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Highlights
- Sunstone Metals reveals new Copete porphyry, expanding Bramaderos’ mineralised area.
- Discovery highlights Bramaderos’ potential for a large-scale open-pit operation.
- Partnership discussions are underway to accelerate exploration and project growth.
Sunstone Metals Ltd (ASX:STM) has unveiled another notable gold-copper porphyry discovery at its Bramaderos Project in southern Ecuador. The latest discovery, known as Copete, further expands the project’s mineralised area to cover an impressive 2-kilometre by 1.8-kilometre zone, reinforcing Bramaderos' potential for a world-class open-pit operation. This addition supports the company’s goal of creating a high-scale resource, elevating Bramaderos as one of the more promising projects in the region.
The Copete discovery aligns with Sunstone's existing exploration target, estimated at 3.3-8.6 million ounces of gold equivalent at Bramaderos, which suggests significant potential for increasing the project’s scope. This new find adds to the established Brama-Alba resource of 2.7 million gold-equivalent ounces and the expansive Melonal exploration target, creating a sizeable mineralised area that has drawn industry attention.
According to Sunstone’s managing director, Patrick Duffy, the Copete discovery marks an exciting development that contributes to Bramaderos' large-scale potential, and the trend may hold further untapped resources. This extension of the mineralised area could present new opportunities for the project as it continues to build a case for large-scale mining potential.
Initial trench sampling from the Copete porphyry has revealed strong mineralisation at the surface level. In trench ML-01, Sunstone identified a 113-meter stretch averaging 0.64 grams per tonne (g/t) gold-equivalent, containing 0.51 g/t gold, 0.07% copper, and 1.2 g/t silver. The broader trench section measured 214 meters, averaging 0.50 g/t gold-equivalent, indicating promising mineralisation.
The newly outlined Copete area runs parallel to the Brama-Alba trend, with a distinct 1.8-kilometre mineralised corridor along the Melonal-Copete trend. Positioned just south of the Brama-Alba trend, this new target area is mostly unexplored and shows potential, with stockwork veining and a magnetic anomaly indicating a deeper, intact porphyry system. Sunstone's interpretation suggests that copper may be leached at the surface, with potential for higher copper grades to emerge during drilling.
Currently, Sunstone is in discussions with third parties regarding potential partnerships for both the Bramaderos and El Palmar projects, aiming to accelerate exploration and enhance resource development. These discussions could facilitate faster resource growth, further unlocking the potential value within these projects.
