Luca Mining (TSX-V:LUCA) has identified a previously unrecognised extension of the ‘high-grade’ breccia-hosted vein system at its Tahuehueto mine in Mexico.
The company’s 2026 drill program has confirmed mineralisation continues below Level 20, with drilling returning 4.7m at 6.73 grams per tonne gold equivalent (AgEQ) and exceeding management expectations.
Exploration drilling targeted zones 30–40m below active mine workings on Level 23 and along strike from the successful phase one 2024–2025 underground drill program.
“Management’s interpretation that mineralisation continued below Level 20 has now been confirmed. The first five drillholes into this previously undrilled area successfully intersected the down-plunge extension of the Creston vein,” VP for Exploration Paul Gray says.
“Based on these encouraging results, an additional nine holes were added to the program to further define the potential of this target, each of which successfully intersected the structure.”
Drillhole DDH26-246 returned intercepts of 22m at 3.61g/t AgEq, including 4.7m at 6.73g/t.
Meanwhile, other significant results include DDH26-245 with 2.8m at 6.9g/t AgEq, including 0.9m at 18.05g/t AgEq, and DDH26-242 with 5.1m at 3.05g/t AgEq.
DDH26-240 intercepted the El Rey vein approximately 40m below the previous deepest intercept, returning 3.7m at 2.98g/t AgEq.
The company has completed 54 underground holes for 10,426m and 25 surface holes for 4,599m across the Creston, Perdido, El Rey, and Santiago targets.
Two drillholes failed to intersect the mineralised structure, which the company attributes to previously identified dilatational jogs in the veins.
Tahuehueto comprises a large epithermal gold-silver vein system with approximately 11km of known vein strike length.
Current campaigns represent the first substantive exploration drilling on the property in more than 12 years.
The company has identified more than 11km of prospective vein structures, compared to approximately 4.50km incorporated into the current mineral resource model.
A follow-up drill program to further delineate priority targets is being designed and slated for implementation before year-end.
Luca Mining is a Canadian diversified mining company with two 100%-owned producing mines in Mexico — the Tahuehueto gold-silver mine in Durango and the Campo Morado zinc-copper-gold-silver mine in Guerrero.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Luca Mining
