Luca Mining drills 4.7 metres of 6.7 g/t gold equivalent at Tahuehueto Mine, Mexico
Luca Mining Corp. [TSXV: LUCA; OTCQX: LUCMF; FSE: Z68] reported new assay results from its ongoing 2026 drilling program at the Tahuehueto gold-silver mine in Durango, Mexico.
Exploration drilling has continued to intersect high-grade gold mineralization in newly identified breccia zones, close to current mine workings, confirming continuity of breccia-hosted mineralization within the Creston vein system and highlighting the potential for near-mine resource expansion.
Highlights: High-grade intercepts from surface drill holes targeting the Creston Vein, including 4.7 metres of 6.73 g/t AuEq (3.35 g/t Au, 109.05 g/t Ag, 0.68% Cu, 0.20% Pb, 12.06% Zn) in hole DDH26-246, including 0.6 metres of 14.80 g/t AuEq (9.21 g/t Au, 300.00 g/t Ag, 0.76% Cu, 0.35% Pb, 12.64% Zn); 4.5 metres of 4.21 g/t AuEq (1.61 g/t Au, 140.07 g/t Ag, 1.25% Cu, 0.25% Pb and 0.48% Zn) in hole DDH26-SU-14; 2.8 metres of 6.90 g/t AuEq (3.03 g/t Au, 223.94 g/t Ag, 0.62% Cu, 3.47% Pb and 3.83% Zn) in hole DDH26-245 and 1.2 metres of 10.37 g/t AuEq (2.09 g/t Au, 451.00 g/t Ag, 4.24% Cu, 0.29% Pb and 0.13% Zn) in hole DDH26-242.
Drilling confirmed the continuity of mineralization in previously untested areas located 20 to 35 metres below Level 20, extending known high-grade breccia zones at depth and further validating Luca’s geological model
Intercepts exceed current mined grades and occur within development distance of existing underground infrastructure, supporting potential integration into the near-term mine plan.
Verified vein-related mineralization at the Creston Vein in close proximity to current mining faces through the Termite drill program: 1.7 metres of 13.27 g/t AuEq (8.92 g/t Au, 116.83 g/t Ag, 0.74% Cu, 7.19% Pb and 11.36% Zn) in hole TRT26-06.
Two contracted diamond drill rigs are currently on site and in operation, one dedicated to underground drilling and one to surface drilling. A Luca owned and operated underground rig continues to define mineralization identified in the near-term mine plan. To date, Luca has completed 54 underground holes for 10,426 metres and 25 surface holes for 4,599 metres.
“These latest drill results have identified a previously unrecognized extension of the high-grade breccia-hosted vein system currently being mined on Level 20.” stated Paul D. Gray, VP Exploration. “Management’s interpretation that mineralization continued below Level 20 has now been confirmed, with results exceeding our expectations. The first five drillholes into this previously undrilled area successfully intersected the down plunge extension of the Creston vein. Based on these encouraging results, an additional nine holes were added to the program to further define the potential of this target, each of which successfully intersected the structure.”
Drillholes DDH26-SU-14 through DDH26-SU-16 targeted a previously untested zone approximately 30-40 metres below active mine workings on Level 23 and along strike from Luca’s successful Phase 1 2024-2025 underground drill program. Drillhole DDH26-240 targeted and intercepted the El Rey vein approximately 40 metres below the previous deepest intercept from DDH26-239.
All drillholes (with the exception of DDH26-SU-15 and DDH26-SU-16) intersected the Creston and Perdido vein structures in well-developed brecciated veins and confirm strike continuity of the high-grade breccia zones identified in prior drilling, on strike and down plunge.
The fact DDH26-SU-15 and DDH26-SU-16 did not intersect the mineralized structure is interpreted to be related to previously identified dilatational jogs in the veins, these areas are related to nearby high-grade brecciated targets elsewhere on the Property, and a follow-up drill program to further delineate this priority target is now being designed and slated to be implemented before the end of the year
To date, Luca has completed 54 underground holes for 10,426 metres and 25 surface holes for 4,599 metres using HQ, NQ and/or BQ sized diamond drill core (Creston, Perdido, El Rey and Santiago targets).
Key Intercepts – Creston and Perdido Veins: DDH26-242 returned 1.2 metres of 10.37 g/t AuEq (2.09 g/t Au, 451.00 g/t Ag, 4.24% Cu, 0.29% Pb and 0.13% Zn) in hole DDH26-242 from 118.0 metres.
DDH26-244 returned 0.9 metres of 4.74 g/t AuEq (0.51 g/t Au, 194.70 g/t Ag, 2.63% Cu, 0.13% Pb and 0.11% Zn) from 119.1 metres and 0.5 metres of 7.69 g/t AuEq (0.51 g/t Au, 505.00 g/t Ag, 2.20% Cu, 0.14% Pb, 0.04% Zn) from 173.0 metres.
DDH26-245 returned 2.8 metres of 6.90 g/t AuEq (3.03 g/t Au, 223.94 g/t Ag, 0.62% Cu, 3.47% Pb and 3.83% Zn) from 118.4 metres, including 0.9 metres of 18.05 g/t AuEq (8.30 g/t Au, 611.00 g/t Ag, 1.56% Cu, 7.98% Pb and 6.76% Zn) from 119.2 metres.
DDH26-246 returned 4.7 metres of 6.73 g/t AuEq (3.35 g/t Au, 109.05 g/t Ag, 0.68% Cu, 0.20% Pb, 12.06% Zn) from 127.9 metres, including 0.6 metres of 14.80 g/t AuEq (9.21 g/t Au, 300.00 g/t Ag, 0.76% Cu, 0.35% Pb, 12.64% Zn) from 130.0 metres within a broader interval of 22.0 metres of 3.61 g/t AuEq (1.82 g/t Au, 87.15 g/t Ag, 0.43% Cu, 0.37% Pb and 3.41% Zn) from 127.9 metres, and 1.6 metres of 13.49 g/t AuEq (7.99 g/t Au, 358.63 g/t Ag, 1.05% Cu, 1.14% Pb and 5.04% Zn) from 134.0 metres, including 0.6 metres of 27.60 g/t AuEq (16.10 g/t Au, 815.00 g/t Ag, 2.31% Cu, 2.82% Pb and 4.26% Zn) from 135.0 metres all within a broader intersection of 15.9 m of 2.93 g/t AuEq (1.49 g/t Au, 87.03 g/t Ag, 0.40% Cu, 0.45% Pb and 1.00% Zn) from 134.0 metres.
DDH26-SU-14 returned 4.5 metres of 4.21 g/t AuEq (1.61 g/t Au, 140.07 g/t Ag, 1.25% Cu, 0.25% Pb and 0.48% Zn) from 87.9 metres.
EL Rey Vein – DDH26-240 returned 3.7 metres of 2.98 g/t AuEq (0.34 g/t Au, 158.81 g/t Ag, 0.14% Cu, 1.88% Pb and 4.29% Zn) from 327.3 metres.
As part of the Tahuehueto exploration program, a Luca owned and operated Termite drill rig capable of drilling BQ sized drill core up to 100 metres in length has been added to bolster near underground workings verification and mineral definition. Drill core from this drill rig are handled by the Tahuehueto exploration department and treated the same as exploration drill core (processing, logging and sampling) and is now being utilized to more accurately define the mineralized zones anticipated to be part of the near-term mine plan objectives. This Termite drillhole was drilled from Level 23 of the Tahuehueto mine and targeted areas that are scheduled to be mined during H2 2026.
TRT26-06 returned 1.7 metres of 13.27 g/t AuEq (8.92 g/t Au, 116.83 g/t Ag, 0.74% Cu, 7.19% Pb and 11.36% Zn) from 28.5 metres and 2.0 metres of 4.83 g/t AuEq (2.73 g/t Au, 70.41 g/t Ag, 0.74% Cu, 1.65% Pb and 3.88% Zn) from 31.3 metres.
True widths are estimated to be approximately 85-90% of drilled intervals.
The Tahuehueto property comprises a large epithermal gold-silver vein system with approximately 11 km of known vein strike length and numerous mineralized structures. Mineralization remains open along strike and at depth across most modeled Mineral Resource areas. The current campaigns represent the first substantive exploration drilling conducted on the property in more than 12 years, and the first since the addition of key concessions to the land package.
Luca’s 2026 exploration program builds on the success of the 2025 campaign. The program is designed to expand known mineral resources, adding near-term mineable material and defining the vertical and lateral extent of mineralization, as well as to identify additional thick, high-grade breccia zones known to occur within the epithermal vein system, and test multiple underexplored vein systems.
In addition to the four veins that currently support the mineral resource, at least 14 additional prospective veins have been documented within the concession area with potential to host epithermal Au-Ag (±Cu-Zn-Pb) mineralization. In several cases, these targets may represent extensions of the existing mineralized structures.
Overall, the company has identified more than 11 km of prospective vein structures along strike, compared to approximately 4.5 km of mineralized veins incorporated into the current mineral resource model, highlighting significant exploration upside across the property.
Luca Mining is a diversified Canadian mining company prolific Sierra Madre mineralized belt in Mexico which hosts numerous producing and historical mines along its trend. The company produces gold, copper, zinc, silver and lead from these mines that each have considerable development and resource upside.
The Campo Morado polymetallic VMS mine is an underground operation located in Guerrero State within a 121 km2 land package. It produces copper-zinc-lead concentrates with precious metals credits. It is currently undergoing an optimization program which is already generating significant improvements in recoveries, grades, efficiencies, and cashflows.
The Tahuehueto Mine is a large property of over 100 km2 in Durango State. The project hosts epithermal gold and silver vein-style mineralization. Tahuehueto is a newly constructed underground mining operation producing primarily gold and silver. The company has successfully commissioned its mill and is now in commercial production.