Somerset Minerals (ASX:SMM) has received high-grade assay results from a recently completed surface rock chip sampling program across its flagship Coppermine project in Canada, adding to a growing body of evidence supporting the copper potential of the underexplored region.

A total of 86 rock chip samples were submitted for analysis, collected from the Talisker district as well as the Jons Pit, Skye, Danvers North, and Danvers South prospects.

The results confirmed widespread high-grade copper mineralisation, with 47 samples returning grades above 1% copper and 19 samples exceeding 10% copper. Peak grades reached 46.3% copper at Skye and 36.4% copper plus 214 grams per tonne (g/t) silver at Talisker. While rock chip samples are selective and represent only surface mineralisation, the consistency of high-grade results across multiple prospects — combined with the presence of silver credits throughout — underscores the system's scale.

Managing Director Chris Hansen noted that silver credits are a consistent feature of the results, with 17 samples returning grades above 30 g/t silver.

"These assay results serve to support what our field teams observed at surface. To return grades of up to 36.4% copper and 214 g/t silver at Talisker, across a corridor that has never been drill tested until now, underscores the prospectivity of the region, and validates the multidisciplinary targeting approach that brought us here: geophysics, till geochemistry, detailed mapping, and now laboratory-confirmed high-grade copper at surface," Hansen said.

"Just as significant is Skye, where our first-ever rock chip samples from this Priority-1 target include 46.3% copper as massive bornite. Skye is a highly convincing new target which has opened up a new search space within our licence area, and potentially represents an additional style of mineralisation to the basalt-hosted fault systems we typically see at Talisker, Jura and Danvers, due to the presence of sediments and bornite. This speaks to the genuinely district-scale prospectivity of our landholding."

"Concurrently, our maiden RC drill program at Talisker is well advanced, with 1,900 metres now completed across 12 holes. We are drilling with the benefit of these surface results in hand, and we will provide a separate announcement on the progress of drilling over the coming days, with first rush assays expected in the next two weeks."

Talisker is the company's highest-priority regional target, comprising a 17 km long coincident geochemical and geophysical anomaly, now supported by laboratory-confirmed copper mineralisation at surface. The Talisker corridor sits approximately 4 km from White Cliff Minerals' (ASX:WCN) Danvers copper deposit, placing Somerset's ground within a belt that is attracting renewed exploration interest as copper demand intensifies under the global energy transition.

The pending drill assays from Talisker will be the first subsurface test of the system and represent the next key catalyst for investors assessing whether the surface grades translate to depth.

SMM shares were steady at 0.9 cents, with a market capitalisation of $12.40 million.