Solis Minerals Announces Drilling Commences, Mostazal Copper Project Chile
Vancouver, January 24, 2022 - Solis Minerals Ltd. (ASX: SLM) (TSXV: SLMN) (FSE: 08W) ("Solis Minerals" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of diamond drilling operations at the Company's Mostazal Copper Project in Chile ("Mostazal" or "the Project").
The Company recently raised a total of A$5.5 million through the issue of 27,500,000 Chess Depository Interests ("CDIs") at A$0.20; and with over A$7.0 million cash at bank, is fully funded to undertake this highly anticipated maiden drilling program at the Mostazal Copper Project in Chile, one of the largest copper production nations in the world.
CEO Jason Cubitt commented:
"We are very pleased to be on the ground and drilling at our flagship Mostazal Copper Project in Chile. Our initial diamond drill holes are targeting near-surface high-grade manto style copper mineralisation, as well as the interpreted feeder system (porphyry) structures at depth. With the geology and drilling crews mobilising to the site earlier last week, the drill bit has hit the ground, and we are now coring."
"This is an exciting milestone for the Company following our recent, strongly supported capital raising and listing on the ASX. To be up and running so soon after listing reflects the hard work by our Chilean based team. We will continue to keep the market informed of our progress, as we put our first holes into this highly prospective project."
Mostazal Copper Project Summary
The Mostazal property is located 80 kilometres (km) northeast of Copiapo, Chile (Appendix 1) and within the Domeyko fault - a major structural control for some of the world's largest and most productive copper mines*, including Chuquicamata and Escondida, and 40 km south of Codelco's El Salvador mine.
The initial phase of drilling will comprise four holes for an estimated 2,000 metres of drilling and will initially target both porphyry and manto-style copper mineralisation as well as the interpreted feeder system (porphyry) structures at depth. Site preparations commenced in late December, with the mobilisation of earth moving equipment and the construction of suitable drilling platforms and access tracks where required. All planned drill sites have been established, ready for drilling the Phase I and Phase II campaigns.
Field crews and drilling equipment mobilised earlier last week to set up on the program's first hole (Figure 1), which will target a series of near-surface manto-style copper mineralisation "lenses" defined by historic diamond drilling (Figure 2, Target Area 2).
Figure 1: Mostazal Copper Project -diamond drill rig on site - MODD001
To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1134/111283_solis%20fig%201.jpg.
The central target (Target Area 2) is characterised by a series of known stacked manto copper lenses where historical, relatively shallow drilling to a depth of approximately 150 metres, has encountered wide zones of high-grade copper mineralisation (Table 1). The proposed drilling is planned to penetrate through these lenses to confirm the existing mineralisation models and test for additional stacked manto lenses at depth.
Table 1: Selected significant intersections from historic drilling at the Mostazal Copper Project[1]
- DDH-MZ-32: 11m @ 2.52% Cu from 84m
- DDH-MZ-08: 16m @ 1.48% Cu from 56m
- DDH-MZ-30: 16m @ 1.27% Cu from 74m
- DDH-MZ-10: 13m @ 1.23% Cu from 91m
- DDH-MZ-27: 10m @ 1.59% Cu from 40m
- DDH-MZ-13: 8m @ 1.83% Cu from 55m
As well as testing the near-surface copper manto mineralisation, the Company intends to undertake the first-ever drill testing of the interpreted porphyry feeder system at depth. Recent independent geophysical modelling of existing Induced Polarization ("IP") survey data has highlighted a strong chargeability anomaly extending for over 1.6 km along strike down dip to the west of the surface copper mineralisation. The Company interprets this to represent the potential location of the primary feeder structured for the widespread copper mineralisation.
Following the completion of MODD001, Solis has planned three additional holes as part of its Phase I drilling campaign to test this compelling IP geophysical target (Figure 2)
Figure 2: Mostazal Copper Project - initial diamond drilling target locations over TMI magnetic image and showing historic drill collar locations
To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1134/111283_2f0e843a949ec951_017full.jpg.
About Solis Minerals Ltd.
Solis Minerals is a Latin American-focused mining exploration company. The Company is earning into a 100% interest in the Mostazal Copper Project in Chile's Atacama Desert, one of the world's premier copper production jurisdictions. The Company also holds a 100% interest in a package of highly prospective IOCG (iron oxide copper/gold) and porphyry copper projects in southwestern Peru within the country's prolific coastal copper belt - a source of nearly half of Peru's copper production.
Issued on the directive of the board of Solis.
For further information please contact:
Jason Cubitt
President and CEO
Solis Minerals Ltd.
+01 (604) 209 1658
Stephen Moloney
Investor Relations
Corporate Storytime
+61 (0) 403 222 052
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected including, but not limited to, market conditions, availability of financing, actual results of the Company's exploration and other activities, environmental risks, future metal prices, operating risks, accidents, labor issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. All the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required by applicable law.
Qualified Person Statement
Derrick Strickland, P. Geo. (1000315), is a qualified person and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release. *The qualified person has been unable to verify the information on the adjacent properties. Mineralisation hosted on adjacent and/or nearby and/or geologically similar properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralisation hosted on the Company property.
Competent Person Statement
The information in this ASX release in relation to Geological Information and Exploration Results is based on and fairly represent information compiled by Mr Anthony Greenaway, a Competent Person who is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Greenaway is an employee of Solis Minerals Ltd. and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and types of deposit under consideration and to the exploration activities undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the "Australian Code for Reporting of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". Mr Greenaway consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on information in the form and context in which it appears. Mr Greenaway has provided his prior written consent as to the form and context in which the Geological Information and Exploration Results and supporting information are presented in this Announcement.
All information relating to exploration results that have been previously released to the market is appropriately referenced in this document.
APPENDIX 1
Figure 3: Mostazal Copper Project location.
To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1134/111283_solis%20fig%203.jpg.
APPENDIX 2
JORC Code, 2012 Edition - Table 1
Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data
(Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections)
Criteria | JORC Code explanation | Commentary |
Sampling techniques |
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Drilling techniques |
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Drill sample recovery |
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Logging |
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Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation |
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Quality of assay data and laboratory tests |
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Verification of sampling and assaying |
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Location of data points |
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Data spacing and distribution |
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Orientation of data in relation to geological structure |
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Sample security |
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Audits or reviews |
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Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results
(Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section)
Criteria | JORC Code explanation | Commentary |
Mineral tenement and land tenure status |
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Exploration done by other parties |
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Geology |
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Drill hole Information |
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Data aggregation methods |
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Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths |
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Diagrams |
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Balanced reporting |
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Other substantive exploration data |
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Further work |
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[1] Refer to Solis Minerals' TSXV announcement dated 26 October 2021; and Appendix 2 in this announcement for details and associated JORC tables. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information that affects the information contained in the announcement.
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