Andina Copper Corporation (TSX-V: ANDC | FSE: FIR | OTCQB: PMMCF) reported diamond drill assay results from drillholes PIU12 and PIU13 at the newly generated Piuquenes North target in San Juan, Argentina. The drilling successfully tested a large, discrete magneto-telluric (MT) geophysical target identified in the company's 2026 geophysical survey program.
Drillhole PIU13 confirmed the discovery of a new porphyry copper-gold system, returning 468 meters at 0.50% Cu, 0.30 g/t Au, and 3.04 g/t Ag from 700 meters downhole, including a higher-grade interval of 164 meters at 0.70% Cu, 0.44 g/t Au, and 4.19 g/t Ag from 924 meters. Mineralization is hosted within a strongly developed multiphase porphyry system intersected between 664 and 1,168 meters downhole, featuring intense quartz vein stockwork within a potassic altered early mineral porphyry phase. Chalcopyrite and bornite occur in porphyry M, A, and B quartz veins and disseminations, consistent with a high-temperature potassic porphyry core.
Drillhole PIU12, collared approximately 600 meters east-northeast of PIU13, intersected short intervals of mineralization within a pre-mineral porphyry and is interpreted to be on the periphery of the system, returning 14 meters at 0.38% Cu, 0.12 g/t Au, and 1.81 g/t Ag from 864 meters. The two holes tested only a small part of the targeted MT anomaly, which measures approximately 800 meters by 700 meters and trends north-northeast, remaining open in all directions.
Andina Copper’s President and CEO Joseph van den Elsen commented: “We are extremely pleased with the results received from our first drillholes at Piuquenes North. High-grade Cu-Au values from PIU13 confirm a new discovery, proximate to the high-grade, near surface Cu-Au mineralization at Piuquenes Central. Significantly, only a fraction of the large geophysical anomaly at Piuquenes North has been tested, and we are now designing the next phase of drilling to expand on what is potentially a significant new porphyry discovery along the emerging San Juan Miocene belt.”
The Piuquenes district now comprises three recognized porphyry systems: the newly discovered Piuquenes North, along with the previously identified Piuquenes Central and Piuquenes East systems, all located immediately north of Aldebaran Resources Inc.'s Altar copper-gold porphyry project. Other major porphyry copper projects in the region include El Pachon (Glencore) approximately 30 km to the south, the operating Los Pelambres copper mine (60% Antofagasta plc) in Chile, and Los Azules (McEwen Copper) 50 km to the northeast.
The company plans to integrate final assay results with updated geological logging into a refined three-dimensional geological model for Piuquenes North, which will be used to design a follow-up drill program targeting down-dip and along-strike extensions. Priority will be given to testing the north-northeast continuation and the untested depth extent of the MT anomaly. The company's corporate presentation is available at Andina Copper Corporate Presentation, and for the latest news and releases, visit the Mailing List.
