Andina Copper Corp. (TSX-V:ANDC) has reported a significant copper-gold-silver intercept from drill hole PIU09 at its Piuquenes East project in San Juan Province, Argentina. The hole returned 126 meters grading 0.46% copper, 0.53 g/t gold, and 2.14 g/t silver from 529 meters depth, within a broader 402-meter interval of 0.25% copper, 0.21 g/t gold, and 1.19 g/t silver starting at 253 meters. This result considerably extends the known vertical mineralization envelope and supports the presence of a vertically extensive gold-rich porphyry system within the Piuquenes-Altar cluster.
The PIU09 intercept is hosted in strongly veined dioritic porphyry with intense sericitic alteration overprinting potassic assemblages. The company noted well-developed A-type veins coincident with chalcopyrite and bornite mineralization, with increasing gold grades and veining intensity observed at depth. This pattern suggests proximity to the porphyry core and the potential for a preserved potassic gold-rich zone beneath the sericitic overprint. The mineralization remains open at depth, and the system shows evidence of telescoping, where later alteration overprints earlier potassic alteration, often associated with higher-grade zones.
Drill hole PIU09 is the third hole drilled at Piuquenes East, following PIU06, which intersected 208 meters at 0.31% copper, 0.13 g/t gold, and 1.24 g/t silver from 292 meters, including 98 meters at 0.49% copper and 0.16 g/t gold. The new results confirm that the mineralized dioritic porphyry system extends vertically and laterally, with higher-grade zones associated with intense A-type veining. A follow-up hole, PIU11, is now underway to test the northern continuity of the system and evaluate a geophysical chargeability anomaly identified by Induced Polarization (IP) and Magnetotelluric (MT) surveys. The hole is designed to intersect the mineralized corridor and test competing structural interpretations.
In addition, a second drill rig has been mobilized to test a strong, deep-seated low-resistivity anomaly at Piuquenes North, immediately adjacent to the Piuquenes Central deposit. This anomaly, identified by the recently completed MT geophysical survey (refer 10 February 2026 News Release), extends from approximately 600 meters below surface to depths well below current drilling. In Miocene-aged porphyry systems of the southern Andes, such conductive features are commonly associated with deep intrusive activity or magmatic-hydrothermal sources. The company believes the Piuquenes East and Central mineralization may represent upper-level expressions related to this deeper source at Piuquenes North. The initial hole, PIU12, and a planned hole PN02 will test this feature and its relationship to known mineralization.
The company's Qualified Person, Gustavo Zulliger, a Certified Professional Geologist (CPG-11165), has reviewed and approved the technical information. The company implemented a QA/QC program including certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates, confirming the analytical data's reliability. The mineralized intervals are reported as downhole lengths; true widths have not yet been determined. The Piuquenes project is part of Andina Copper's portfolio of copper-gold discoveries along the Andean porphyry belt in Argentina, Colombia, and Chile.
