Andina Copper Corporation reported an outstanding drill intercept from hole CDH005 at its Cobrasco Project in Choco, Colombia. The hole was designed to test southern extensions of the Cobrasco system to a depth of 700 meters in an area with limited geological data and no prior drilling. This drilling confirms a large-scale southerly extension of copper-molybdenum-silver mineralization, demonstrating a multi-phase porphyry system with newly observed intermediate intrusive phases consistently mineralized over broad intervals.
The drillhole CDH005 intersected mineralized diorite to dacite-andesite porphyries, differing from earlier holes that encountered felsic lithologies. These intermediate units exhibit visually significant chalcopyrite-dominant sulphide mineralization with weak to moderate sericite alteration overprinting earlier potassic assemblages. The hole was collared within dark-colored diorite porphyry units and remained within this phase to approximately 170 meters downhole before intersecting fine-grained dacite-andesite units that extend to about 630 meters downhole.
Joseph van den Elsen, President and CEO of Andina Copper, stated that ongoing drilling continues to demonstrate the large-scale and relatively shallow nature of Cobrasco Central. Results from hole CDH005 significantly extend the mineralized envelope to the south. With broad spaced holes having tested less than half the target area to date, the company sees potential for a globally significant copper deposit at Cobrasco. To accelerate exploration and evaluation, a second drill will be mobilized to systematically explore and define the lateral extents of the copper-molybdenum system and add volume to higher-grade copper shells intersected in drilling to date.
Systematic drilling of the emerging large-scale porphyry system at Cobrasco is ongoing, with copper-molybdenum mineralization defined over a mostly near-surface zone within a 2500-meter by 1000-meter target area. Drilling thus far has tested an area of approximately 1000 meters by 750 meters, less than half the potential footprint. Step-out drillholes CDH006 and CDH007 have been completed with assays pending, while new drillhole CDH008 is underway targeting northern extension of mineralization.
The continuity of intrusive phases, alteration styles and sulphide mineralization throughout drillhole CDH005 is supported by wide intercepts of moderate to high grade copper mineralization interpreted to be predominantly associated with the waning stages of potassic alteration transitioning into early sericitic alteration. Assay results support the interpretation of a large and long-lived mineralizing system extending south of the currently defined Cobrasco footprint. The mineralization remains open to the south.
A large, strongly coincident copper-molybdenum surface geochemical anomaly currently being tested by drilling extends approximately 2.5 kilometers north-south and 900 meters east-west. This soil anomaly is supported by limited rock chip geochemistry, geological mapping, and geophysical data collected to date. A systematic environmental baseline program has commenced across the project area and will be followed by detailed geological mapping and further surface sampling to support ongoing drill targeting. The Company's Corporate Presentation is available at: https://www.andinacopper.com/investors/presentations.
Francisco Montes, a consultant of Andina Copper Corp and a qualified person within the definition of that term in National Instrument 43-101, has verified the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Quality assurance and quality control procedures were followed throughout the drilling and sampling process, with samples sent to ALS preparation facilities in Medellin and Lima for analysis. Mineralized intercepts reported for CDH005 have applied a 0.2% copper cut-off and maximum dilution of 10 meters.
