Cortadera’s North Flank Delivers Wide Copper Hits
Hot Chili Limited (ASX: HCH) (OTCQB: HHLKF) has unveiled that recent drill results from its Cortadera copper-gold discovery in Chile continue to demonstrate strong resource growth.
Hot Chili’s Resource Development Manager Kirsty Sheerin said the expansion of the main porphyry was very pleasing ahead of the company’s plans to up-grade the maiden 451Mt Cortadera resource. “The North Flank of the high-grade core to the main porphyry has continued to be a significant resource addition,” Sheerin said.
“We have added approximately 170m of width to Cuerpo 3 and hope to extend several other open flanks to the high-grade core by year-end. “We are also continuing to see positive shallow intersections in the current RC drilling program at Cuerpo 2.
“The next resource upgrade at Cortadera will provide a strong basis for the first combined open pit and block cave mining reserve estimate at our growing Costa Fuego copper-gold development.” Cuerpo 3 North Flank Confirmed as Extensive High-Grade Addition
Continued strong results have been reported from extensional resource drilling across the North Flank to the high-grade core of the main porphyry (Cuerpo 3) at Cortadera.
CRP0134D returned an extensive intersection of 610m grading 0.5% CuEq (0.4% copper (Cu), 0.1g/t gold (Au)) from 216m depth down-hole, including 138m grading 0.8% CuEq (0.6% Cu, 0.1g/t Au) from 634m depth.
Importantly, the high-grade results in CRP0134D were recorded at approximately the same vertical depth and lateral to CRP0124D, which recorded 82m grading 1.0% CuEq (0.7% Cu and 0.3g/t Au) within a broader intersection of 362m grading 0.6% CuEq (0.5% Cu, 0.2g/t Au) from 634m depth.
This recent drilling has demonstrated strong continuity of high grade (+0.7% CuEq) mineralisation and extended the North Flank by approximately 170m. A follow-up hole (CRP0155D) is currently underway to extend the North Flank by a further 80m. CRP0155D is currently at 490m depth and is in mineralisation.
Expansion of Shallow Resources at Cortadera
Initial results have been returned for 5 shallow Reverse Circulation (RC) drill holes at Cuerpo 2. The results have extended the boundary of the resource across the southern, eastern and north eastern flanks of Cuerpo 2.
In addition, CRP0139 was drilled in an up-dip position over the Cuerpo 2 resource and has recorded a 42m intersection grading 0.5% CuEq (0.4% Cu, 0.3g/t Au) from 180m depth to end-of-hole, within a broader 222m zone grading 0.3% CuEq (0.2% Cu, 0.1g/t Au) from surface.
The result of CRP0139 has shown an upgrade in both copper and gold from the maiden resource model in this area. Assay results are pending for a further five drill holes which have recorded wide zones of oxide and sulphide mineralisation from surface.
Additional RC drilling is continuing in this area to determine the potential for this shallow mineralisation to extend further.
Momentum Building Ahead of Canadian TSXV Dual-Listing
Hot Chili is currently the only major copper-gold developer in the America’s that is not listed in Canada. The Company’s low-altitude Costa Fuego copper-gold development in Chile is expected to compare favourably to leading copper-gold developers in Canada, which currently trade at many multiples of Hot Chili’s market capitalisation.
The Company plans to continue building momentum with its activities and news flow ahead of its dual listing on the TSXV in Q4 this year, with several updates expected from ongoing drilling, exploration and development workstreams. Hot Chili is operating five shifts of drilling per day with three drill rigs at Cortadera.
In addition, a fourth drill rig is being sourced to commence drill testing several large-scale growth targets.
Following its dual listing in Canada, Hot Chili aims to release a major resource upgrade from Cortadera followed by the completion of a combined Pre-feasibility study.
These two major milestones will lay the foundation for the company’s transformation into a major copper-gold producer in the coming years.
For further information please visit: https://www.hotchili.net.au/
