Andina Copper Corporation has reported an outstanding drill intercept from hole CDH005 at its Cobrasco Project in Choco, Colombia, confirming a large-scale southerly extension of copper-molybdenum-silver mineralization. This third completed drillhole was designed to test the southern extensions of the Cobrasco system to a depth of 700 meters in an area with limited geological data and no prior drilling, following high-grade intersections reported in recent drillholes CDH003 and CDH004.
The results demonstrate a large multi-phase porphyry copper-molybdenum system, with newly observed intermediate intrusive phases consistently mineralized over broad intervals. Step-out drillholes CDH006 and CDH007 have been completed with assays pending, while new drillhole CDH008 is underway targeting the northern extension of mineralization. Systematic drilling of the emerging large-scale porphyry system at Cobrasco continues, 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, representing less than half the potential footprint. Andina Copper's President and CEO Joseph van den Elsen stated that ongoing drilling continues to demonstrate the large-scale and relatively shallow nature of Cobrasco Central, with results from hole CDH005 significantly extending 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 to add volume to the higher-grade copper shells intersected in drilling to date. The company's corporate presentation is available at https://www.andinacopper.com/investors/presentations.
Hole CDH005 was collared from the same platform as previous holes and oriented due south to test for southern extensions of Cobrasco mineralization, testing approximately 600 meters of lateral extent and 700 meters of vertical extent before termination at 934 meters downhole depth. Unlike earlier holes which intersected felsic lithologies, CDH005 is characterized by mineralized diorite to dacite-andesite porphyries, generally manifesting as magnetic intrusive sequences at surface transitioning to a magnetic low embayment at depth.
The intermediate dacite-andesite units are intruded by several narrow quartz-rich felsic rhyolite subvolcanic intrusions interpreted to intrude the earlier intermediate porphyry phase. 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 exhibiting visually significant chalcopyrite-dominant sulphide mineralization accompanied by weak to moderate sericite alteration overprinting earlier potassic assemblages.
The continuity of intrusive phases, alteration styles and sulphide mineralization throughout the drillhole 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, with mineralization remaining open to the south.
The 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.
For business and technology leaders monitoring resource development and mineral exploration, these results indicate significant potential for copper resource expansion at a time when global copper demand continues to grow for electrification and renewable energy infrastructure. The confirmation of mineralization extensions and the systematic approach to exploring the full potential of the Cobrasco system suggests Andina Copper is methodically advancing what could become a substantial copper asset in a region known for porphyry deposits.
