Oroco Resource Corp (TSXV: OCO) has completed resource drilling in the South Zone of its Santo Tomás copper project in Sinaloa, Mexico, releasing this morning a fifth batch of Phase 2 assays led by a 234.6 metre intercept in hole S045.
Highlights from the results include:
- S045: 0.52% copper equivalent (0.43% copper, 0.008% molybdenum, 0.033 g/t gold and 2.39 g/t silver) over 234.6 metres from a depth of 174.1 metres
- S049: 0.60% copper equivalent (0.51% copper, 0.007% molybdenum, 0.029 g/t gold and 2.81 g/t silver) over 86.1 metres from a depth of 85.5 metres
- S053: 0.58% copper equivalent (0.50% copper, 0.006% molybdenum, 0.021 g/t gold and 2.97 g/t silver) over 84.2 metres from a depth of 159.6 metres
- S046: 0.48% copper equivalent (0.36% copper, 0.019% molybdenum, 0.016 g/t gold and 2.60 g/t silver) over 128.0 metres from surface
- S050: 4.18% zinc, 1.71% lead, 75 g/t silver, 0.35 g/t gold and 0.48% copper over 6.0 metres from a depth of 36.0 metres
- Including 6.4% zinc, 2.20% lead, 130 g/t silver, 0.47 g/t gold and 0.76% copper over 2.0 metres
S045 was drilled as an infill hole in the central South Pit and largely supported the existing block model, while S049 and S053 confirmed the higher grade southern area first outlined by Phase 1 hole S018. S046 also cut two intervals below the 2024 preliminary economic assessment pit, including 26.0 metres of 0.43% copper equivalent from 351.0 metres.
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Along the western margin, S051 returned 0.46% copper over 102.3 metres starting near the base of overburden, and S056 hit mineralization shallower than modelled. Oroco said the main horizon appears to flatten to the west, which may allow a shallower pit and lower stripping locally.
The S050 interval is carbonate-hosted, and the company has no current plans to process it.
“These results continue to strengthen our optimism for an expanded resource model at Santo Tomás together with increased certainty as to the grade continuity and overall project viability,” said CEO Charles Cryer. “With South Zone resource drilling now complete, we look forward to seeing how these very positive overall results influence the valuation presented in the project’s next economic assessment.”
Phase 2 now totals 50 holes and 15,263.2 metres, aimed mainly at converting inferred resources to the indicated category and gathering data for a prefeasibility study. Pillar Zone and geotechnical drilling continue, with an updated resource estimate targeted for the first quarter of 2027.
The batch follows September results that included 369.3 metres of 0.45% copper equivalent from surface in hole S042.
Oroco Resources last traded at $0.45 on the TSX Venture.
