Andina Copper Corp. has reported significant drill results from its Piuquenes East project in San Juan Province, Argentina, intersecting wide intervals of copper-gold-silver mineralization that expand the known mineralized system. Drill hole PIU09, the third hole drilled at Piuquenes East, intersected 126 meters at 0.46% copper, 0.53 grams per tonne gold, and 2.14 grams per tonne silver from 529 meters depth, within a broader interval of 402 meters at 0.25% copper, 0.21 grams per tonne gold, and 1.19 grams per tonne silver from 253 meters.
The results confirm the presence of a new, vertically extensive gold-rich porphyry copper-gold-silver system within the Piuquenes-Altar cluster. Mineralization is hosted within strongly veined dioritic porphyry with intense sericitic alteration overprinting potassic assemblages. The company observed well-developed A-type veins coincident with chalcopyrite and bornite mineralization, with higher gold grades and increasing intensity of A and B-type veining at depth, consistent with proximity to the porphyry core. This suggests bornite-rich potassic alteration with higher gold grades may be preserved beneath the sericitic overprint.
Follow-up drilling is currently underway with hole PIU11, designed to test the northern continuity of the copper-gold-silver mineralized porphyry system. This hole targets a geophysical chargeability anomaly defined by Induced Polarization surveying and a coincident conductive feature identified in Magnetotelluric data. The spatial relationship between these geophysical features and the mineralized dioritic porphyry intersected in previous holes represents a priority target for assessing the scale potential of the Piuquenes East porphyry centre.
Concurrently, the company has mobilized a second drill rig to commence testing at Piuquenes North. Drill hole PIU12 will target a strong, coherent, deep-seated, low-resistivity anomaly identified by a recent Magnetotelluric survey. This anomaly, characterized by its low-resistivity contrast and significant vertical extent commencing approximately 600 meters below surface, extends well below current drilling limits. In the context of Miocene-aged porphyry systems in the southern Andes, conductive features of this scale and depth are commonly associated with deep intrusive activity or magmatic-hydrothermal sources.
Integration of Magnetotelluric data with existing Induced Polarization datasets, drilling results, alteration mapping, and structural interpretation has improved understanding of the spatial relationship between deeper conductive features and overlying porphyry-style mineralization. This suggests the currently defined mineralization at Piuquenes East and Piuquenes Central may represent upper-level expressions related to a deeper source at Piuquenes North. The company's technical approach and detailed QA/QC procedures, including analysis at independent accredited laboratories like ALS Minerals, support the reliability of these findings.
The implications of these developments are substantial for the mining industry and resource investors. The confirmation of increasing gold grades at depth within a vertically extensive porphyry system enhances the economic potential of the Piuquenes project. The parallel exploration at Piuquenes North, targeting a deep-seated geophysical anomaly, represents a strategic step in testing the hypothesis of a larger, connected mineralizing system. Successful results could significantly expand the resource potential of the entire district, positioning Andina Copper as an emerging explorer in a prolific copper-producing belt. The company's systematic exploration approach, combining geological modeling with advanced geophysics, demonstrates a methodical strategy for discovery in underexplored regions of Argentina's mineral-rich provinces.
