Marimaca Copper Corp. (“Marimaca” or the
“Company”) (TSX: MARI) is pleased to
announce the signing of a binding option agreement (the
“
Agreement”) to acquire the Madrugador project
(“
Madrugador”). Details of the transaction are
found below in the “Transaction Summary” section of this press
release.
Madrugador consists of 10 mining concessions
totaling 855 hectares and is located immediately adjacent to the
Pampa Medina project (“Pampa Medina”) (see press
release dated October 8th, 2024). The acquisition of Madrugador and
Pampa Medina consolidates the Company’s ownership of the southern
extent of the broader 14,500ha Sierra de Medina
(“SdM”) property package (see Figures 1, 2 and 3).
Madrugador is located approximately 26km in distance and ~200m
higher elevation relative to the Company’s planned processing
infrastructure as defined in the ongoing Marimaca Oxide Deposit
(“MOD”) Definitive Feasibility Study
(“DFS”) (see press release dated January 15th,
2024).
Madrugador hosts a historical National
Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects
(“NI 43-101”) non-compliant resource estimate of
copper hosted in dominantly oxide mineralization, which is detailed
below in Table 1 alongside relevant technical and regulatory
disclosure. Marimaca is currently completing a review of available
historical information to plan and execute a validation and upgrade
program of the historical resource.
Hayden Locke, President & CEO,
commented:
“The acquisition of Madrugador consolidates our
ownership of what we now recognize as a highly prospective district
for complementary leachable copper resources, underpinning our
aspirations for growth in copper production in the future.”
”Similar to Pampa Medina, Madrugador hosts near
or at surface, high grade, leachable copper mineralization. We
believe these assets already have the potential to add meaningful,
compliant, resources and we are completing confirmatory reviews to
support eventual release of compliant Mineral Resource
Estimates.”
”Both projects are also within areas where
surface and geophysical exploration programs suggest good potential
for extension with ongoing exploration. Our VP Exploration, Sergio
Rivera, and his team are drilling several targets now and we expect
to step up our exploration activities in the new year.”
”We are considering how the expanded project
will fit in the broader development strategy of the MOD, as we
expect the most logical development strategy for these assets will
be to utilise the future MOD infrastructure. This is especially
true with respect to our water management systems, potential
pipeline routes, and the footprint of the SX-EW facility, to ensure
an allowance for future, modular, capacity expansions at low
incremental capital cost.”
Table 1. Historical Resource Estimate
Taken From “Mineral Resources Technical Report on the Madrugador
Property, Antofagasta, Chile, Apoquindo Minerals, 2009” (the
“Apoquindo Historical Estimate”)
The historical estimate uses CIM
categories. The Qualified Person (QP) has not done sufficient work
to classify the historical estimate as a current resource at this
stage. The Company is not treating the historical estimate as a
current resource and intends to verify and upgrade the historical
estimate via a planned work program outlined in the “Validation
Program” section of this news release.
Mineral Resource Category and Type |
Quantity(tonnes) |
CuT (%) |
CuS (%) |
Total Measured |
6,639,000 |
0.73 |
0.53 |
Total Indicated |
5,557,000 |
0.62 |
0.40 |
Total Measured and Indicated |
12,196,000 |
0.68 |
0.47 |
Total Inferred |
1,388,000 |
0.58 |
0.33 |
The Apoquindo Historical Estimate was conducted
using a cut-off grade of 0.2% CuT.
Property Overview
- 855ha land package
adjacent to Pampa Medina and Marimaca’s broader SdM exploration
property package
- Located in the
eastern domain of the Antofagasta Region’s coastal copper belt,
which hosts large, ‘Manto’-style copper deposits including Capstone
Copper’s Mantos Blancos mine and Antofagasta Minerals’ Cachorro
project (Figure 4)
- Observable, shallow
volcanic-hosted manto-style copper oxide mineralization near
surface and in available drill core in the western historical
Madrugador Mine concessions, with copper oxide and mixed
oxide-sulphide mineralization described in historical reports and
drilling observed in both volcanic and underlying sedimentary units
in the east and southern concessions (Figure 2 and Figure 3)
- Historical
resources reported are located in the historical Madrugador mine
area. Over 6,000m of drilling was completed in the Brac area,
however no historical resource was ever reported. Marimaca will
review and consider the Brac drilling for future mineral resource
updates
- 45,885m of
historical drilling data available for review and validation
- Complements the
Pampa Medina project currently undergoing step out drilling by
adding further potential for the expansion of leachable copper
resources
- Significant
geological database to leverage for further exploration vectoring
in the broader SdM land package
Validation Program
(Underway)
- Geological
relogging of available historical diamond drilling database
- Drill collar GPS
validation, topography validation, survey validation
- Reinterpretation
and rebuild of the geological model
- Strategy to upgrade
historical resource to current resources will be further defined
based on the results of the above
Transaction Summary
- Under the terms of
the Agreement, Marimaca Copper will pay the following over an
option term of 5-years to acquire 100% of Madrugador from Sociedad
Legal Minera Juanita Uno del Mineral El Desesperado and Sociedad
Legal Minera Madrugador Uno del Mineral de Sierra Valenzuela.
Marimaca may withdraw from the Agreement at any time subject to
forfeit of payments made up to the date of withdrawal.
- US$150,000 on
signing
- US$250,000 on the
first anniversary of signing
- US$400,000 24
months from of signing
- US$1,200,000 36
months from signing
- US$3,000,000 48
months from signing
- US$7,000,000 60
months from signing
- The sellers will
retain a 1.5% royalty on Madrugador’s net gross sales. Marimaca
will have the ability to buy back 1.0% of the NSR for US$1,500,000
at any time and a right of first refusal on any sale of the royalty
to a third party.
Figure 1: Marimaca Land Position –
Marimaca and Sierra de Medina
Figure 2: Madrugador, Pampa Medina and
Pias Target (see press release dated February 27,
2024)
Figure 3: Madrugador – Historical
Drilling and Western Historical Mine Area
Figure 4: Regional Geological
Setting
Qualified Person
The technical information in this news release
has been reviewed and approved by Sergio Rivera, VP of Exploration
of Marimaca, a geologist with more than 35 years of experience and
a registered member of the Comision Minera (Chilean Mining
Commission), as well a member of the Colegio de Geólogos de Chile,
Instituto de Ingenieros de Minas de Chile and of the Society of
Economic Geologist USA, and who is a Qualified Person for the
purposes of NI 43-101. As noted previously, the Qualified Person
(QP) has not done sufficient work to classify the historical
estimate presented in this news release as a current resource.
Contact InformationFor further
information please visit www.marimaca.com or contact:
Tavistock +44 (0) 207 920
3150Emily Moss / Ruairi Millermarimaca@tavistock.co.uk
Forward Looking Statements
This news release includes certain
“forward-looking statements” under applicable Canadian securities
legislation, including, without limitation, statements regarding
the long term viability of the Madrugador property acquisition, the
ability of Marimaca to complete the payments contemplated under the
Agreement, exploration activities, planned work programs, the
expected synergy of Madrugador with Pampa Medina, SdM and the MOD;
the potential to extend exploration; planned drilling programs, and
the development activities at the MOD. There can be no assurance
that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results
and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in
such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs,
opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and
are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while
considered reasonable by Marimaca, are inherently subject to
significant business, economic, competitive, political and social
uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and
unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to
be materially different from the results, performance or
achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions
and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such
factors include, without limitation: risks that the exploration
development activities at Mercedes and the MOD will not progress as
anticipated, or at all, risks that the DFS may not be completed as
anticipated, or at all, risks that the MOD permitting submission
may not be submitted as anticipated, or at all, risks related to
share price and market conditions, the inherent risks involved in
the mining, exploration and development of mineral properties, the
uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other
geological data, fluctuating metal prices, the possibility of
project delays or cost overruns or unanticipated excessive
operating costs and expenses, uncertainties related to the
necessity of financing, uncertainties relating to regulatory
procedure and timing for permitting submissions and reviews, the
availability of and costs of financing needed in the future as well
as those factors disclosed in the annual information form of the
Company dated March 28, 2024 and other filings made by the Company
with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities (which may be
viewed at www.sedar.com). Readers should not place undue reliance
on forward-looking statements. Marimaca undertakes no obligation to
update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements
contained herein whether as a result of new information or future
events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
Neither the TSX nor the Canadian Investment
Regulatory Organization accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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