2025. The company’s 2024 strategy for developing the B26 Deposit includes drilling an additional 16,500 meters as part of a fully funded 50,000-meter project. Abitibi Metals has also introduced a 3D geological model integrating current and historical data to refine resource estimates. Upcoming initiatives include a Gravity Survey to explore potential mineralized zones and enhanced assay preparation protocols to improve metal content accuracy. Additionally, the company plans to assay previously untested core sections to define the deposit’s boundaries more precisely, streamlining efforts to maximize the site’s potential. Abitibi Metals also reported ongoing drilling activities at the Beschefer Gold Project, located 7 km northeast of the B26 Deposit. Currently, drilling efforts are concentrated on the “East Zone,” with 5 holes totaling 1,679 meters completed as of April 22, 2024. The Company is on schedule to complete drilling across 10 holes, totaling 2,975 meters. The East Zone is renowned for hosting some of the highest historical intercepts, such as 55.63 g/t gold over 5.57 meters and 13.07 g/t gold over 8.75 meters. As the competition for copper intensifies, Abitibi Metals Corp. is well-positioned to make significant strides in 2024 and beyond with a strong backing of heavyweight investors like the Deluce Family, Greg Chamandy, and Frank Giustra and an all-star advisory board with members who have held pivotal roles at major mining companies, including Hecla Mining, Eldorado Gold, Agnico Eagle, Kirkland Lake Gold, and Skeena Resources.