Vale Base Metals (VBM) is to build on its 2025 exploration programme with advance drilling across its major mineral districts in 2026, after exploration reports indicated a 20 per cent potential increase in total mineral reserves and resources in Canada and Brazil, by the end of 2027.
The company said it will advance a number of exploration programmes – focussing on copper – and will increase drilling activity across the Carajás region, with more than 120,000m of drilling planned.
Across the Sossego Mining complex, the company – the world's largest producers of high-quality nickel and an important producer of copper and cobalt – will continue drilling to expand the mineral resource potential underneath the Sequeirinho, Sossego and Mata pits.
Drilling at Bacaba and Cristalina (South Hub) will continue to delineate full deposit potential to support optimal open pit designs, while drilling at the North Hub (Paulo Afonso and Furnas) will continue to de-risk open pit and underground projects.
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VBM has also announced new drilling programmes. The Salobo and 118 properties will be drilled to test shallow lateral and deep structural corridors of the orebody. And a new campaign is planned for Alemão to increase the mineral resource potential of satellite orebodies, primarily Encantado and Acampamento Sul.
The continuation of existing and new campaigns follows the publication of 2025 exploration results, which reported a 6% increase on copper mineral reserves and resources to 53t million, and a 13% nickel increase to 14t million.
"We have a bold plan for the future after a transformational year in 2025," said Chris McCleave, Chief Technical Officer. "Our teams continued to strengthen geological models across several districts while advancing drilling programs that supported Mineral Resource growth and Reserve replacement across the portfolio."
Last year VBM doubled its copper drilling intensity in Brazil's Carajás District and aims to double it again this year.
