SUH Launches 2,000m Drill Program at Chilean Copper-Gold Project
Key Takeaways
- Diamond drilling at Ferro South is scheduled to commence within two weeks of 10 September 2026, targeting an initial 2,000m program over approximately 10 weeks.
- The program follows a headline intercept of 241m @ 0.42% CuEq including 143m @ 0.51% CuEq from hole 24LHRD067, reported 4 August 2026, which underpins the current drill design.
- Ferro South sits outside the existing 218.2Mt JORC resource at 0.38% CuEq — successful results could trigger a further resource update and expand the already substantial Llahuin footprint.
- Holes are initially planned to 300m with the option to extend to approximately 500m where visual mineralisation warrants it, targeting both resource extensions and potential feeder zones.
- Initial assay results are expected towards the end of November 2026, giving investors a defined near-term catalyst window to watch.
Diamond drilling imminent at Ferro South as SUH chases copper-gold-moly extensions
Southern Hemisphere Mining has announced that diamond drilling is scheduled to commence within two weeks at Ferro South, part of its 100%-owned Llahuin Copper-Gold-Molybdenum Project in Chile. The initial program targets 2,000m to a planned depth of 300m, extendable to approximately 500m on visual mineralisation, with a duration of approximately 10 weeks. The program follows significant copper intercepts previously reported on 4 August 2026, including 241m @ 0.42% CuEq including 143m @ 0.51% CuEq from 36m in hole 24LHRD067, with initial assay results expected towards the end of November 2026.
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What the Ferro South drilling program looks like
Program design and objectives
The program uses a two-stage depth design: initial holes are planned to 300m, with the option to extend to approximately 500m downhole where visual mineralisation warrants it. Core will be dispatched to the laboratory for assay at regular intervals throughout the program.
The broad copper intercepts at Llahuin reported in August 2026 established the geological case for targeting Ferro South extensions, with hole 24LHRD067 returning 241m at 0.42% CuEq as the headline result underpinning the current program design.
The dual objectives are clear: expand the Llahuin JORC resource and identify potential feeder zones, meaning the source conduits that originally delivered mineralisation into the broader porphyry system. Priority holes are planned in advance, but the program may be adjusted depending on visual interpretation as drilling progresses.
Drilling targets at a glance
The Ferro South target is defined by a cluster of strong prior intercepts from reverse circulation and diamond drilling:
- 241m @ 0.42% CuEq including 143m @ 0.51% CuEq from 36m (hole 24LHRD067, reported 4 August 2026)
- 102m @ 0.33% CuEq from 30m
- 110m @ 0.34% CuEq from 4m, including 18m @ 0.55% CuEq from 12m
- 170m @ 0.37% CuEq from 4m
Mark Stowell, Chairman
“This program is expected to run for approximately 10 weeks for an initial 2,000m and open for extension on results. Llahuin, hosting a JORC compliant resource from surface of 218mt M+I+I in a well-preserved copper-gold porphyry system over ~3km strike length forms the basis of a serious copper play. Llahuin’s results to date warrant a lot more drilling to value add for shareholders.”
Understanding copper porphyry systems and why Llahuin matters
A copper porphyry system is a large-tonnage, low-to-moderate grade deposit formed by magmatic-hydrothermal processes deep within the Earth’s crust. These systems typically host copper, gold, and molybdenum together, making them among the most economically significant deposit types in the world.
Feeder zones are the higher-grade conduits within these systems that originally transported metal-rich fluids upward into the broader porphyry body. Intersecting feeder zones matters because they tend to carry higher grades and can substantially improve the geometry and economic attractiveness of a resource. Identifying them is one of the more significant outcomes a drilling program at a porphyry deposit can achieve.
Chile is the world’s leading copper-producing country and one of the most prospective regions globally for major new copper discoveries, which makes the Llahuin address strategically significant for an ASX-listed explorer. A 218Mt Measured, Indicated, and Inferred resource sitting at surface across approximately 3km of strike is an unusually large footprint. The Ferro South zone adds a new discovery area not yet captured in that resource, meaning successful drilling results could trigger a further JORC update.
Llahuin copper potential has been progressively defined through a combination of geophysical surveying and systematic drilling, with MT resistivity work helping to delineate structural targets ahead of the diamond drill bit.
The Llahuin resource base and what drilling could add
The existing JORC resource (as announced to the market on 30 July 2025) is summarised below:
| Zone | Measured (Mt) (CuEq%) | Indicated (Mt) (CuEq%) | Total M+I (Mt) (CuEq%) | Inferred (Mt) (CuEq%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Porphyry | 90.9 @ 0.42% | 10.2 @ 0.33% | 101.1 @ 0.41% | 24.5 @ 0.31% |
| Cerro | 41.9 @ 0.40% | 4.9 @ 0.32% | 46.8 @ 0.39% | 13.7 @ 0.32% |
| Ferro | 19.1 @ 0.32% | 7.1 @ 0.34% | 26.2 @ 0.32% | 5.9 @ 0.32% |
| Total (rounded) | 151.9 @ 0.40% | 22.2 @ 0.33% | 174.1 @ 0.39% | 44.1 @ 0.31% |
| Total M+I+I | 218.2 @ 0.38% CuEq | |||
Key assumptions underpinning the resource:
- CuEq cut-off grade of 0.22% CuEq
- Metal price assumptions: US$3.50/lb Cu, US$3,000/oz Au, US$20/lb Mo
- No recoveries applied; metallurgical testwork is still being optimised
Critically, the Ferro South zone is not included in this resource. Should drilling confirm extensions of mineralisation at Ferro South, the company has stated its intention to extend the drill program and pursue a further JORC compliant resource update.
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What’s next for Southern Hemisphere Mining
The near-term milestones for SUH investors to watch are:
- Diamond drilling commences within two weeks of 10 September 2026
- Core dispatched to the laboratory at regular intervals throughout the approximately 10-week program
- Initial assay results expected towards the end of November 2026
- Program extension to approximately 500m possible based on visual mineralisation results
- Further JORC resource update targeted if Ferro South results confirm mineralisation extensions
Southern Hemisphere Mining holds 100% ownership of the Llahuin project, and both Llahuin and the Company’s Los Pumas Battery Manganese Project were discovered by the Company, reflecting its track record as an experienced minerals explorer in Chile.
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