Hot Chili Hits 398m at 0.45% CuEq From Surface Lifting La Verde Mine Case
Key Takeaways
- Headline hole DKP063 returned 398m at 0.45% CuEq from surface, including 62m at 0.91% CuEq from just 20m depth — one of the strongest near-surface intersections drilled at La Verde to date.
- Three separate RC drillholes have now confirmed wide, high-grade mineralisation at shallow depths across the deposit, establishing both lateral continuity and scale of the La Verde enrichment zone.
- Diamond hole DKD060 confirms mineralisation extends to 765.2m depth, including a 2.3m zone grading 4.56% Cu at 655.5m, demonstrating significant vertical scale beyond the near-surface starter pit case.
- Assays from 22 drillholes remain pending, with a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate targeted for later in 2026 and a revised Costa Fuego Pre-Feasibility Study to follow.
- The Costa Fuego Environmental Impact Assessment submission is targeted for Q2 2027, providing investors with a clear sequence of near-term catalysts through to that date.
High-grade copper-gold results extend La Verde’s near-surface potential
Hot Chili Limited (ASX: HCH) has released new RC drill results from La Verde, its copper-gold porphyry discovery located 30 km south of the Costa Fuego Cu-Au Project planned central processing hub in Chile’s coastal Atacama region. The headline intercept, DKP063, returned 398 m grading 0.45% CuEq (0.35% Cu, 0.12 g/t Au) from surface, including 62 m at 0.91% CuEq (0.70% Cu, 0.30 g/t Au) from just 20 m depth, one of the strongest near-surface intersections reported at La Verde to date.
Three drillholes have now returned wide, high-grade intersections from shallow depths across the deposit, demonstrating both scale and continuity of mineralisation. The results support the company’s objective of integrating La Verde into the Costa Fuego mine plan.
Christian Easterday, Managing Director
“DKP063 is among the strongest near-surface intersections we have drilled at La Verde so far, with comparable grades are now appearing across the deposit, we have confidence in the scale of a potential high-grade starter pit for Costa Fuego. With assays from 22 holes still to come, our focus is on converting this drilling into a maiden Mineral Resource and, from there, integrating this into an enhanced and upscaled Costa Fuego Prefeasibility study.”
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Three drillholes confirm wide, high-grade mineralisation across the deposit
Three RC drillholes targeting the up-dip extension of high-grade mineralisation at La Verde have each returned wide intersections from shallow depths. Distributed across the deposit, these results highlight the scale and lateral continuity of La Verde’s growing high-grade core.
The La Verde porphyry cluster discovery established the initial system footprint and interpreted high-grade corridors that the current RC programme is now systematically drilling out from shallow depths.
DKP063 — standout shallow intersection
DKP063 is the headline result, recording 398 m grading 0.45% CuEq (0.35% Cu, 0.12 g/t Au) from surface. The high-grade component within this interval is particularly notable:
- 62 m at 0.91% CuEq (0.70% Cu, 0.30 g/t Au) from 20 m depth
- Including 12 m at 1.00% CuEq (0.66% Cu, 0.49 g/t Au) from 20 m depth
- And 34 m at 1.00% CuEq (0.80% Cu, 0.27 g/t Au) from 42 m depth
The consistency of grade from the very top of the hole supports the case for a viable high-grade starter pit, capable of delivering superior-grade ore in the early years of mine life.
DKP075 and DKP064 — breadth across the deposit
DKP075 and DKP064 extend the footprint of high-grade mineralisation laterally across La Verde, each returning solid near-surface results:
- DKP075: 132 m at 0.57% CuEq (0.45% Cu, 0.16 g/t Au) from 24 m depth (partial result, with 177 m of assays still outstanding); the hole was designed to test the near-surface data gap between two interpreted high-grade zones and confirms continuity of a broad oxide blanket in this area
- DKP064: 126 m at 0.45% CuEq (0.38% Cu, 0.08 g/t Au) from 54 m depth, including 26 m at 0.70% CuEq (0.60% Cu, 0.13 g/t Au) from 108 m; collared at the southern extent of the high-grade core, with grades at this margin suggesting potential for southward expansion that remains to be tested
The key intercepts from the three new holes, together with the updated DKD060 result, are summarised in the table below.
| Hole ID | From (m) | Interval (m) | CuEq (%) | Cu (%) / Au (g/t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DKP063 (headline) | 0 | 398 | 0.45% | 0.35% Cu / 0.12 g/t Au |
| DKP063 (incl.) | 20 | 62 | 0.91% | 0.70% Cu / 0.30 g/t Au |
| DKP075 (partial) | 24 | 132 | 0.57% | 0.45% Cu / 0.16 g/t Au |
| DKP064 (headline) | 54 | 126 | 0.45% | 0.38% Cu / 0.08 g/t Au |
| DKP064 (incl.) | 108 | 26 | 0.70% | 0.60% Cu / 0.13 g/t Au |
| DKD060 (updated, deeper) | 642.1 | 123.1 | 0.30% | 0.27% Cu / 0.02 g/t Au |
What is a copper-gold porphyry deposit, and why does near-surface grade matter?
A porphyry copper-gold deposit is a large-volume, bulk-tonnage mineralised system formed by ancient magmatic-hydrothermal activity, where metal-bearing fluids intruded through and around cooling igneous rock. These systems are typically mined as large open pits due to their sheer scale, even where individual grades are modest. They are among the most economically significant deposit types on earth.
Near-surface, high-grade mineralisation carries particular strategic value in these systems. When a high-grade zone sits at shallow depth, it enables a “starter pit” — an early-stage, open-cut mine that delivers superior-grade ore in the first years of operation. Higher-grade ore processed in the early mine life improves project economics and de-risks the broader development case by generating stronger cash flow sooner.
In many porphyry systems, an oxide or surface enrichment zone sits above the base of weathering, where supergene processes have concentrated metals near surface. This feature is common but not guaranteed. When present at the scale suggested by La Verde’s drilling, it is highly sought after by mine planners. CuEq (copper equivalent) is the normalised metric used to report results across polymetallic deposits — it combines copper, gold, silver, and molybdenum values into a single comparable number using prevailing metal prices (Cu=US$4.50/lb, Au=US$3,150/oz).
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Mineralisation confirmed to 765 m depth, with maiden resource and PFS integration targeted
DKD060 update extends vertical scale
While the shallow intercepts capture the immediate development upside, updated assay results for DKD060 confirm that La Verde is not simply a near-surface cap. Final assays for the deeper portion of this diamond drillhole added an intersection of 123.1 m grading 0.30% CuEq (0.27% Cu, 0.02 g/t Au) from 642.1 m, confirming mineralisation continuity to 765.2 m depth, close to the end-of-hole at 772.7 m.
Within this deeper interval, a narrow higher-grade zone of 2.3 m grading 4.56% Cu from 655.5 m was hosted within chalcopyrite-rich veining, providing evidence of porphyry-style high-grade veining at depth. Together with the shallow results, this confirms significant vertical scale for the La Verde system.
Pipeline of results and development milestones ahead
Assays from 22 drillholes (two DD, one DD tail, and 19 RC) remain pending. Two accredited laboratories are improving turnaround times, providing a steady flow of results as the programme progresses.
Costa Fuego mine leadership has been expanded to manage the accelerating workload across the maiden MRE, PFS refresh, and EIA submission, reflecting the project’s transition from exploration into active development planning.
The key development milestones ahead for La Verde and Costa Fuego are:
- Remaining assays from DKP075 (177 m outstanding) expected shortly
- Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) targeted for completion later in 2026
- Revised Costa Fuego Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) incorporating La Verde — to follow the MRE
- Costa Fuego Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) submission targeted for Q2 2027
La Verde sits 30 km south of Costa Fuego’s planned central processing hub in Chile’s low-elevation coastal range, and the proximity supports the integration case. For investors, the steady pipeline of assay results combined with the targeted MRE and PFS refresh keeps a series of near-term catalysts in view through to Q2 2027.
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