Auro Metals (TSX-V:AURO) reports drilling results from its Santa Barbara Gold-Copper Project in Ecuador, with the standout intercept returning 542m grading 0.60 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) and 0.12% copper (Cu).
The results represent the third batch of assays from the company’s 2026 phase one drilling program at the 100%-owned project located in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province in southeastern Ecuador.
19 drill holes have been completed since the start of the campaign, with assay results received for 10 holes.
Four holes were drilled at Santa Barbara South, believed to be the core area of the known porphyry mineralisation system. All four holes intersected wide mineralisation starting from surface or near-surface.
Assays yielded the following results:
- 542m @ 0.60g/t Au and 0.12% Cu from 198m to 740m depth, including testing the up-dip extension of the mineralised zone and continuity between existing holes (drilled to 802.65m total depth)
- 149.5m @ 0.66g/t Au and 0.06% Cu from 24.0m to 173.5m, including 29.4m @ 1.53g/t Au and 0.11% Cu from 34.0m to 63.4m
- 143m @ 0.74g/t Au and 0.1% Cu from surface to 143m depth, including 36.5m @ 1.25g/t Au and 0.14% Cu; and 85.1m @ 0.44g/t Au and 0.08% Cu from 165.9m to 251m
- 121.65m @ 0.44g/t Au and 0.07% Cu from 20.5m to 142.15m depth
CEO Victor Feng says the four holes build upon the previous two batches of drill results and “continues to highlight the scale and consistency of the project”.
“DSB-60 intersected 542m of continuous gold-copper mineralisation with the gold grade from this hole, roughly 15% higher than the gold grade of the inferred resource from our mineral resource estimate,” Feng says.
The results demonstrate mineralisation remains open in both up-dip and down-dip directions.
The Santa Barbara Project comprises indicated resources of 29.8 million tonnes (Mt) grading 0.73g/t Au and 0.10% Cu, containing 697,000oz Au and 68 million pounds (Mlbs) Cu.
Inferred resources total 205.7Mt grading 0.52g/t Au and 0.09% Cu, containing 3.4 million ounces Au and 426Mlbs Cu.
Auro currently has four rigs operating on site, with assay results pending for nine drill holes.
Auro Metals is a mineral explorer focused on advancing its 100%-owned Santa Barbara Gold-Copper Project in Ecuador.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: Mining.com.au
