Andina Copper Corporation has reported an outstanding drill intercept from hole CDH005 at its Cobrasco Project in Choco, Colombia, confirming large-scale southerly extension of copper-molybdenum-silver mineralization. The results demonstrate a multi-phase porphyry system with newly observed intermediate intrusive phases consistently mineralized over broad intervals, significantly expanding the known mineralized envelope.
The drillhole, designed to test southern extensions of the Cobrasco system to 700 meters depth in an area with limited geological data and no prior drilling, intersected wide intervals of moderate to high-grade copper mineralization. This extension drilling has tested less than half of the potential 2500-meter by 1000-meter target area, with mineralization defined over a mostly near-surface zone within the upper 650 meters.
Joseph van den Elsen, President and CEO of Andina Copper, stated that ongoing drilling continues to demonstrate the large-scale and relatively shallow nature of Cobrasco Central. "With broad spaced holes having tested less than half the target area to-date, we see the potential for a globally significant copper deposit(s) at Cobrasco," van den Elsen said. The company plans to mobilize a second drill to systematically explore and define the lateral extents of the copper-molybdenum system.
Drillhole CDH005 differs from previous holes by intersecting mineralized diorite to dacite-andesite porphyries rather than the felsic lithologies encountered earlier. The hole remained within dark-colored diorite porphyry units to approximately 170 meters downhole before intersecting fine-grained dacite-andesite units exhibiting visually significant chalcopyrite-dominant sulphide mineralization. These geological findings are detailed in the company's corporate presentation.
The continuity of intrusive phases, alteration styles and sulphide mineralization throughout the 934-meter drillhole supports interpretation of a large and long-lived mineralizing system extending south of the currently defined Cobrasco footprint. The mineralization remains open to the south, with systematic drilling of the emerging large-scale porphyry system ongoing. Step-out drillholes CDH006 and CDH007 have been completed with assays pending, while new drillhole CDH008 is underway targeting northern extension of mineralization.
The technical significance of these findings extends beyond the immediate project area. The large, strongly coincident copper-molybdenum surface geochemical anomaly being tested extends approximately 2.5 kilometers north-south and 900 meters east-west, supported by limited rock chip geochemistry, geological mapping, and geophysical data. A systematic environmental baseline program has commenced across the project area, followed by detailed geological mapping and further surface sampling to support ongoing drill targeting.
Francisco Montes, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has verified the scientific and technical information forming the basis for this news release. Quality assurance and quality control procedures followed industry standards, with samples processed through ALS laboratories in Medellin and Lima. Mineralized intercepts reported for CDH005 applied a 0.2% copper cut-off with maximum dilution of 10 meters.
These drilling results are important because they come at a time when global copper demand continues to grow, driven by electrification and renewable energy transitions, while new large-scale discoveries remain scarce. The confirmation of significant mineralization extensions at Cobrasco suggests potential for adding substantial copper resources in a region already known for copper production. For the mining industry, successful exploration in Colombia's Choco region could open new frontiers for copper development along the Andean porphyry belt.
The implications extend to global copper supply chains, where new discoveries are needed to meet projected demand increases. Should further drilling confirm the scale suggested by current results, the Cobrasco Project could contribute meaningfully to future copper production. The relatively shallow nature of the mineralization also suggests potentially favorable economics for future development, though substantial additional work remains before any development decisions can be made.
