Sun Metals Corp. said July 3 that it signed an exploration agreement with the Takla First Nation related to its flagship Stardust copper-gold project located within traditional lands in British Columbia.

The agreement will ensure that Takla benefits from exploration efforts and that exploration is conducted in a way that respects the group's rights, Takla First Nation Chief John French said in a statement.

Sun Metals' 2018 field program is underway at Stardust. Work will include geophysical surveys, mapping, prospecting, and relogging and resampling 80,000 meters of drill core. A 15,000-meter diamond drill program is also scheduled to start in August.

The company released an updated resource estimate for the Canyon Creek copper-gold skarn zone at Stardust in January.