Andina Copper Corporation has reported significant drill intercepts from its maiden diamond drilling program at the Cobrasco copper-molybdenum project in Choco, Colombia. The results from drillhole CDH004 follow high-grade intersections in CDH003 and demonstrate continued strong mineralization within the system. Drillhole CDH004, completed to 900.25 meters, returned wide intercepts of copper-molybdenum mineralization, including an interval from 579 to 686 meters that averaged 0.75% copper. This interval contains intensely fractured magmatic-hydrothermal breccias interpreted as effective fluid focusing zones, with a peak 2-meter assay value of 1.70% copper. The upper portion of the hole intersected intermediate composition porphyries with anomalous copper and silver values up to 0.39% copper and 393 ppm silver.
The company noted sporadic gold mineralization up to 1.06 g/t in CDH004, supporting a possible gold-rich intrusive phase within the broader Cobrasco system. Drillhole CDH005, designed to expand the mineralized footprint southwest of previous holes, has been completed to 934.00 meters with strong copper mineralization logged and assays pending. Step-out drillhole CDH006 is currently underway, targeting potential extensions of the mineralized system. Andina Copper's President and CEO Joseph van den Elsen stated that the results further validate the size, scale and grade of the Cobrasco system. "We see the potential for a globally significant deposit(s) at Cobrasco, and mobilization of a second drill rig to expedite rapid exploration and evaluation is planned," van den Elsen said. The company's corporate presentation is available at https://www.andinacopper.com/investors/presentations.
Geological observations from CDH004 reveal multiple phases of early to late-mineral rhyolite, rhyodacite and dacite with felsic affinities from 56 to 579 meters. These units display characteristics interpreted to reflect rapid magma decompression and emplacement within a flow-dome complex. The final interval from 686 meters to the end of the hole is characterized by phreatomagmatic breccias that returned comparatively low copper grades, averaging 215 ppm copper. The continuity of intrusive phases, alteration styles and sulphide mineralization throughout the drilling program supports the interpretation of a large and long-lived mineralizing system. Detailed geological and geotechnical logging is ongoing, with additional assay results expected shortly. The company has implemented quality assurance and quality control procedures, with samples processed through ALS laboratories in Medellin and Lima. Mineralized intercepts reported for CDH004 have applied a 0.2% copper cut-off and maximum dilution of 20 meters.
These drilling results come at a time when global copper demand continues to grow, particularly for renewable energy infrastructure and electric vehicles. The potential development of a significant copper deposit in Colombia could contribute to diversifying global copper supply sources beyond traditional producing regions. The Cobrasco project represents one of several exploration targets Andina Copper holds along the Andean porphyry belt, a region responsible for approximately 40% of global copper production. The findings suggest Colombia could emerge as an important copper producer, potentially reducing supply chain vulnerabilities as the world transitions to cleaner energy systems that require substantial copper inputs.
