Marimaca Copper Hits 216m at 0.96% Cu as Pampa Medina System Keeps Growing
Key Takeaways
- SPRD-15 delivered the strongest result to date at Pampa Medina: 216m at 0.96% Cu and 7.2g/t Ag from 466m depth, with a high-grade core of 12m at 3.25% Cu and 36.7g/t Ag from 632m.
- Step-out hole SPRD-12 intersected the stacked sulphide manto 300m west of previous drilling, confirming the mineralised footprint extends materially beyond the central corridor.
- SPD-13, drilled near the south-east limit of the system, returned a broad 222m interval at 0.50% Cu from 194m, including multiple stacked high-grade sub-intervals across oxide, mixed, and sulphide zones.
- Northern scouting hole SWR-13 ended in mineralisation at RC capability limits — 8m at 1.47% Cu from 580m — with diamond tails now underway to chase the deepening target horizon.
- Marimaca holds 100% of the 14,500 Ha Sierra de Medina property block, and management describes Pampa Medina as materially under-tested with the system remaining open in multiple directions.
Pampa Medina delivers another standout result as drilling validates a large, high-grade copper-silver system
Marimaca Copper Corp. (ASX: MC2) has reported further assay results from its ongoing 2026 drilling programme at the Pampa Medina deposit in Chile’s Antofagasta Region, approximately 28km east of the company’s Marimaca Oxide Deposit (MOD). Hole SPRD-15 has delivered the standout result of the release: 216m of 0.96% Cu and 7.2g/t Ag from 466m, including 62m of 2.20% Cu and 21.5g/t Ag from 602m.
The result is not an isolated event. Drilling across the defined 3km x 1.5km area of interest (AOI) on 150m centres continues to confirm the remarkable horizontal and vertical continuity of a thick, stacked-manto copper-silver system. Pampa Medina remains open in multiple directions and, by management’s own description, is materially under-tested.
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Q1 2026 drilling results at a glance
The table below summarises the primary intersections from this release. All intervals are reported as downhole lengths; true widths are estimated at approximately 80% of reported intervals.
| Hole ID | From (m) | Intersection (m) | CuT (%) | Ag (g/t) | Zone Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPRD-15 | 466 | 216 | 0.96% | 7.2 | Sulphide |
| SPRD-17 | 522 | 104 | 0.65% | 1.4 | Sulphide |
| SPRD-12 | 748 | 56 | 0.95% | 4.2 | Sulphide |
| SPD-13 | 194 | 222 | 0.50% | Below detection | Oxide / Mixed / Sulphide |
| SPRD-10 | 594 | 28 | 0.88% | 5.4 | Sulphide |
Three sub-intersections from SPRD-15 capture what makes this hole exceptional:
- 82m of 1.72% Cu and 16.3g/t Ag from 600m
- 62m of 2.20% Cu and 21.5g/t Ag from 602m
- 12m of 3.25% Cu and 36.7g/t Ag from 632m
Step-out holes extend the system beyond the central corridor
Three holes in particular demonstrate that Pampa Medina’s mineralised footprint extends well beyond the central drilling corridor:
- SPRD-12 hit 56m of 0.95% Cu and 4.2g/t Ag from 748m, including 8m of 2.42% Cu, intersecting the stacked sulphide manto 300m to the west of previous drilling.
- SPD-13, drilled near the current south-east limit of the historical oxide and new sulphide zones, returned a broad interval of 222m of 0.50% Cu from 194m, including multiple stacked high-grade sub-intervals: 18m of 1.01% Cu from 246m (oxide), 28m of 1.07% Cu from 322m (mixed, including 12m of 1.90% Cu), and 48m of 1.05% Cu from 368m (sulphide).
- SPRD-17, drilled 150m east of previously released SMRD-16, intersected multiple stacked mantos across 104m of 0.65% Cu from 522m, including 30m of 0.96% Cu from 522m and 40m of 0.89% Cu from 586m.
Scouting holes define the northern frontier
RC holes SWR-10, SWR-11, SWR-13, SWR-12A, and SMR-36 were collared north and northwest of the defined AOI to test the depth of the target sedimentary horizons. Several holes did not intersect the target sedimentary horizon within RC capability limits, with downhole depths ranging from 540m to 700m. Diamond tails are now underway to extend these holes.
The result that stands out is SWR-13, which ended in mineralisation at the limits of RC capability, intersecting 8m at 1.47% Cu and 7.5g/t Ag from 580m in volcanics. This is interpreted to be above the contact of the upper sedimentary sequence, which was not reached. The read here is constructive: mineralisation extends north, but the target horizon deepens beyond what RC drilling can currently reach. Diamond drilling is the logical next step, and it is already underway.
What is a manto-style copper deposit, and why does it matter here?
“Manto” refers to flat-lying, stratabound copper mineralisation hosted within sedimentary layers. Think of it as copper-rich sheets stacked horizontally within a rock sequence rather than a vertical vein cutting through rock. The word comes from the Spanish for “blanket” or “cloak,” which describes the geometry well.
At Pampa Medina, the defining characteristic is the remarkable continuity of these stacked mantos both vertically and horizontally. Grade does not appear in isolated pockets. It persists across broad, thick intervals, and SPRD-15’s 216m composite intersection is the clearest expression of that geometry.
The mineralogy follows a predictable progression with depth. Near-surface, copper appears in oxide form: atacamite, chrysocolla, and chalcocite. At depth, the deposit transitions into high-grade sulphides, principally bornite, chalcopyrite, covellite, and chalcocite. Elevated silver grades are present in both zones and are generally correlated with copper grade, which is why the deepest, highest-grade sub-intervals in SPRD-15 also carry the strongest silver numbers.
For investors, the practical implication is straightforward. Thick, continuous, predictable mineralisation at high grades is what underpins potentially large, economic copper resources. Erratic, vein-hosted mineralisation requires more drilling to define. Manto systems, where continuity holds, can be characterised efficiently. The consistency Pampa Medina is showing drill hole after drill hole is exactly the outcome that supports resource-scale thinking.
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What Pampa Medina means for the Marimaca investment case
Sergio Rivera, VP Exploration, Marimaca Copper Corp.
“The results from SPRD-15 are an excellent example of one of the defining features of Pampa Medina: extremely thick, continuously mineralized, high-grade manto horizons within the sedimentary sequence. The consistency of the high-grade mineralization across the target horizon is remarkable and drilling continues to demonstrate the strong lateral and vertical continuity of the stacked-manto system within the central zone.
Equally encouraging are the results from SPRD-12, SPD-13 and SPRD-17, which extend the mineralized sedimentary horizons beyond the central corridor and confirm the presence of stacked mantos across a broader footprint. Our drilling to the north and northwest is also providing important information on the geometry of the sedimentary basin, where the target sedimentary horizons appear to deepen beyond the practical limits of RC drilling. Diamond tails are now underway to test these areas. Pampa Medina remains open in several directions and is materially under-tested, and these results continue to strengthen our view that we are defining a large, high-grade copper-silver system.”
Rivera’s comments point to three distinct workstreams running concurrently inside the 2026 programme:
- Defining the high-grade central AOI — Drilling on 150m centres continues to validate continuity across the core of the deposit, with SPRD-15 the latest confirmation of a consistent, high-grade manto system.
- Delineating oxide extensions — Near-surface oxide results from SPRD-14 (30m of 0.61% Cu from 238m), SPRD-16A (36m of 0.77% Cu from 184m), and SMRD-35 (26m of 0.45% Cu from 88m) are expanding the identified oxide footprint.
- Step-out drilling to test system-scale extensions — SPRD-12, SPD-13, and the SWR series are probing the limits of a system that has not yet returned a boundary in any direction.
Marimaca holds the Sierra de Medina property block at approximately 14,500 Ha, which it owns 100%. That land position provides the ground to test the full extent of a system management describes as materially under-tested. With diamond drilling now underway to extend the northern RC holes and further RC drilling plus geophysical surveys planned for the remainder of 2026, the news flow from Pampa Medina is expected to continue. Consistent high-grade intersections across multiple drill fences from a system still open in several directions is the type of combination that characterises a copper discovery in active delineation, not consolidation.
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