Southern Hemisphere Mining and its new joint venture partner, FMR Resources, have finalised plans for a 4000-metre phase one drilling program at the Southern Porphyry target within the Llahuin copper-gold project in Chile.
The program, set to kick off in late September, will test four high-priority targets defined by advanced geophysical remodelling and surface mapping to unlock the potential of the large, undrilled copper porphyry system. Targets A and D have been prioritised for first pass work.
The drilling contract has been awarded to Big Bear Drilling SpA, a firm with expertise in directional drilling. Directional drilling allows for efficient use of daughter holes turned off from parent holes to maximise geological insights with the least possible meterage.
Statutory approvals have been submitted, and site preparations are well advanced. Each hole, ranging from 1000m to 1600m in depth, is expected to take three to five weeks to complete. The program will run for about three months.
ALS Santiago will process the analyses and is expected to deliver results four to six weeks after each hole is completed.
Target A, the first to be drilled, will reach 1600m to test near-surface induced polarisation (IP) chargeability and resistivity features linked to the Santa Maria epithermal vein system, before probing a deeper magneto-telluric (MT) anomaly.
If significant mineralisation is encountered, follow-up holes may be drilled from the same platform.
Target D, planned to reach 1000m, will intersect shallower IP and MT anomalies and will also test a deeper MT feature to help map the system’s geometry along strike from Target A.
Awarding the drill contract is another major milestone for FMR. With Big Bear Drilling on board and site preparations advancing, we are now weeks away from drill testing what we believe is one of the most compelling undrilled copper porphyry targets in Chile. The ability to utilise directional drilling techniques will allow us to test this system with greater efficiency and precision.
The Southern Porphyry target lies within a 6-kilometre mineralised corridor at Llahuin, hosting multiple copper-gold-molybdenum porphyry centres.
Recent field mapping has identified argillic alteration, silicification and epithermal quartz veining, with secondary copper mineralisation typical of a porphyry system’s upper levels.
Re-logging of historical drill holes confirms hydrothermal alteration and disseminated chalcopyrite-pyrite – copper and iron sulphides – at depth, suggesting a telescoped system with epithermal veining overlying a deeper porphyry core.
Integration of aeromagnetic, MT and IP data further supports the interpretation of a potentially significant copper porphyry system.
Under the joint venture, announced on June 16, FMR Resources will earn up to a 60 per cent interest in Llahuin by funding up to $13 million in exploration expenditure and making payments totalling $2.67 million over two stages.
Southern Hemisphere retains a significant stake in this promising project, including 100 per cent of its northern concessions and their resources. The company is also exploring targets such as Ferro West and the Cardawan copper project.
Next month’s phase one program marks a critical step in assessing the scale and economic potential of the Southern Porphyry system.
As Southern Hemisphere and FMR Resources launch the pivotal campaign, the Llahuin project stands on the cusp of potentially unveiling a major copper porphyry system. The results could drive significant value in Chile’s mineral-rich landscape.
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