Patriot Resources Eyes Maiden Drill Program as Tassa Sampling Heads to Lab
Key Takeaways
- All 38 surface samples from the maiden Pachamayo sampling program have been dispatched to ALS in Peru, with assay results expected early Q4 2026.
- Field mapping identified a 20m by 120m phreatic breccia structure interpreted as the upper expression of a preserved epithermal system, suggesting deeper, potentially higher-grade mineralisation may be intact and untested.
- Patriot's drill permit application has been lodged with Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines, with community agreements already secured from both the Pachamayo and Tassa communities.
- The Tassa 5 tenement, staked in August 2026, expanded Patriot's tenure from 1,200 ha to 1,800 ha and extended the interpreted fault corridor strike from 2.9 km to 3.1 km.
- The broader Exploration Target across the Tassa fault corridor stands at 774–559Moz AgEq at 57–48 g/t AgEq from 422–359Mt — dwarfing the current 31.4Moz AgEq Inferred Resource.
Maiden sampling complete as Patriot expands its footprint at Tassa
Patriot Resources (ASX: PAT) has completed its maiden surface sampling program on the northern Tassa tenement at the Pachamayo target, with the exploration program now moving south to the Tassa 5 tenement. All 38 surface samples have been dispatched to ALS in Peru, with results expected early in Q4 (calendar year 2026).
The program is designed to confirm and extend mineralisation beyond the existing 31.4Moz AgEq Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (52.68 g/t AgEq from 18.53Mt), and to refine targets ahead of the company’s maiden drill program.
Dominic Duggan, CEO & Managing Director
“It is great to have the team on the ground at Tassa under Miguel’s leadership. Our first samples from northern Tassa area are at the lab, and the team has identified breccia textures with alteration interpreted as the upper expression of a preserved epithermal system – supporting our view that a parallel mineralised corridor continues north. With Tassa Community approval in hand, the team now moves south to Tassa 5. This program is about sharpening our targets, so that when the drill permit lands, we are ready to drill the highest-priority targets.”
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What the Pachamayo mapping revealed
Field mapping at the Pachamayo target identified a clear structural feature with meaningful implications for the broader Tassa system. The key finding is a 20m by 120m phreatic breccia controlled by a northeast–southwest structure.
The alteration and breccia textures together are interpreted to represent the shallow, upper portion of a well-preserved epithermal system. Critically, this suggests that deeper levels, where mineralisation is typically concentrated in these systems, may remain intact.
Key mapping observations include:
- A 120m long breccia structure controlled by a northeast–southwest orientation
- Limestone and quartz sandstone fragments cemented by opaline silica, situated between two altered volcanic units
- Clay, iron oxides, and possible sulphide remnants present within the altered volcanic units
This supports Pachamayo as a prospective intermediate sulphidation (IS) epithermal target, parallel to the main corridor, providing early indications that the mineralised system extends north beyond the current Mineral Resource Estimate.
Why epithermal systems matter for silver-gold investors
An intermediate sulphidation (IS) epithermal system is a specific type of geological environment where silver and gold are deposited from hydrothermal fluids at relatively shallow depths in the Earth’s crust. In these systems, the highest-grade mineralisation is typically concentrated at deeper levels rather than at the surface. Finding a well-preserved upper zone at Pachamayo is significant because it suggests the deeper, potentially higher-grade portions of the system have not been eroded away and may be intact and untested by historical drilling.
The bigger picture: scale, southern extension, and pathway to drilling
The existing Mineral Resource Estimate at Tassa remains open in all directions, leaving meaningful room for resource growth through systematic exploration. Beyond the current resource, the company has defined an Exploration Target of 774–559Moz AgEq at 57–48 g/t AgEq from 422–359Mt.
The 774Moz silver target at Tassa was unveiled earlier in 2026, when Patriot defined the full scale of the Exploration Target across the broader fault corridor, establishing the project’s potential to host a significantly larger mineralised system than the current Inferred Resource reflects.
Cautionary Statement: The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Target is conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource over the Exploration Target area and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource.
The Tassa 5 tenement was staked in August 2026, expanding Patriot’s tenure from 1,200 ha to 1,800 ha and extending the interpreted strike of the Tassa Fault-controlled silver-gold corridor from 2.9 km to 3.1 km, based on historical data. The program now moves south to Tassa 5 and the Priority 1 target zone, designed to confirm and extend mineralisation along the 3.1 km interpreted strike and vector towards higher-grade silver and gold zones along the fault corridor.
Tassa sits in a highly prospective district, adjoining Buenaventura’s San Gabriel gold project.
Drill permit application lodged: what comes next
Following community agreements reached with both the Pachamayo and Tassa communities, Patriot has lodged its drill permit application with Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines. Engagement with local drilling service providers has commenced in parallel.
Results from the current mapping and sampling program will feed directly into drill target ranking and finalisation. The logical sequence from here is:
- Surface sampling assay results received from ALS
- New data integrated with historical drilling and the existing resource model
- Drill targets ranked and finalised
- Maiden drilling commences upon permit grant
| Area | Status | Key Finding / Action | Next Step | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pachamayo (northern Tassa) | Sampling complete | 38 samples dispatched to ALS; breccia and epithermal textures mapped | Assay results | Early Q4 2026 |
| Tassa 5 | Program commencing | Priority 1 target zone identified | Mapping and sampling | Underway now |
| Drill Permit | Application lodged | Submitted to Ministry of Energy and Mines (Peru) | Permit grant | TBC |
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Experienced boots on the ground: Exploration Manager appointed
Patriot has appointed Miguel Montalván Aráoz as Exploration Manager, based in Peru. Mr Montalván is a Senior Geological Engineer with an MBA in Mining Management and more than 20 years’ experience leading large-scale mining projects and exploration campaigns across epithermal, porphyry, skarn, VMS (volcanogenic massive sulphide), and IOCG (iron oxide copper gold) systems in Peru.
He holds professional registrations with the Colegio de Ingenieros del Perú, the Sociedad Geológica del Perú, and the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG), and brings expertise in both JORC and NI 43-101 reporting standards. Mr Montalván will lead Patriot’s Peru-based exploration team and work closely with Chief Geologist Eugene Gotora as Tassa advances towards drilling.
With community access secured, an experienced in-country team now in place, a drill permit application lodged, and assay results from the Pachamayo sampling program expected early in Q4 2026, Patriot is positioning itself to advance to its maiden drill program at Tassa.
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