Culpeo Minerals (ASX:CPO) has commenced diamond drilling at the El Quillay South Prospect within its Fortuna Project in Chile.
The four-hole program totals about 1,000m and targets a mineralised fault corridor where historical surface sampling returned copper and gold mineralisation.
El Quillay South sits on the El Quillay Fault Zone, a regionally ‘significant’ mineralised structure, where the program will test copper-gold mineralisation associated with a porphyry-style system.
Historical surface sampling returned results including 43.1m @ 1% copper (Cu) and 1.31 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), and up to 1.33% Cu and 2.4g/t Au from channel and surface sampling.
The company expects initial assay results in early August 2026.
Fortuna is located in Chile’s Coquimbo Region, approximately 350km north of Santiago and near the Los Pelambres mine. The project is supported by established regional infrastructure, including roads, power transmission lines, and water sources.
The company also holds the Lana Corina Project in the same region, where recent drilling results include 454m @ 0.93% Cu equivalent from 90m, 257m @ 1.05% Cu equivalent from 170m, 173m @ 1.12% Cu equivalent from 313m, as well as 169, @ 1.27% Cu equivalent from 239m.
Culpeo focuses on copper exploration and development in the Chilean Coast Range.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Culpeo Minerals
