Andina Copper Corporation has announced significant drill intercepts from the second hole of its maiden diamond drilling program at the Cobrasco copper-molybdenum project in Choco, Colombia. The results from drillhole CDH004 follow high-grade intersections previously reported in CDH003 and indicate continued strong mineralization throughout the system.
Drillhole CDH004, completed to a depth of 900.25 meters, returned wide intercepts of copper-molybdenum mineralization, including an average grade of 0.75% copper over a 107-meter interval from 579 to 686 meters. This interval contains intensely fractured magmatic-hydrothermal breccias that demonstrate effective fluid focusing within the system. The strongest mineralization occurred within this breccia zone, which included a peak 2-meter assay value of 1.70% copper.
The geological sequence intersected in CDH004 reveals multiple phases of mineralization. The upper 56 meters encountered intermediate composition porphyries with anomalous copper and silver values up to 0.39% copper and 393 ppm silver. From 56 to 579 meters, the hole intersected multiple phases of early to late-mineral rhyolite, rhyodacite and dacite with felsic affinities, cut by mineralized intermediate composition porphyry intrusions. The final interval from 686 meters to the end of the hole encountered phreatomagmatic breccias with comparatively low copper grades averaging 215 ppm copper.
Company President and CEO Joseph van den Elsen stated that these results further validate the size, scale and grade of the Cobrasco system. The company sees potential for a globally significant deposit at Cobrasco and has planned mobilization of a second drill rig to expedite exploration and evaluation. Ongoing step-out drilling will seek to systematically expand the footprint of the system and define its lateral extents.
Drillhole CDH005, designed to expand the mineralized footprint southwest of previous holes, has been completed to 934.00 meters with assays pending. The hole targeted an area characterized by high magnetic intrusive sequences at surface, transitioning into a magnetic low embayment at depth. Geological logging has revealed visually significant chalcopyrite-dominant sulphide mineralization throughout the hole, supporting the interpretation of a large and long-lived mineralizing system extending south of the currently defined drill footprint.
The company has also reported sporadic occurrences of gold mineralization of up to 1.06 g/t in CDH004, which supports a possible gold-rich intrusive phase within the broader Cobrasco system. Step-out drillhole CDH006 is currently underway, targeting potential for large extensions of the mineralized system.
These drilling results have significant implications for the mining industry and Colombia's mineral development. The potential for a large-scale porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit with significant volumes of high-grade mineralization could position Colombia as an emerging copper producer. The technical details of the drilling program, including quality assurance and quality control procedures, are documented in the company's corporate presentation.
The geological observations and drilling results support the interpretation of a substantial mineralizing system at Cobrasco. The continuity of intrusive phases, alteration styles and sulphide mineralization throughout the drilled sections indicates a robust hydrothermal system with potential for economic mineralization. As exploration continues, these findings could have broader implications for understanding porphyry systems in the region and for Colombia's position in the global copper market.
