Good afternoon, welcome to the Marimaca Copper investor presentation. Throughout this recorded presentation, investors will be in listen-only mode. Questions are encouraged and can be submitted at any time via the Q&A tab situated on the right-hand corner of your screen. Simply type in your questions and press send. The company may not be in a position to answer every question it receives during the meeting itself. However, the company can review all questions submitted today and publish responses where it is appropriate to do so. Before we begin, I now hand over to Nico Cookson, President. Good afternoon, sir.
Thank you, operator, thank you everyone for joining us today and for your continued interest in Marimaca and the exciting exploration opportunity we have here at Pampa Medina. Before we get started, just a few forward-looking statements to refer to, please. Before we hand over to Sergio for the technical discussion, I want to briefly just frame why we are so excited about this discovery. Geologically at Pampa Medina, we see a stratabound-hosted manto-type deposit within a very extensive sedimentary basin that our land claims cover. This allows us to draw on important geological parallels and learnings from both proven Chilean manto deposits, such as Mantos Blancos and the exciting new discovery at Cachorro, and some of the world's largest sediment-hosted copper systems, like the African Copper Belt, Kamoa-Kakula, and the Kupferschiefer.
While every deposit is unique, these analogs demonstrate the potential for this style of mineralization to develop significant continuity scale, and in the right geological setting, exceptional grades like what we see at Pampa Medina. At Pampa, we have already defined mineralization across more than 4 sq km within a much broader identified sedimentary basin of approximately 46 sq km. In our view, the combination of a large, high-grade mineralized footprint and a much broader underexplored geological system creates a compelling opportunity for substantial organic growth within Marimaca. With that context, I will hand over to Sergio to take us through the geology and our latest results in more detail. Sergio, over to you.
Okay. Thank you, Nico. Hi, greetings to all those attending today's webinar. I will be presenting and answering your questions regarding the progress of the exploration that Marimaca Copper is carrying out at Pampa Medina. I am going to give you first some location context and a key piece of information regarding stratigraphy and the structure that I consider relevant to understanding the controls of the mineralization. Then I will show you the results of holes from the phase we call delineation or footprint definition. Those are drill space at 300 meters with continuity test down to 150-meter base on east, west, and north, south sections. I will comment about the drilling results as they reveal the continuity of the mineralization that can be observed in the mineralization footprint intersections. The nature of mineralization shows an important feature related to the silver values related to copper.
I am going to show you how this copper-silver correlation occurs and is distributed through the deposit. Finally, we will conclude the discussion with reference to this exploration potential through a review of the current resistivity geophysical advances, and how the interpretation of these results is defining the potential for continued mineralization to the north, south, and west. Next, please. This map shows the location of Sierra Medina property block, which is located approximately 20 km east from Marimaca Copper project. Pampa Medina is in the southern part of the block, and as you observe in the map, it is situated in the area with an active mining operation led by Mantos Blancos and notable for the recent discoveries of Cachorro by Antofagasta Minerals and our Pampa Medina exploration project.
In the next slide, I will show you and comment you about the key thing from the geology point of view for our understanding of the mineralization and main controls of the mineralization. As I mentioned, the key to understanding the controls of mineralization and therefore the potential resource possibility lies in the understanding of the stratigraphy and structure. The area corresponds to a pampa, a typical landscape of this part of the Atacama Desert, and the entire area where we explore, except for part of Sierra Norte, has no rock exposures. The map on the right shows a summary of the Sierra Medina regional map, indicating the main regional structures that you can see all are oriented northeast basically, and the location of the exploration projects.
On the left, the stratigraphic column, which comprises a sequence of Jurassic and Triassic rocks lying on a basement of Triassic volcanics and Paleozoic sediments. This sequence is more than 1,000 meters thick, as measured by three holes. The copper silver mineralization occurring in Mantos and is distributed through all the entire column. At this scale, there are examples of different type of occurrences, such as the typical volcanic-hosted manto-type deposit of the coastal range at the El Teniente and Maricunga mines. At depth, a more than 300-meter thick sequence of tuff and sediments, we call the Rincon Formation, hosts the mineralization we have discovered at Pampa Medina.
The style of mineralization is unique to Pampa Medina, and while the mineralization and alteration are comparable with the descriptions of Mantos Blancos and Cachorro, that this means talking about mineralization of chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite solid with starch pyrite and alteration of albite chlorite. The thickness of 100 meters of tuff and sediment hosting this mineralization has not been observed in the area, not even in the country. In the following sections, you will find simplified interpretations of the stratigraphy in relation to the mineralization. In the next map, I will show you the situation of the exploration areas. A summary of our definition of the exploration project, Pampa Medina. The blue dots show the location of holes drilling, some historical drilling, as well as our actual drilling.
To the west, the Madrugador area is an old mine and also has some drillings. You can note the cluster of dots that define the area of the old mine. To the north of Madrugador is Sierra Norte, then Pampa Norte areas. In Sierra Norte, the historical exploration is in the form of trenches that exposed volcanic rocks with copper oxides and some shallow drill holes that did not reach the underlying sediments. Pampa Norte is completely covered and has not been explored before, and our interest is based on the extension of AMT geophysical survey, the results of which I will present at the end of this talk. Now I will show you a drill map showing the locations of holes we drilled today projected to the surface.
Along the traces of the new holes drilled at 300 meters and some at 150 meters fences. You can see the histogram showing the distribution of copper grades along the holes. For reference, note that the area marked by the green line in the southeast part, which corresponds to the oxide deposit previously evaluated by Minera Rayo. The dashed red line frame shows the limit that for now we have arbitrarily assigned to the area we evaluated in this campaign. However, as shown by the arrows, mineralization is still open to the southeast, northeast, and to the northwest as well. The area defined for the current project covers 2.5 km east-west by 1.5 km north-south.
So far, we have a setting of the core area, and in the next part of this presentation, we will review the update drilling results in three main aspects: the delineation of the extent of the mineralization footprint and its main controls, the lateral and depth continuity of the mineralization as it can be interpreted in north-south and east-west sections, and also the relationships between the copper and silver mineralization. The next slide shows the results from the 300-meter step and partially 150-meter step out drilling, and shows how we can delineate the main distribution of grades of the deposit, of copper grade deposits up to now. This is a simple interpretation showing the aerial distribution of the mineralization in terms of significant drill holes intercepts with copper grade ranges from 0.5%, 0.3%, and above 0.2%.
0.2% borders are in yellow. 0.3 shows the area in orange and the central part in a kind of red color. The above 0.5 mineralization distribution in terms of intercepts, same intercepts as has been released in previous press releases. Note that the 0.5 and above 0.5 and above 0.4% copper curves define a northeast-oriented central zone with the axis within the perimeter of the project under evaluation extends for about 2 km and is approximately 1 km wide. Refer just to what will be the central high-grade zone, which from the arrows is still open to the north, open to the south, and open to the west, or more precisely, to the west-northwest. The next slide shows the same base map of the footprint as defined by copper grade sections.
You can see here that although the fissure was important, we have recognized from drill core mapping and structural information from borehole televiewer measurements, a control accepted by west-northwest-oriented fault and dikes showing in this slide in blue. In general, if you see the distribution of the high-grade zone in northeast-oriented direction, the effect of the west-northwest-oriented structural zone are not observed at the scale of this footprint, and just can be noted in some east-west section because the structures seems to be parallel to some of the east-west or west-northwest structures parallel to the sections. From the most recent 150 meters step-out results, revealing that the effect of the west-northwest structure is confined to certain discrete corridors with limited variation in terms of thickness. In the next please.
I want to show you the location of some key sections, east-west sections, and a north-south section. Section in which we will see the distribution of the mineralization in terms of copper grades, mainly. Starting with the main 4800 sections in the central part. It's an east-west section, we use this as a general reference. Then I will show you a section which is 100 meters north, which is section 4950, and then 150 meters south of the reference section, which is the 4650 north section. The north-south section is the 406,200 section. Let us start first with section 4800. As holes are located 300 meters apart, this section is only for reference regarding the results of the delineation of the 100 meters. Note first the dimensions of the section that exceed 2 km in the east-west direction and reach 900 meters in depth.
The left at the bottom shows the rock units in terms of a column at the copper grade range, you can note that the ranges even reach levels of above 15% in the purple color. It shows also another feature that is interesting for us in terms the location of what we call the ultra-high-grade zones or sections with mineralization above 10% copper. Another definition, which we call the high grade 2, which is high grade above 2% copper. We show where this specific very high-grade intercepts are located in holes to give you the idea of what is the distribution and extent. Remember that the holes are 300 meters apart. In this section, which shows the stratigraphy as summarized in the upper part in green color, is the volcanic rocks, the intermediate unit of sediments in light blue, and the basement in gray color.
In the 300 meters apart hole, we have not yet discovered extension of mineralization into basement, which we have observed in the new 150 meters step-out deeper drill holes. Note here the extent and continuity of the 300 meters of the mineralized level that we have defined as ultra-high-grade zones, generally above 10% copper. The mineralization appears to be limited to the east due to faults that uplift the basement, and to the west is also limited by faults that produce the same effect, uplifting the basement in the western block. The east-west extent of the mineralization that cross-sections of high grade 2 and ultra-high-grade is approximately 900 meters between holes 13 and 01. The next section is section 4950.
It is located 150 meters north of the previous one. Shows the drill holes are 300 meters apart. Results confirm the lateral extension of more than 1,500 meters. Note that high grades begin to appear near the contact or in the basement units in this case, especially the ultra-high grade and the high grade 2 as well. The ultra-high grade from holes five is remarkable, so do the high grade 2 grades from the southern surrounding holes. The western drill holes are scouts from the first campaign. Without a doubt, show too shallow to intercept the sediment and basement mineralization column at depth. The next slide is the slide 40,650. Similarly, a section is 150 meters south of the previous key section.
Shows the results of four 300-meters-apart drill holes that confirm the extent of mineralization also in terms of ultra-high grade and high grade 2. We are progressing actually in the field with two diamond drill rigs and one RC rig in drilling a series of 150 meters drill holes apart through all the central area of the higher grade that we previously defined in the map that shows the footprint. With all these new holes, we are trying to prove the continuity of the mineralization in more detail. Now we can take a look of the north-south section, the section 406,200 which is located in the west central part of the mineralized zone.
The continuity of the mineralization is more evident here, with a slightly graded level of detail in the stratigraphic sequence, just showing and allowing us to appreciate how the mineralization extends through all the entire sequence. In this case, mineralization is in what we call the R1 unit, the upper part of the Rincon Formation, and then a unit of tuff, what we call the key unit, that we follow with the structure and define the stratigraphy column. Also in the R2 unit of Rincon Formation, the mineralization also extends. We have the high grade 2 and ultra-high grade in this case, basically more related to the base of R1 and the tuff unit. Also there is some high grade in the bottom of the R2 unit and close the basement as well.
The extent of mineralization with the greatest evidence of continuity can be seen for more than 1,000 meters in this case, with several ultra-high grade and high grade 2 zones defined by drill holes. The next map also helps to show the continuity of mineralization. In this case, we use the undiluted potential thickness above 0.5%. This is basically an illustrative diagram that displays the Pampa Medina drilling to date with the undiluted composite thickness of each tree hole, with copper grade exceeding above 0.5%. The thickness is interpreted in terms of +70 meters, 50 meters, 30 meters, 10 meters, of occurrence of high grade mineralization terms in terms of cumulative thickness above 0.5%. It was produced just for illustrative purposes only for comparison. The northeast, for example, the northeast trend that controls the highest thickness, compared with the previous footprint interpretative map. Next, please.
With reference to the mineralization, I mentioned that the mineralization at Pampa Medina consists basically of primary association that shows zonation ranging from central areas with bornite-chalcocite to borders of higher chalcopyrite and pyrite halos. In some areas, and depending on the structures, this mineralization has been oxidized to atacamite and secondary chalcocite. A common feature of manto deposit is the copper-silver relationship that we can found in many of the manto-type deposit of the Coastal Cordillera and elsewhere. Same we can observe at Pampa Medina as shown in the correlation graph of the figure. Note how for different mineralization associations defined by mineralogy and drill holes, the correlation between high copper values and high silver content is maintained. Next, please.
Finally, to conclude this review, I will show you why we are considering extending Pampa Medina type mineralization into the rest of our concessions, especially to the north, south, and west. We based these ideas on the AMT resistivity survey results. The map in the figure shows the areas covered by the AMT grid at 200 meters and 400 meters apart measured to date. For reference, the area covered by the AMT is about 9 km north-south by 5- 8 km east-west. We use AMT because it appears to be the best method to help in defining stratigraphy, structure and mineralization. The validity of this proxy is more evident if you consider the view of the right, which correspond to AMT section of about 8 km between Pampa Medina and Sierra Norte. The AMT anomalies are coincident with the project drill holes from Pampa Medina.
From this, you can make inference from Sierra Norte, where below the volcanic rocks represented by sections of higher resistivities, the low anomalies compared with mineralized meta-sediments units can be interpreted. It is essential that to retain the image of the section with the anomaly and the drill hole distribution to evaluate the 3D model animation in the following slide. In this case, and we can put the animation, this is a close representation of the variation of the resistivity model along the area. You can show, especially in this section, for example, the relationship of the anomalies in AMT as related to the previous drilled area and how these AMT anomaly extend to the rest of the area, especially to the Sierra to the west and also to Pampa Norte, where we advance to the north in terms of distribution of the AMT anomaly.
This indicated basically the consistency of anomalies of resistivity units, which we believe to indicated that the potential exists of sedimentary levels that could contain mineralization in the northern part. Finally, the ongoing exploration program, in addition to the drilling of Pampa Medina, 150 meters step out, included target identification exploration toward Madrugador, Sierra Norte and Pampa Norte, detailing AMT and adding bedrock geochemistry and scout drilling. We expect to have results from these programs by early 2027. Thanks very much from my side.
That's great. Thank you very much for your presentation. Ladies and gentlemen, please do continue to submit your questions just by using the Q&A tab situated on the right-hand corner of your screen. Just while the company take a few moments to review those questions submitted today, I'd like to remind you that a recording of this presentation, along with a copy of the slides and the published Q&A, can be accessed via investor dashboard. As you can see, we have received a number of questions throughout today's presentation. Nico, could I please ask you to read out the questions and give responses where appropriate to do so, and I'll pick up from you at the end.
Perfect. Thanks, Sergio, and thanks, operator. We'll move through some of these questions now. For anything we don't get to today, we will publish, as the operator said, responses to the questions in due course. First question, how large is the prospective area in your minds? Is it underpinned by any drilling, any other evidence of sediment-hosted copper in any geophysics? What does the AMT anomaly to the north mean? Yeah, look, I think from the discoveries at Cachorro that we've seen, now Pampa Medina, and the existing operation at Mantos Blancos, we know this is a very prolific metallogenic district. I think what gets us most excited is probably the AMT resistivity surveys that Sergio ran through to the north.
We've now completed the grid of approximately 10 km by 8 km on that AMT grid, you can see here, moving north into the west from Pampa Medina. For the most part, there's no historical drilling in this area, and the bedrock is predominantly covered by Quaternary gravels and caliche. What we see at Pampa is a very nice correlation between these resistivity lows and sediment-hosted mineralization. It is a useful tool we find for defining the contact between the upper volcanics and the target underlying sediments, which is predominantly the host lithology for the high-grade mineralization that we see in those Rincon sediments. What you would've seen in that animation as we move north is that there is clear continuity of that resistivity low, indicating that there is potential for fairly significant extensions of those host lithologies, those target sediments.
Geophysics is never diagnostic or clear-cut, we're encouraged by what we're seeing, and we'll move to the broader step-out campaign after we wrap up this initial delineation program at Pampa Main. The second question we're getting is the maiden MRE timing, methodology, and scope. Where does the maiden Pampa resource stand? How much drilling remains, and what's the release timeline? Yeah, look, our 150-meter delineation campaign will continue through into November, across the initial defined AOI of approximately 1.5 km by 2.5 km, as you can see here. At that point, we'll cut off the data for the first MRE, and we'll start working on that. We expect to have that released in the H1 of 2027. Just keep in mind that that will very much be a snapshot in time.
Concurrent with that MRE, as I said, we'll commence our step-out program, focusing on those anomalies to the north, and those extensions to the west. Target MRE on that initial AOI will be H1 of 2027. Next question, which I'll hand over to Hayden on, is the deposit architecture and mining method. The 2026 holes show certain high-grade zones, 1%-2%, alongside long, low-grade runs. Is it a working assumption to sequence the high-grade zones first or develop as a lower cutoff bulk deposit from day one? What cutoff grades are you currently considering? How are you thinking about the stacked mantos over the deep sulfides open pit mining underground at depth, or can you explain more?
Thanks, Nico. That's a great question. Our thinking is fairly high level at this stage, what I would say is we've been analyzing the potential for this deposit using the analogs that Nico outlined in the first slide. To give us a rough sense of direction of travel in terms of operating costs and therefore economic cutoff grades and how we might think about the mining of this, what I would say is once we've got our initial shapes for this resource, and once we've done our geological interpretation, we will be working with one of our partners who are very good at reviewing and analyzing how you might go about developing a project like this. That will include underground mining methods, what's available to us, what's going to be logically the best solution for this project.
If I use Kamoa-Kakula as an example, in terms of operating costs from their DFS, I would note Kamoa-Kakula on average is about 5 meters true thickness. The Pampa Medina deposit area is, in general, a multiple in terms of thickness of that. Logically, it will have a lower unit cost for mining. If you use Kamoa-Kakula assumptions, $40 a ton mining, $8 a ton processing cost, $5 a ton underground development, and $12 a ton sustaining CapEx with a sort of rough 85%-88% recoveries. Assuming a 10 grams a ton silver byproduct, we expect our economic cutoff grade, depending on copper price, to be somewhere between 0.6 and 0.7.
If we can materially reduce that mining cost, there is a world where you can start to think of this as a much more bulk tonnage underground mining operation, and that's what we're aiming to get our head around towards the end of the year, is what is the best way to develop this to be able to capture as much of that lower grade halo around the high-grade mantos. I think in the other question was will we focus on those high-grade mantos? Yes, it makes perfect sense to focus on a higher grade portion During that all-important payback period. Once you pay back your capital, you can adjust your cutoff grades lower, maybe sacrifice a little bit of margin, materially extend the mine life. That's all of the thinking that we're doing.
Over the course of the next 6- 12 months, we'll be trying to come up with some solutions for how we move forward on this very exciting project.
Thanks, Hayden. The next question we got was just revisiting the AMT was, "The last graphic where you tracked the AMT anomaly from south to north, did that end all the way through the Pampa Norte block?" Yes. You can see here on this map the grid that we were running that AMT survey on, extending north through Pampa Norte and to the west through Sierra Norte. Next question on exploration upside, the basement sediments, the Cortadera analogy, and going deeper. SPRD-08 hit the basement meta-sediments for the first time, drawing the Cortadera comparison. What geophysical or geological evidence suggests that horizon exists laterally across the AOI rather than it being local to that hole? Look, almost certainly the basement meta-sediments is a new target for us.
Previously, the Rincon sediments, the upper sediments was our focus, obviously the intersection from SPRD-08 changes slightly what could potentially be the host of mineralization here, and we do see that at Cortadera in terms of extensions into the basement. I doubt it'll make it into the first resource that we publish, given most of the holes to date have been finalized before going extensively into those basement meta-sediments. The opportunity always remains to go back to those collars and extend those holes if we continue to see evidence of continuity at depth. The next question on metallurgy. On metallurgy, how many samples have been tested, and do they cover all major areas? Are these early rougher tests or have walk cycle tests been run? What's the single biggest met risk today, impurities, recovery, pyrite? Have any samples thrown a red flag? Look, GeoMet one is underway.
We have not published any met at this stage, which is why we're not reporting copper equivalents in our drilling. The GeoMet phase one is underway. This program consists of testing on the three mineral sub-domains that we see at Pampa, being the sulfides, the mixed domain, and the oxides. Sulfide testing at this stage is a bulk flotation rougher cleaner. Oxides, we are completing bottle roll tests and 30 cm mini columns, and the mixed material, we're completing both leaching and flotation tests on those. It's very much a diagnostic program to identify any potential red flags. I think fair to say at this stage that we aren't seeing anything that we're particularly concerned about or fatal flaws from the test work. Now I'd note on the oxides particularly, we have the benefit of a wealth of information from the Marimaca test work that we've completed.
The mineralogy and the oxides is very similar between atacamite, chrysocolla, and chalcocite. While the host rock is different, we obviously have learnings from the extensive Marimaca campaigns that we can apply to the oxides here at Pampa. The next and final question is on corporate strategy. Has the pace of inbound strategic interest shifted with recent results? Has it changed your thinking on developing both assets in one company? Which milestones over the next 12- 24 months have the most potential to close the apparent discount to Pampa Medina, and what would the company do to force value recognition without unnecessary dilution? I'll start on this, and I'll hand over to Hayden to close out this webinar.
Look, I think it's early days to let Pampa Medina, but with any new discovery, particularly in this part of the world, you can expect interest in people following what's going on. I'd say at this stage, the company is very inward-focused on our two value maximization pathways being one, the successful and near-term development of the MOD, which is progressing rapidly. Two, just continued growth at Pampa Medina and continuing to improve our understanding of what we actually have our hands on here. Now, that said, I think what is clear about Pampa is that the potential scale of this opportunity is or could be significantly larger than the MOD, which has implications for both capital and execution. That will factor into our decision-making in the future once we better understand the scale of the opportunity.
I think given the location of these two deposits and the fact that there is an oxide opportunity at Pampa Medina or an apparent oxide opportunity, there will almost certainly be, assuming both deposits get developed successfully, some sort of industrial synergy between the two, given the location that they share. Hayden, I'll hand over to you for any closing remarks.
Thanks, Nico. Thank you everyone for attending. Hopefully, everyone has found it useful, and you can understand why we're so excited about the Pampa Medina opportunity, where we see the potential for us to make a tier one discovery, something that is really game-changing for us as a company, but also game-changing in terms of new discoveries made in Chile. With that, we will sign off.
That's great. Thank you for updating investors today. Could I please ask investors not to close this session, as you'll now be automatically redirected to provide your feedback in order that the management team can better understand your views and expectations. This will only take a few moments to complete and I'm sure will be greatly valued by the company. On behalf of the management team, we'd like to thank you for attending today's presentation, and good afternoon to you all.