08:28 AM EST, 01/14/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Foran Mining ( FMCXF ) on Tuesday said its 2025 winter drill program is underway at the Tesla Zone, part of the company's 100%-owned McIlvenna Bay Project in east-central Saskatchewan.

The company said the program will target a series of 200m to 300m gaps in drilling to confirm continuity of copper and zinc-rich mineralization across the Tesla Zone and the Bridge Zone. The program began on Jan. 2 and is expected to run until the end of March or early April, depending on ice conditions.

"Tesla remains open in all directions for expansion. The 2025 winter program will focus on infill drilling while we have access to the optimal drill collar locations from the ice. Further expansion drilling is planned for subsequent programs," the company said in a statement.

The copper-zinc-gold-silver exploration and development company said regional winter drilling will also test modelled undrilled targets within 5km of McIlvenna Bay.

"We are thrilled to continue our drilling at Tesla with an unprecedented scale, deploying eight drills to undertake 30,000 meters of exploration. This marks a pivotal step in further exploring the robust and continuous nature of Tesla's mineralization while also expanding the Bridge Zone as we progress toward a future resource estimate," said Foran Vice President, Exploration Erin Carswell.

The company also announced final incremental assay results from the 2024 Tesla drilling program. Hole TS-24-32 confirmed extension of the gold-bearing zone that was identified at the northwestern end of Tesla during 2024 and Hole TS-24-30w1 continues to confirm the continuity of mineralization in the central Tesla Zone.

Shares of the company closed flat at $3.94 on Monday on the Toronto Stock Exchange.