Pan Asia Metals (ASX:PAM) is aiming to begin a first-phase reverse circulation drilling program in January 2025 at the Rosario Copper Project in Chile.
Although a definitive start date has not yet been locked in, the company is in discussions with drilling contractors which have indicated start dates in early 2025.
This news comes after Pan Asia received results from a rock chip sampling program, which continues to demonstrate the large-scale nature of copper mineralisation across the Rosario Project area.
Rock chip sampling was conducted with the aim of confirming and following-up on work conducted by previous explorers, and to develop a better understanding of the mineralisation potential at Rosario more broadly.
A total of 316 samples were collected, including 193 soil samples, 100 rock chip samples, and 23 stream sediment samples.
The rock chip results include up to 8.9% copper and 50 parts per million (ppm) silver, which the company says have generally enhanced previous exploration results.
Managing Director Paul Lock says the results are “compelling” and support the work conducted by previous explorers.
“The program yielded many rock chip samples with elevated copper values inherently associated with observed green and blue secondary copper minerals, as well as local copper sulphides,” Lock says.
“The recently reported expansion of Pan Asia’s holdings at Rosario, with an additional 61km2 in applications, positions Pan Asia to capture extensions of the high-grade trends at Rosario.”
Pan Asia expects to conduct detailed follow-up work, including mapping, sampling, and possibly grid-based soil sampling.
The Rosario Project is located in Chile’s central copper belt, 10km north of the El Salvador copper mine which has been operating since 1959.
Pan Asia Metals is a battery metals-focused explorer with projects considered prospective for lithium and copper in South America and Southeast Asia.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Pan Asia Metals
