Central China Goldfields PLC said drilling at the Nimu copper-molybdenum project in Tibet has begun and a second drill rig will arrive on site by the third week of April to work in tandem at the Tinggong area.

The company said that the Tinggong licence surrounds an active copper mine and the drilling programme is designed to test the supergene oxide copper and the underlying porphyry copper targets.

The mine is reported to contain non-JORC, CIM or NI 43-101 compliant inferred resources of supergene oxide copper of 28,000 tonnes contained copper (averaging 1.1% Cu) and hypogene sulphide copper at 23,700 tonnes contained copper (data taken from Sichuan Bureau of Metallurgy and Geological Exploration).

An initial programme is planned with nine holes and a total 2,900 metres of drilling, following which, the rigs will be moved to the Gangjiang exploration licence where drilling is scheduled to start in June 2007, the company said.

The drilling programme at the Nimu Project will be supervised by project manager Henry Tebar and exploration manager Ciceron Angeles, the group added.