Great Southern Copper has started scout reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the Artemisa South copper-gold target, part of its Especularita Project in Chile.
This follows the completion of RC drilling at the nearby Victoria prospect, where initial findings point to the potential presence of a large-scale porphyry copper-type alteration system.
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The RC drilling at Artemisa South will focus on areas with historic mine workings that demonstrate vein and disseminated copper-gold mineralisation in granodiorite.
According to Great Southern Copper, there has been no previous drilling at this target.
The Artemisa South prospect sits south of the La Colorada lithocap within a structural trend that hosts significant copper deposits, including the Los Pelambres, Altar and El Pachon projects.
Three RC holes are planned for Artemisa South, aiming to assess structurally controlled zones exhibiting chlorite-sericite alteration, copper oxides, trace sulphides and local quartz veins.
Drilling is targeting mineralisation beneath former artisanal mines to explore possible continuation of structural trends.
At the Victoria target, five RC holes totalling 662m were completed beneath the La Colorada lithocap.
The company reported that porphyry-style alteration increased towards the centre of the system, suggesting that the prospect could host a large-scale copper-gold porphyry target.
Core samples from all five holes at Victoria have been sent to ALS Laboratories in Santiago for analysis.
Great Southern Copper holds the rights to own 100% of both the Artemisa South and Artemisa North targets.
The Especularita project lies at low altitude within the Cretaceous coastal metallogenic belt, an area linked by structural trends to several established copper-gold deposits.
The company is using RC drilling for initial exploration, describing it as faster and more cost-effective than diamond drilling.
RC samples are collected in 2m intervals and undergo rigorous quality assurance and control processes before being delivered to ALS Laboratories for assay.
Interpretation of recent audio-frequency magneto-telluric geophysics data covering the La Colorada lithocap is in progress.
Planning for further geophysical surveys and additional drilling at the Especularita Project and its prospects, including Cerro Negro and Viuda, continues.
Geochemical assay results from the current scout drilling phase are expected within two to four weeks.
Great Southern Copper CEO Sam Garrett said: “Artemisa South is the final of four targets to be tested with scout RC drilling in the current porphyry exploration programme.
“This programme is testing beneath high-grade copper-gold-silver mineralisation identified in old workings, providing an opportunity to assess both the broader porphyry potential and the higher-grade mineralised structures observed at Artemisa South.”
