Canadian exploration company Vortex Metals has launched phase two of its exploration program at the Illapel copper-silver project in Chile.
The project is situated in the Commune of Illapel, Choapa Province, around 250km north of Santiago.
It lies adjacent to the Rio 27 mine operated by Ventana Group, which has been in production since 2010.
Phase two will build on the promising results from the company’s initial exploration campaign, which identified low-resistivity sulphide mineralisation extending north from the Rio 27 copper-silver mine along a prospective structural corridor.
The new phase aims to refine the geological model and identify priority targets across the 180 square-kilometre concession area.
To achieve this, Vortex Metals plans an extensive airborne geophysical survey spanning approximately 2,000 line kilometres.
The survey will employ magnetics, very low frequency electromagnetics (VLF-EM) and radiometrics to map structural features and detect potential mineralisation zones.
Discussions are currently underway with a local geophysical contractor to finalise these plans.
Initial drilling at Illapel has already returned encouraging results, confirming the presence of a mineralised system warranting further investigation.
Exploration drilling has so far tested the north-north-east trend of high-grade, manto-style copper-silver mineralisation extending from the Rio 27 Mine.
Among the holes drilled, DVM-08 produced particularly notable results, pointing to the potential for a more extensive mineralised structure than previously recognised.
In addition to the manto-style copper-silver mineralisation, iron oxide copper gold (IOCG) mineralisation was identified in several drill holes, including DVM-08.
This mineralisation occurs within volcanic and sedimentary rocks comparable to those hosting the nearby El Espino deposit, suggesting geological similarities that could support larger-scale mineral occurrences.
During the project’s initial phase, field observations confirmed hydrothermal alteration and sulphide mineralisation comprising pyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite and bornite.
The expanded phase two program will leverage this understanding of the structural controls and corresponding geophysical responses to guide the next stage of exploration.
Vortex Metals co-founder and interim CEO Michael Williams highlighted the strategic direction of the project going forward.
“The phase one drill programme confirmed our geological model,” said Williams.
“The phase two programme will expand on the past programme by using the knowledge obtained on the structural controls and will be combined with the geophysical signatures obtained from the upcoming geophysics programme.
“We will then design a drill programme around the results.
“Having numerous copper surface expressions, multiple geophysical targets, indications of an IOCG target and gold-bearing vein systems, we believe Illapel has significant discovery potential.”
The company continues to extend its exploration footprint across the Americas. In March 2024, Vortex Metals’ ACAGOLD unit secured authorisation from the Santiago Astata Agrarian Community in Oaxaca, Mexico, to commence mineral exploration activities.
The Illapel project represents a cornerstone of Vortex Metals’ strategic focus on copper and precious metal assets in stable mining jurisdictions.
With phase two underway, the company aims to unlock the full potential of this Chilean concession through integrated geological and geophysical analysis, leading to targeted drilling later this year.
