Additional Potential Targets Already in Sight
Altiplano Metals (WKN A2JNFG / TSXV APN) is maintaining a high pace! The company is currently processing stored copper and gold mineralized material at its El Peñón facility in Chile, supplemented by material obtained from bulk samples from the historic Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) Santa Beatriz mine. And there, just 13 kilometers from El Peñón, Altiplano is now planning a drilling program to enable the extraction of mineralized material from Santa Beatriz in the future and potentially on a larger scale.
Altiplano Metals plans at least four drill holes, each averaging 125 meters deep, targeting the main vein in the Santa Beatriz mine. The company’s goal is primarily to confirm the continuity of the vein below the deepest level previously used for mining (Level 416).
Furthermore, Altiplano aims to investigate the continuity and consistency of metal grades in the mineralization 25 to 40 meters below Level 416. Underground channel samples taken there yielded positive results, including 2.45 meters with 3.65% copper, 0.29 g/t gold, and 26.97% iron, including a 1.08-meter sample with 8.08% copper, 0.63 g/t gold, and 39.49% iron!
Results Enable Evaluation of Potential Underground Development
The company will use the results of the planned drilling along with data from the ongoing bulk sampling program to evaluate the potential construction of an access that would reach at least three deeper mining levels in Santa Beatriz. This, according to Altiplano Metals, could potentially expand the production of copper, gold, and iron mineralized material, thus providing more material for processing at the El Peñón facility.
Additionally, Altiplano has already identified further unexplored IOCG veins on the Santa Beatriz concession grounds, which could represent future drilling targets. This is not surprising, as the mine is located in the Tambillos district, a well-known mining region in Chile’s copper-rich IOCG belt.
The planned drilling, through which Altiplano aims to confirm the continuity of mineralization along strike and down-dip, is an important technical step at Santa Beatriz to support ongoing underground developments. Moreover, the company can conduct the drilling efficiently and cost-effectively using its own drilling equipment.
