ATERRA Metals (CSE:ATC) has begun a phase one drilling program at the Totora Copper-Gold Project in Chile, targeting two of four near-surface porphyries.
The program comprises 3,000m of drilling, focusing on the Totora and Frontera deposit porphyries within its 1,811-hectare project, located 60km south of Vallenar.
CEO Carl Hansen says the program follows extensive re-logging of historical drill cores that has enhanced understanding of the mineralisation controls.
“Our goal is to publish a resource estimate during the third quarter of 2026 integrating our phase one drill assay results with the significant historical drilling completed on the Totora Project over the past 15 years,” Hansen says.
At the Totora porphyry, a 2,500m reverse circulation drilling campaign is underway to expand on 10,000m of historical drilling that outlined copper-gold mineralisation over an 800m strike length extending to 500m depth.
Historical drilling at Totora returned intercepts including 142m at 0.58% copper-equivalent, including 72m at 0.83% copper-equivalent from drill hole DDHTP-02.
The company plans to complete approximately 500m of diamond drilling at the Frontera deposit to confirm historical results ahead of an updated resource estimate.
The Frontera deposit hosts a historical indicated resource of 16 million tonnes at 0.38% copper and 0.22 grams per tonne gold for 134,400,000 pounds of copper and 116,000 ounces of gold. An additional inferred resource contains 34 million tonnes at 0.36% copper and 0.22g/t gold for 275,500,000 pounds of copper and 239,000 ounces of gold.
ATERRA has also terminated its option agreement on the Angie Property to focus on advancing the Totora Project.
Edited by Amy Rotman
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Images: ATERRA Metals
