Torq Resources drills 450 metres of 0.51 g/t gold, 0.155% copper at Cecilia Project, Chile

Torq Resources Inc. [TSXV: TORQ; OTCQB: TRBMF] released drill results from the phase III diamond drilling campaign at its Santa Cecilia gold-copper porphyry project, located in the prolific Maricunga belt, in the Atacama region of Chile. The campaign consisted of five diamond drill holes, totalling 4,061.5 metres.

The Pircas Norte and Gemelos Norte targets are located within one to two km of the Caspiche gold-copper deposit held by Norte Abierto (Newmont and Barrick), estimated to contain 1.29 billion tonnes grading 0.54 g/t gold and 1.17 billion tonnes grading 0.21% copper in measured and indicated resources, with additional inferred resources.

Three drill holes completed at Gemelos Norte target confirmed a new copper gold porphyry discovery within the Santa Cecilia project including 450 metres of 0.51 g/t gold and 0.155% copper while stepout drilling at Pircas Norte extended mineralization at depth drilling 206 metres of 0.99 g/t gold and 0.109% Cu within 266 metres of 0.81 g/t Au and 0.097% Cu.

Gemelos Norte discovery (three new holes): SC25-DDH-007: 450 m of 0.51 g/t Au, 0.155% Cu within 652 metres of 0.42 g/t Au and 0.134% Cu. SC25-DDH-009: 260 metres of 0.30 g/t Au with 0.09% Cu. SC25-DDH-010: 736 metres of 0.35 g/t Au with 0.079% Cu.

Pircas Norte stepouts (two holes): SC25-DDH-006: 266 metres of 0.81 g/t Au with 0.097% Cu, extending mineralization in SC24-DDH-005 (2024) from 496 metres to 642 metres. SC25-DDH-008: two mineralized zones west of SC24-DDH-003: 226 metres of 0.24 g/t Au with 0.041% Cu and 324 metres of 0.28 g/t Au with 0.076% Cu.

Shawn Wallace, CEO and chair of Torq, stated: “These results reinforce the scale of what we’re uncovering at Santa Cecilia. With Gemelos Norte now confirmed as our third discovery, we may be looking at a district-scale gold-copper system that remains wide open in multiple directions. The sheer size of these intercepts, combined with increasing grades, points to a project with significant potential. Our agreement with Gold Fields continues to validate this vision – their spend to date of over $6-million of a possible US$48 million earn-in has already translated into a 10% vested interest, underscoring the confidence we share in the extraordinary opportunity this project represents.”

At Pircas Norte, drilling focused on closing out the gold-copper mineralization intercepted in drill hole 24SC-DDH-005, which ended in mineralization, as well as extending copper-gold mineralization to the west of previous drilling. Drill hole 25SC-DDH-006, the continuation of drill hole 24SC-DDH-005, successfully extended the gold-copper mineralization from 496 metres to 642 metres for a combined intercept of 206 metres of 0.99 g/t gold with 0.109% Cu.

The phase III drilling campaign at Santa Cecilia focused on two target areas, Gemelos Norte and Pircas Norte. At Gemelos Norte, three diamond drill holes, SC25-DDH-007, SC25-DDH-009 and SC25-DDH-010, totalling 2,958.3 m, were completed. Two drill holes, SC25-DDH-006 and SC25-DDH-008, totalling 1,104.3 metres, were completed at Pircas Norte. Drilling at Gemelos Norte intercepted a new porphyry complex extending gold-copper mineralization at Santa Cecilia to the eastern limit of the property. At Pircas Norte, drilling extended gold-copper mineralized bodies to the north and west by over 100 metres. Currently, the known gold-copper mineralization at Santa Cecilia extends in an east-west direction for approximately 3,500 metres.

Gemelos Norte drilling (25SC-DDH-007): Six main porphyry units were intercepted by this drill hole, from intermineral to late-mineral pulses. From surface to 157.55 metres, a Rhyolite Dome unit, with argillic to advanced argillic alteration and discrete intervals of molybdenum mineralization related to hydrothermal breccias was intercepted.

Below 157.55 metres, down to 898.69 metres, a series of porphyry bodies related to different timing and mineralization styles, including significant early veinlet stockwork zones were intercepted. This interval includes a reported intercept of 652 metres of 0.42 g/t gold with 0.134% copper and 60.7 parts per million molybdenum.

Below 898.69 metres to the end of the hole, the Quebrada Seca formation characterized by potassic alteration was intercepted. The highest gold grades reported are associated with a diorite biotite porphyry and the gemelos dacitic porphyry.

Hole 25SC-DDH-009 is a deeper extension of hole 24SC-DDH-004 drilled in phase II. Five main porphyry units, from intermineral to late-mineral pulses, were identified. The reported mineralized intercepts including 260 metres of 0.30 g/t gold with 0.090% copper occur within the gemelos quartz diorite porphyry and the diorite biotite porphyry.

Drill hole 25SC-DDH-010 intercepted three main intermineral to late-mineral porphyritic intrusive bodies, all of which exhibit potassic alteration and significant early veinlet stockwork zones. The drill hole intercepted zones with discrete argillic alteration overprinting the earlier potassic alteration returned gold-copper results of up to one g/t gold and 0.25% copper. The drill hole intercepted three broad zones of gold-copper mineralization, the highlight being 736 metres of 0.35 g/t gold with 0.079% copper and 19.5 ppm molybdenum.

Pircas Norte drilling: Drill hole 25SC-DDH-006 is a deeper extension of hole 24SC-DDH-005 drilled last season, which ended in gold-copper mineralization. 25SC-DDH-006 intersected three dominant lithologies: the extension of the diorite intrusive breccia unit from 24SC-DDH-005, and a fine-grained diorite porphyry dike, part of the Pircas Norte porphyry complex and the andesitic Quebrada Seca formation.

The total combined mineralized interval from 24SC-DDH-005 and 25SC-DDH-006 is 266 metres of 0.81 g/t gold with 0.097% copper and 24.0 ppm molybdenum.

Hole 25SC-DDH-008 was drilled from the same platform as 24SC-DDH-003. The drill hole targeted the westerly extension of the diorite intrusive breccia encountered in hole 24SC-DDH-003 (432 to 596 m at 0.46 g/t Au and 0.088 per cent Cu), which was intercepted in 25SC-DDH-008 from 440.9 to 566.6 m down hole. The gold-copper mineralized breccia unit was extended by over 100 metres to the west with a reported intercepts of 226 metres of 0.24 g/t gold with 0.041% copper and 16.1 ppm molybdenum and 324 metres of 0.28 g/t gold with 0.076% copper and 31.5 ppm molybdenum.