Andina Copper Corporation (TSX-V: ANDC | FSE: FIR | OTCQB: PMMCF) has announced assay results from drillholes PIU12 and PIU13 at the Piuquenes North target in San Juan, Argentina, confirming a new porphyry copper-gold discovery. The drilling targeted a large magneto-telluric (MT) geophysical anomaly identified in the company's 2026 survey program.
Drillhole PIU13 intersected 468 meters grading 0.50% copper, 0.30 g/t gold, and 3.04 g/t silver from 700 meters downhole, including a higher-grade interval of 164 meters at 0.70% copper, 0.44 g/t gold, and 4.19 g/t silver from 924 meters. The mineralization is hosted within a multiphase porphyry system between 664 and 1,168 meters downhole, characterized by intense quartz vein stockwork and potassic alteration. Chalcopyrite and bornite occur in porphyry M, A, and B quartz veins and disseminations, consistent with a high-temperature potassic porphyry core.
Drillhole PIU12, located approximately 600 meters east-northeast of PIU13, intersected shorter intervals of mineralization within a pre-mineral porphyry, interpreted as the periphery of the mineralized system. PIU12 returned 14 meters at 0.38% copper, 0.12 g/t gold, and 1.81 g/t silver from 864 meters, including 8 meters at 0.46% copper, 0.15 g/t gold, and 2.35 g/t silver.
The MT anomaly at Piuquenes North measures approximately 800 meters by 700 meters and remains largely untested. Only a small portion of the anomaly has been drilled, with significant potential for expansion along strike and at depth. The company plans to conduct follow-up drilling targeting the north-northeast continuation and depth extensions.
This discovery adds to the Piuquenes district, which now hosts three porphyry centers: Piuquenes North, Piuquenes Central, and Piuquenes East. These systems are located immediately north of the Altar copper-gold porphyry project owned by Aldebaran Resources Inc. The region includes other major porphyry deposits such as El Pachon (Glencore) approximately 30 kilometers to the south, the operating Los Pelambres copper mine (60% Antofagasta plc) in Chile, and Los Azules (McEwen Copper) 50 kilometers to the northeast.
Andina Copper's President and CEO Joseph van den Elsen commented, "We are extremely pleased with the results received from our first drillholes at Piuquenes North. High-grade Cu-Au values from PIU13 confirm a new discovery, proximate to the high-grade, near surface Cu-Au mineralization at Piuquenes Central. Significantly, only a fraction of the large geophysical anomaly at Piuquenes North has been tested, and we are now designing the next phase of drilling to expand on what is potentially a significant new porphyry discovery along the emerging San Juan Miocene belt."
The company will integrate final assay results with geological logging into a refined three-dimensional model for Piuquenes North. This will guide a follow-up drill program targeting down-dip and along-strike extensions. Additionally, measurements of resistivity and chargeability on representative core will be conducted to refine geophysical interpretations.
The qualified person for the technical information is Gustavo Zulliger, a Certified Professional Geologist (AIPG CPG 11165) and consultant to Andina Copper. Drill core samples were analyzed at ALS Minerals in Lima, Peru, with gold by fire assay, copper by four-acid digestion, and multi-element analysis by ICP-MS. The company implemented QA/QC procedures including certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates.
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