Marimaca Copper Corp. (TSX: MARI, OTCQX: MARIF) has delivered a fresh round of drilling results from its Pampa Medina project in Chile, revealing thick, high-grade copper sulphide and oxide intersections that could reshape the company’s growth trajectory. The latest exploration campaign, which focused on extensions of shallow mineralization, intersected zones of ultra high-grade copper in sediment-hosted deposits, a style more often found in Africa or Europe than in Chile.
The standout result came from drill hole SMRD-13, which cut six meters grading 12.0% copper within a broader 26 meters at 4.1% copper, starting from 580 meters downhole. The broader interval includes a remarkable 100 meters at 1.3% copper. Another hole, SMD-02, delivered 40 meters at 2.1% copper within a much longer 132-meter interval averaging 1.0% copper. These intersections, dominated by bornite and chalcopyrite mineralization, extend the known footprint of high-grade copper mineralization at Pampa Medina in all directions.
The company’s exploration team believes Pampa Medina is part of a significant, flat-lying, sediment-hosted “manto” system, which is a rare find in Chile. The mineralized zone now spans at least 600 meters east-west by 1,000 meters north-south, with further drilling suggesting the system could extend to 1.4 kilometers by 1.2 kilometers. The copper is hosted in interbedded shales, sandstones, conglomerates, and tuffs, with the highest grades found in these interbedded horizons.
Other notable holes include:
- SMD-01, about 600 meters northwest of SMRD-13, with 68 meters at 1.2% copper, including a 20-meter interval at 2.3% copper, and a separate 22 meters at 1.7% copper from deeper in the hole.
- SMRD-12, located 600 meters west of SMRD-13, intersected 56 meters at 1.4% copper.
- SMR-01, adjacent to SMD-01, previously reported 56 meters at 2.1% copper, including 18 meters at 5.0% copper, within a broader 102 meters at 1.2% copper.
- SMD-03 returned 42 meters at 0.72% copper from 226 meters depth.
The company has now confirmed that the primary sedimentary manto carries high-grade copper, often well above 1% copper, over significant thickness and area. The mineralized units are generally flat lying with a gentle easterly dip and a gentle northerly plunge, affected by a series of north-south faults that have both uplifted and down-dropped certain blocks.
Pampa Medina’s location offers practical advantages. The deposit sits about 28 kilometers east of Marimaca’s flagship Marimaca Oxide Deposit (MOD) in the Atacama Desert, and is close to several major mines and infrastructure, including power lines, water pipelines, ports, and regional population centers. The site is on public land, with no private ownership or nearby communities, which could ease permitting. The arid environment further reduces the risk of environmental or social complications.
In response to these results, Marimaca Copper has added a second diamond drill rig at Pampa Medina and allocated a 14-hole follow-up program to further delineate the mineralized system. The company has paused its preliminary economic assessment for Pampa Medina to consider how these new results might affect the scale and development approach for the project.
Sergio Rivera, Marimaca’s VP Exploration, described Pampa Medina as a “Tier 1 prospect,” noting that the scale and grade of the sediment-hosted copper mineralization is unlike anything he has seen in Chile during his four-decade career. He highlighted the continuity of high-grade copper over more than 1,000 meters by 600 meters, with some exceptionally high-grade areas.
President and CEO Hayden Locke said the results add a new dimension to Marimaca’s strategy and strengthen its potential to become a globally significant copper producer. He pointed out that the combination of thick, high-grade sulphide intersections and proximity to infrastructure could make any future development highly competitive in terms of capital intensity.
Marimaca’s primary focus remains bringing the MOD into production, with its definitive feasibility study nearing completion. Meanwhile, the company is advancing exploration at Pampa Medina and other targets, aiming to expand its copper cathode production profile and extend mine life.
With copper demand expected to rise in the coming years, Marimaca Copper’s latest results at Pampa Medina could mark a pivotal step in its evolution from explorer to producer, offering investors a front-row seat to one of Chile’s most intriguing new copper discoveries.
