Fitzroy Minerals Inc. (TSXV: FTZ, OTCQX: FTZFF, FSE: C3Y) has released drill results from the Buen Retiro Copper Project in Copiapo, Chile, highlighting wide intervals of copper mineralization in leachable material close to surface. The company reported results from 15 diamond drill holes in the Tenorita area, a 1.7 km trend southwest of the historical Manto Negro open pit.
Drill hole BRT-DDH072 returned 111.9 meters at 0.97% copper from 21.1 meters depth, including 18.0 meters at 1.59% copper from 84.0 meters. Drill hole BRT-DDH070 intersected 147.7 meters at 0.41% copper from 26.3 meters, with a higher-grade interval of 47.0 meters at 0.88% copper from 113.0 meters. These results confirm consistent shallow mineralization across approximately 300 meters in the widest part of Tenorita.
Merlin Marr-Johnson, President and CEO of Fitzroy, stated: “Buen Retiro continues to deliver excellent results and several of the fifteen drill holes reported today reflect wide zones of mineralization in leachable material close to surface.” He added that the company aims to complete the drill-out of the Tenorita area in August to stay on track with production targeted for early 2028.
Fitzroy has four drill rigs operating at Buen Retiro, including three diamond drill rigs and one reverse circulation rig. Since February 2026, the company has completed 78 diamond drill holes totaling 13,036 meters. The drilling program has three key objectives: advancing Tenorita to measured, indicated, and inferred resource categories for a pre-feasibility study; defining inferred resources elsewhere on the property; and testing new exploration targets.
In addition to Tenorita, drilling is underway at the Ortuzar area (shallow sulphides north of Manto Negro), the Nativo area (southern extension of Manto Negro), and the northeast extension of Tenorita. The RC rig is testing regional exploration targets.
The company has implemented rigorous quality assurance and quality control procedures, including the insertion of blanks, pulp duplicates, and certified copper standards. Approximately 12% of primary core samples are QA/QC samples. Samples are transported to the ALS-Patagonia laboratory in Copiapo, and the company plans to introduce a secondary laboratory in future drilling stages.
Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo., Ph.D., PMP), a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 and independent geological consultant, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release. He verified selected assay results and drill core logs against reported data.
These results underscore the potential of the Buen Retiro project to support a robust mining operation. The shallow, leachable nature of the mineralization could reduce processing costs and accelerate development timelines. For the industry, this demonstrates the continued viability of copper projects in Chile's prolific mining regions. Fitzroy's progress toward production in early 2028 may position it to meet growing copper demand driven by electrification and renewable energy trends.
