The new drill holes not only confirmed mineralized continuity at Yaretas, the project's main exploration target, but also identified a new mineralized center nearly two kilometers to the south, reinforcing the hypothesis of a district-scale mineralized system.
By Panorama Minero
The campaign carried out by Teck Resources under the earn-in agreement with AbraSilver completed 5,248 metres of drilling distributed across seven holes and had two main objectives: to extend the known limits of mineralization at Yaretas and to evaluate new targets defined from the first magnetotelluric survey conducted on the property.
Among the reported results, hole DDH-LC26-010 recorded the most significant intercept obtained to date at La Coipita, with 747.5 metres of continuous mineralization from a depth of 396 metres, averaging 0.69% copper, 0.06 g/t gold and 142 ppm molybdenum.
The drilling also included higher-grade sections, among them an interval of 108 metres grading 1.06% copper and another interval of 184 metres grading 0.78% copper, values that continue to strengthen the interpretation of a copper-gold-molybdenum porphyry system with significant vertical extent.
Another relevant result came from hole DDH-LC26-011, which connected areas previously drilled within Yaretas. The intercept of 250.6 metres grading 0.39% copper provides additional evidence of the continuity of the system and reduces geological uncertainty between areas where information had previously been limited.
A New Mineralized Center
Beyond the results obtained in the main core of the project, the principal development of the campaign may be linked to the discovery made at Yaretas Sur, a target located approximately 1.9 kilometres south of the historical drilling area.
There, hole DDH-LC26-012 intersected several copper and gold mineralized intervals, including 42 metres grading 1.03% copper and 0.63 g/t gold, within which a section of 28 metres grading 1.45% copper and 0.81 g/t gold stands out.
The location of this new discovery is particularly relevant because it opens the possibility that the mineralized system extends beyond the area explored to date, incorporating new targets within the same geological corridor.
The Contribution of Geophysics
The 2026 campaign also marked a methodological advancement for the project with the execution of the first magnetotelluric study in its history.
According to information released by the company, the results made it possible to improve the understanding of the geometry of the system and identify potential extensions toward the south, precisely in the direction where the new Yaretas Sur discovery was made.
The integration of drilling and geophysics is thus beginning to redefine the potential scale of the project and will serve as the basis for generating future exploration targets.
A District That Continues to Grow
La Coipita covers more than 70,000 hectares in the San Juan Andes, near the border with Chile, within one of the most important metallogenic belts of the Central Andes. The property is located within the same geological environment as deposits such as Filo Del Sol, Los Azules, El Pachón, Veladero, Pascua-Lama and El Indio.
Since the beginning of the agreement with AbraSilver in 2024, Teck has completed 11,270 metres of drilling in 19 holes, with investments that already exceed US$23 million.
The results of this latest campaign show three relevant indicators for the evolution of the project: the continuity of mineralization at Yaretas, the emergence of a new mineralized center at Yaretas Sur, and a better geological understanding of the system through deep geophysics. Taken together, these elements are beginning to outline a project whose scale could extend significantly beyond the area drilled to date.
