Hot Chili Limited has returned broad copper-gold intercepts from ongoing drilling at its La Verde porphyry discovery in Chile’s coastal Atacama region, highlighted by drill hole DKD060, which intersected 472 metres grading 0.41% copper equivalent from 49 metres depth.

The latest diamond and reverse circulation drilling program is expanding the high-grade core of the deposit, which lies 30 kilometres south of the company's planned central processing hub for the broader Costa Fuego project.

Drill hole DKD060 included a higher-grade interval of 105.8 metres grading 0.70% copper equivalent from 397 metres depth, featuring a 32.6-metre section grading 0.90% copper equivalent from 438 metres. Assays for DKD060 remain partial, with results pending for the final 142.7 metres to the end of the hole at 772.7 metres.

Additional shallow reverse circulation drilling also returned significant mineralization. Drill hole DKP058 extended a previously reported intersection by 74 metres downhole, delivering a total interval of 182 metres grading 0.50% copper equivalent from 24 metres depth. Meanwhile, drill hole DKP052 intercepted 272 metres grading 0.40% copper equivalent from 82 metres depth, including 42 metres grading 0.50% copper equivalent from 92 metres.

Drilling operations recently experienced a temporary pause following heavy rainfall in the region during July, which prompted a government-declared state of emergency. Hot Chili worked alongside local communities on recovery efforts and completed earthworks to repair access tracks before resuming work. The company has since added a fourth drill rig to the site to accelerate operations, expanding active drilling to six shifts per day.

Assay results are currently pending for 18 drill holes, comprising one diamond hole, one diamond drill tail, and 16 reverse circulation holes. Elsewhere within the surrounding Atacama district, Phase I drill results from the Totora copper-gold project were recently reported by ATERRA Metals Inc., highlighting active regional exploration.

Hot Chili expects to deliver a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for La Verde later in 2026. That milestone is to be followed by a revised Pre-Feasibility Study for Costa Fuego incorporating the La Verde deposit.

Read the full announcement: Hot Chili Delivers More Copper-Gold at La Verde