Kobrea Exploration (CSE:KBX) has begun a phase one diamond drilling program at the El Perdido porphyry system at the Western Malargüe Copper Project in Argentina, which marks the first drill test on the claims in history.
CEO James Hedalen says the initial holes are based on geological and alteration mapping, vein density mapping, rock chip sampling, and geophysical data.
“The first three drillholes will test the interpreted core of the system under the leached cap into the early quartz diorite porphyry and hydrothermal breccia outlined at surface,” Hedalen says.
“The leached cap at surface is anomalous in copper, gold, and molybdenum mineralisation.”
An initial three diamond holes will be drilled at 500m each. The first hole – DD26ELP001 – will collar into one of two phases of early quartz diorite porphyry with high-density quartz stockwork veining, as evidenced by geological studies in the field.
Kobrea says this hole is expected to proceed through one or two early-mineral quartz diorite porphyry phases for several hundred metres before encountering the vertically emplaced hydrothermal breccia that has been outlined at surface.
The second and third holes are expected to encounter the same geological units as the first hole with similar degrees of hydrothermal alteration and mineralisation.
Kobrea notes the geological observations and analytical results will support in planning subsequent drillholes.
As a result, the company’s geologists will be able to vector towards higher temperatures alteration and early porphyry phases that are typically host to higher proportions of quartz stockwork veining with associated copper-gold-molybdenum mineralisation.
The Western Malargüe Copper Project, covering 73,334 hectares, lies within the Neogene Porphyry Belt – a metallogenic belt that straddles the border between central Chile and Argentina.
Kobrea Exploration is a copper-focused explorer that seeks to develop sustainable mining to respond to the challenge that the energy transition represents for the world.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Kobrea Exploration
