Cu-Au Porphyry Prospect in Washington-Adams County
Project Overview
The Freeze Project, located in Washington and Adams Counties, Idaho, is a premier Cu-Au porphyry prospect with district-scale potential. Spanning 31,645 acres, the property is 100% owned by IDEX and is strategically positioned within a highly active exploration corridor with recent activity by major players such as Barrick Gold, Rio Tinto, Teck Resources, and BHP.
IDEX’s early exploration efforts have shown significant potential for copper, gold, and silver mineralization.
The Freeze Project benefits from road access and proximity to the town of Council, Idaho, with a favorable regulatory and jurisdictional profile.
Early exploration by IDEX has outlined multiple high priority targets defined by large scale copper-in-soil anomalies, high grade rock samples, and coincident geophysical signatures, all within a district-scale land position with significant growth potential.
District Scale Opportunity
The Freeze Project lies within a rapidly emerging mining district, marked by significant discoveries and increased interest from major industry players.
In 2023, Hercules Metals discovered the Leviathan Cu-Mo porphyry, which secured a $23M equity investment from Barrick Gold. This discovery spurred a staking rush, with companies such as Barrick Gold, Rio Tinto, and Scout Discoveries securing land positions in the area.
The district hosts numerous Cu-bearing porphyry and epithermal Au prospects that follow a northeast trend through the mineral district, highlighting the region’s exploration potential.
Despite a mining history featuring historic workings like collapsed adits and trenches, very little modern exploration has been conducted in the area.
Geology
The Freeze Project is part of a northeast trending belt of Tertiary aged, quartz rich, Cu-bearing porphyry systems hosted within a northwest dipping volcano-sedimentary sequence. The region hosts occurrences of porphyry Cu-Au and epithermal Au mineralization, making it a key target for exploration. Major structural controls, including the Bayhorse Thrust Fault, are thought to be a major control on fluid flow and mineralization.
Preliminary mapping and sampling by IDEX have identified favorable lithologies, structures, and geochemical anomalies. This initial exploration work has returned significant copper, gold, and silver values, further supporting the project’s potential.
The property’s geology is characterized by erosional windows cutting through post-mineral basalt cover, providing direct exploration access to mineralized Triassic rocks that would otherwise be concealed. Combined with widespread geochemical anomalies and coincident geophysical signatures, these results suggest strong potential for the discovery of a significant copper-gold porphyry system within the Freeze Project area.
Kismet Target
The Kismet Target is a high-priority focus within the Freeze Project, classified as a Tourmaline Breccia Pipe with visible surface mineralization including chalcopyrite, azurite, and malachite.
Geochemical sampling conducted by IDEX in 2023 outlined a significant copper-in-soil anomaly measuring approximately 500 by 500 metres1, highlighting a strong oxide and sulphide expression with phyllic alteration overprint. Historical drilling at Kismet, completed in 1965, included four shallow drill holes reaching a maximum depth of just 130 metres. One standout intercept from this historical program reported 41.15 metres grading 0.853% copper starting from a shallow depth of 9.14 metres4.
Historical reports also describe additional breccia pipes northwest of the main Kismet area, offering further discovery potential across the broader prospect.
Kirwin, D. (2018). Characteristics of intrusion- related copper-bearing tourmaline breccia pipes.
Kirwin, D. J. (2021). Tourmaline breccia pipes associated with intrusion-related Cu deposits-examples from Latin American: 10 August (2021).
Cuddy Mine (CM) Target
The CM Target is another key exploration focus for IDEX. Modern exploration by IDEX in 2023 identified a substantial copper-in-soil anomaly at CM, measuring approximately 1,500 by 2,000 metres1. This anomaly coincides with sericite-altered rocks and a strong chargeability response identified by the 2024 DIAS IP geophysical survey.
Reconnaissance rock samples collected from the CM area returned copper values up to 3.5% Cu and gold grades up to 33 g/t Au2, particularly within vuggy quartz-pyrite-specularite veining.
To date, the CM target has seen no modern drill testing at depth, positioning it as a high-priority target for IDEX’s 2025 drilling program.
2023 Work Program
IDEX’s exploration efforts in 2023 focused on building a foundational understanding of the Freeze Project through a comprehensive exploration program.
Geochemical sampling included the collection of 68 rock samples and 604 soil samples, which returned encouraging results for copper, gold, and silver. Preliminary geological mapping was conducted to identify lithologies, structures, and mineralization potential across the property. Historical data was also compiled and reviewed, identifying historic workings such as pits, trenches, and adits, which provided valuable context for future exploration planning.
2024 Work Program
In 2024, IDEX undertook a focused exploration program to refine targets and advance the project.
Detailed geochemical sampling and geological mapping were conducted to enhance the understanding of geochemical anomalies and geological structures. A 3D Induced Polarization (IP) survey was also completed, covering 31 line kilometers over high-priority targets. The survey identified several chargeability highs coinciding with geochemical anomalies, including a shallow chargeability anomaly less than 300 meters deep, which demonstrated strong potential for porphyry or porphyry-related mineralization.
A key milestone was the completion of an NI 43-101 technical report, providing a compliant framework to attract potential investment and support the project’s development.
2025 work Program
IDEX’s current 2025 exploration program at the Freeze Project was designed to advance high-priority targets through focused drilling and expanded property-wide surveys.
The program includes up to 2,500 metres of diamond drilling at the Kismet target, with drill permits already approved by the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL). Geophysical work includes a Magnetotelluric (MT) and Natural Source Induced Polarization (NSIP) survey to refine and prioritize new drill targets. IDEX will also conduct an extensive soil and rock sampling program, including comprehensive mapping focusing on structural and lithological controls on mineralization.
Looking Ahead
The Freeze Project offers an opportunity to advance multiple high priority copper-gold targets within a newly emerging porphyry belt. With significant exploration upside, strategic land control, and strong regional investment interest, IDEX Metals is positioned as an early mover in Idaho’s next major copper district.
Technical Disclosure
David Hladky, P.Geol. (registered in Alberta) and VP Exploration of IDEX Metals Corp., a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, is responsible for the accuracy of, and has reviewed and approved the use of the scientific, technical and historical information pertaining to the Freeze, Mineral Mountain and Amie Projects on this website.
This website contains information that relates to rock sampling completed on portions of the Freeze Project. Rock sampling is selective by nature and may not be representative of the mineralization actually located at the Freeze Project. Additionally, this website refers to other projects that are adjacent, nearby or potentially analogous to the Freeze Project from a geological perspective. Mineralization hosted on adjacent, nearby or geologically similar projects, is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted at the Freeze Project.
For additional information on the technical disclosure included on this website, including information regarding the quality assurance program and quality control measures, please see the following link.
1 2023 IDEX Soil Program Results
2 2023 IDEX Rock/Grab Program Results
3 Hickman, 1968. Report on Kismet Copper and Hercules Silver Prospects. 19p.
4 See June 10, 2025 IDEX News Release
The information provided in this website includes forward-looking information, which is subject to certain risks and assumptions, as described on the following link.