Great Southern Copper (LSE:GSCU), which is focused on copper-gold-silver exploration in Chile, said 223 rock and channel chip samples now define gold-silver-copper mineralisation at its Viuda Negra prospect over an area of 500 by 700 metres.
The prospect forms part of the company's Especularita project, where GSC holds rights to own 100% of Viuda Negra.
Sampling returned high-grade results in outcropping epithermal silica ledges, up to 186g/t silver and 1.4% copper, while mapping extended the intermediate argillic alteration zone 800 metres further south of last year's scout drilling.
Crucially, the results indicate the system remains open beneath shallow colluvial cover to the west and south, beyond the area already tested by drilling.
"The Viuda Negra gold discovery is the first reported occurrence of Maricunga-style porphyry gold mineralisation within the coastal metallogenic belt of Chile, which is very significant given the potential scale of this deposit style," said Sam Garrett, chief executive of Great Southern Copper.
Planning and permitting for the next phase of drilling at Viuda Negra, expected to combine reverse circulation and diamond drilling, is now underway.
At the company's nearby Cerro Negro prospect, mapping, soil sampling and a planned infill IP survey continue to refine drill targets, with metallurgical test results from prior drill programmes still pending.
