Canadian mining company Auro Metals Inc. has released the latest drill results from its Santa Barbara gold-copper project in Ecuador. Four holes returned mineralization starting from or near surface in three of them, confirming the porphyry system’s large-scale, high-continuity mineralized characteristics.
Drill hole DSB‑61 returned a continuous mineralized interval of 496.5 metres averaging 0.76 g/t gold and 0.12% copper. Within that, a 212.5‑metre high-grade zone averaged 1.12 g/t gold and 0.14% copper. The gold grade in this high-grade segment is approximately 115% higher than the inferred resource grade (0.52 g/t) from the resource estimate, marking the highest gold grade ever reported in the company’s published drill holes.
Drill hole DSB‑67 intersected mineralization starting 76.5 metres below cover, with a 380‑metre interval averaging 0.71 g/t gold and 0.10% copper. DSB‑66 returned 287 metres from surface averaging 0.51 g/t gold and 0.08% copper. Results from DSB‑65 indicate that mineralization remains open to the west along the hanging wall.
Victor Feng, Chief Executive Officer, said the four holes effectively corroborate the previous three batches of data, consistently validating the scale, continuity, and grade uplift potential of mineralization in the southern core zone of Santa Barbara. The 496‑metre continuous mineralized section in DSB‑61 shows gold grades about 46% higher than the inferred resource grade in the resource report, while the 212‑metre high-grade section more than doubles that inferred grade – a positive factor for the forthcoming resource update.
To date, 22 holes have been completed in the Phase 1 2026 drilling program. Results for 14 holes have been published, with assays for eight holes still pending.
The Santa Barbara project is a large porphyry gold-copper deposit. According to the NI 43‑101 compliant resource estimate, the project hosts total resources exceeding 235 million tonnes. This includes 29.8 million tonnes in the measured category at 0.73 g/t gold and 0.10% copper, and 205.7 million tonnes inferred at 0.52 g/t gold and 0.09% copper, containing approximately 128 tonnes of gold and 224,000 tonnes of copper. With deep and hanging‑wall mineralization continuing to show open extensions and drill results consistently surpassing expectations, the project retains ample room for resource expansion, poised to drive continued value re‑rating for the company.
Post time: Sep-04-2026
