Solis Minerals (ASX:SLM) is advancing its portfolio of targets in the Coastal Belt of Peru to targeted drilling programs, having completed a combined drone and ground magnetometry survey over its Cinto copper permits.
The survey shows magnetic anomalies south of an intrusive batholith contact with corresponding alteration detected from WorldView 3 remote sensing work.
The Latin America-focused copper-gold explorer says the high magnetic anomaly south of the batholith is flanked by alteration to the south which represents a high priority target for immediate follow-up mapping and geochemistry.
To the north-east of the batholith, the known high copper grade area potentially extends into an area of alteration to the east. Areas of low magnetic response north-east of the batholith contact represent alteration that contains the area of visible copper mineralisation present at Cinto.
Evaluation of areas for follow-up IP programs will be carried out to accelerate permitting for drilling these first-class targets during 2025.
Executive Director Mike Parker says Cinto has an “incredible address” on the regional Incapuquio fault system with the giant Toquepala porphyry copper mine only 15km to the north.
“The magnetometry survey provides excellent insight into the geology and alteration at Cinto,” Parker says.
“Combined with our previous remote sensing work, and mapping and sampling – including our high-grade copper sample area in the northeast of the permits – we are forming an exceptional toolbox to extract the maximum benefit from our ongoing porphyry exploration.
“We will now conduct further assessment using IP surveys to guide our first-pass drill program.”
Peruvian geophysical contractors Real Eagle Explorations completed 120km of drone lines from 21 to 30 August 2024. A GEM GSMP-25u mobile magnetometer was deployed supported by a Matrice 300RTK drone.
The base station was a GEM GSM-19Wv7.0 Overhauser. 200m spaced lines, with appropriately spaced tie-lines, were flown at a maximum velocity of 28km/h with an altitude range of 30-80m above ground.
From 11 to 18 of September, 41km of ground magnetometry data acquisition lines were carried out in the north of the permits to complete the survey at 161km of survey lines in total. The change of method was due to unsuitable conditions for drone flying.
The company says the geophysical contractors carried out thorough comparative testing on the methods and levelled the data to form one complete magnetometry dataset.
Situated in the Cenozoic Porphyry Belt of southern Peru, the Cinto Copper Project consists of seven tenements totalling 3,200 hectares located 15km to the southeast of the Toquepala gold-silver-copper-molybdenum porphyry mine.
Solis Minerals is focused on unlocking the potential of its South American critical minerals portfolio. The company is building a significant copper portfolio around its core tenements of Ilo Este and Ilo Norte and elsewhere in the Coastal Belt of Peru and currently holds 77 exploration concessions for a total of 66,100 hectares (40 concessions granted with 37 applications in process).
The company will be exhibiting at this year’s Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) event being held from 2-5 March in Toronto, Canada.
The annual award winning convention brings together up to 30,000 attendees from over 130 countries for its educational programming, networking events, as well as business and investment opportunities.
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Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Solis
