Luca Intersects 9.9 Metres of 5.39 g/t Gold Equivalent from the Catorce Zone at Tahuehueto Mine
Luca’s first hole since 2008 at Catorce returned good grades, though the results were not considered game-changing for the project.
Luca Mining Corp. (LUCA) has released new assay results from its 2026 Tahuehueto exploration program in Durango, Mexico. The headline result comes from the Catorce Zone, an under-drilled southern extension of the Creston vein system that has seen no surface drilling since 2008.
The first new surface hole in the Catorce Zone, DDH26-RCE-01, returned 9.9 m at 5.39 g/t AuEq from 199.5 m, including 1.0 m at 27.56 g/t AuEq from 205.4 m. The raw grades for the Catorce intercept are 3.63 g/t Au, 70.14 g/t Ag, 0.02% Cu, 1.69% Pb and 5.63% Zn. Located approximately 250 m from existing underground development, the company had planned seven holes totaling about 1,500 m for this zone. This release reports only the first Catorce hole, with additional Catorce assays pending.
Highlights from the Creston Vein include DDH26-248, which returned 6.2 m at 6.37 g/t AuEq, including 2.9 m at 11.83 g/t AuEq and 1.1 m at 20.60 g/t AuEq. DDH26-249 returned 3.4 m at 4.77 g/t AuEq, including 0.8 m at 11.67 g/t AuEq. DDH26-250 returned 1.3 m at 13.53 g/t AuEq and a secondary 1.3 m at 4.50 g/t AuEq. Other Creston and Perdido holes returned mostly narrow low-to-moderate intervals, while DDH26-247 and DDH26-253 are listed as no significant mineralization.
The company states that all 14 holes targeting the breccia zone below Level 20 intersected the Creston Vein, validating the geological model. True widths are estimated at 85-90% of drilled intervals.
Luca Mining Corp. (LUCA) is a producing company with two operating mines, reporting trailing six-month revenue of approximately $116 million and net earnings of about $23.1 million. For a producer of this scale, a single near-mine drill hole is rarely a material event unless it clearly alters reserves, mine life, or production scale.
Catorce is a new near-mine target, but the update consists of only one hole. It does not change the current resource base, and there is no resource estimate for Catorce yet. The Creston results serve as continuity confirmation in an area already being drilled, rather than representing a step change.
The stock closed at about $1.13 on the last available price date, compared to a 52-week high of $2.05 and a low of $0.81. The new results are not materially better than previously reported grade-thickness, indicating no unpriced positive shock.
This update represents a positive but incremental near-mine exploration development. It supports the geological model and may eventually feed the mine plan, but it is not yet a resource-changing event.
Luca Mining Corp. (LUCA) is a Canadian mining company operating two wholly owned underground mines in Mexico. The Campo Morado mine in Guerrero is a polymetallic VMS operation producing zinc, copper, gold, silver, and lead, with the company currently focused on mill optimization and potential expansion. The Tahuehueto mine in Durango is an epithermal gold-silver operation in commercial production, featuring prospective vein strike and ongoing near-mine exploration.
Reported financial figures for the first half of 2026 show revenue of $115.99 million and net income of $23.11 million. For the second quarter of 2026, adjusted EBITDA was $14.3 million. As of June 30, 2026, the company held $24.7 million in cash and carried total debt of $0.7 million. There are 275.14 million shares outstanding.
The company has launched a $25 million, three-year exploration program covering both the Campo Morado and Tahuehueto sites.