File photo (Image credit: CFJC Today).

By Aaron Schulze

New Afton Mine

New Afton exploration budget gets $5M boost as K-Zone mineralized system doubles in size

Sep 8, 2025 | 8:35 AM

KAMLOOPS — New Gold is planning to increase its 2025 exploration budget for the New Afton mine west of Kamloops by $5 million as its K-Zone has more than doubled in size.

The international mining company that operates New Afton says its exploration budget of $22 million will result in 63,000 metres of drilling in the K-Zone on the far east side of the mine site.

The budget increase comes after New Gold reported new underground drilling discovered additional copper-gold porphyry mineralization emanating from the roots of K-Zone that more than doubles the known extent of the system.

According to the company, the New Afton K-Zone mineralized system now reaches nearly 600 metres in strike length and 900 metres in vertical extent, while exploration drill holes from surface have intersected new mineralization 550 metres to the east of the current footprint, demonstrating the potential for further growth.

Image credit: New Gold

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In a news release issued Monday (Sept. 8), New Gold says the goal of the budget increase is to report a maiden mineral resource for New Afton’s K-Zone in the year-end estimates and advance a feasibility study for K-Zone later in 2026.

“With the discovery of K-Zone Footwall, and with New Afton drilling at an all-time high, the overall K-Zone system is rapidly evolving into a significant growth opportunity for New Afton,” New Gold states.

New Gold adds that future development of K-Zone could leverage existing C-Zone infrastructure at New Afton.

Earlier in 2025, New Gold announced it believed the New Afton mine would be able to continue operations until 2031.

The B.C. government approved New Gold’s C-Zone development in the New Afton mine in 2022. The mine’s C-Zone began commercial production in late 2024.