VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Marimaca Copper Corp. has released the conclusive results from its ambitious 10,000-meter discovery drilling campaign at the Pampa Medina copper deposit, marking a significant step forward for the company's district-scale ambitions in Chile's Atacama Desert.
The campaign, located in a flat pampa valley roughly 28 kilometers east of the company's flagship Marimaca Oxide Deposit (MOD), has successfully validated the sedimentary-hosted copper manto model. The findings point to substantial extensions of both high-grade sulphide mineralization and near-surface oxide resources.
Key Drilling Highlights and Results
The final assay results from the Phase I program delivered several high-impact intersections, reinforcing the project's potential. A standout result from the central area, hole SMRD-22, intersected a remarkable 48 meters grading 2.05% copper from a depth of 186 meters. This high-grade zone was part of a broader 160-meter intersection averaging 0.92% copper, primarily within oxide mineralization.
Exploration in the southern sector confirmed that the primary mineralized sedimentary horizon extends an impressive 900 meters south of previously known mineralization. Hole SMR-19 cut 16 meters of 2.29% copper from 464 meters depth, nested within a 28-meter section of 1.44% copper. Similarly, SMR-07 intersected 6 meters of high-grade material at 3.17% copper.
Step-out drilling to the north and northwest continued to demonstrate the robustness and continuity of the mineralized system. Hole SMRD-20 returned 38 meters of 1.48% copper from 540 meters within a broader 198-meter intersection of mixed oxides and sulphides.
Commencement of Phase II Exploration Program
Buoyed by the success of the initial campaign, Marimaca Copper has immediately moved to capitalize on these discoveries. The company has commenced a major 30,000-meter Phase II follow-up drilling program. Five drilling rigs are currently operating on site to systematically test the extensions of this burgeoning deposit.
The favorable mineralized sequence is now defined by drilling across a substantial area measuring approximately 1.6 kilometers by 1.4 kilometers. Critically, the deposit remains open for expansion, with the upcoming extensional drilling focusing on step-outs toward the north and west.
Leadership Commentary on a 'Tier One' Opportunity
Sergio Rivera, Vice President of Exploration for Marimaca Copper, characterized the discovery program as remarkably successful. He stated that the results are defining a potentially significant new deposit in Chile, with the latest intersections demonstrating continuity of the high-grade sedimentary horizon over a considerable distance.
Rivera emphasized that the new 30,000-meter campaign will provide vital geological information to advance the understanding of the deposit's controls and full extent. He described Pampa Medina as a tier one opportunity that is central to the company's vision for growth beyond the advancing Marimaca Oxide Deposit.
Echoing this optimism, Hayden Locke, President and CEO of Marimaca Copper, commended the exploration team's work. He noted that the results from Pampa Medina strongly reinforce the company's objective to define credible district growth potential that extends beyond the 50,000-tonne-per-year capacity outlined in the MOD Definitive Feasibility Study.
Locke confirmed that the company looks forward to continuing to define the district-scale potential through the Phase II program and will update stakeholders as new information becomes available. The company trades on the TSX under the symbol MARI and on the ASX as MC2.
