South Pacific Metals begins exploration at Kili Teke

South Pacific Metals Corp. has officially commenced exploration activities at its 100%-owned Kili Teke copper-gold project in Papua New Guinea. The project hosts a 4.2 Moz AuEq NI 43-101 Inferred Mineral Resource (237Mt at 0.24 g/t Au, 0.34% Cu), derived solely from the Central Main Porphyry. Three additional prospect areas (Ieru porphyry, Ridge gold area, and skarn corridor) remain largely untested, offering significant exploration upside.

A staged, disciplined work program is underway, prioritizing low-impact field activities, geochemistry, and geophysics before advancing to discovery drilling of 14 AI-ranked targets. Formal support has been secured from landowners, the Hela Provincial Government, Koroba-Kopiago District, and Awi-Logayu local-level government. Historical work by Harmony Gold (>10 years, >$20M USD) included 55 diamond drill holes and extensive geochemical/geophysical surveys. Machine-learning studies (ALS Geoanalytics LithoLens & UBC MPIx index) have identified 14 drill targets, with six classified as Rank 1, including a high-priority deep porphyry beneath the Central Main Porphyry.

South Pacific Metals Corp. (SPMC) has begun exploration at the Kili Teke project, a development that follows the company’s acquisition of the asset and the prior announcement of a 4.2 Moz AuEq inferred resource. The company is employing a staged approach involving field verification, geochemistry, geophysics, and drilling. This news is incremental to the broader multi-asset PNG portfolio update provided on June 16, 2026, which highlighted active drilling at Ontenu NE and community consent at May River.

No new financial metrics, resource upgrades, or strategic partnerships were disclosed in the announcement. The market had already priced in the exploration phase given the December 2025 financing and ongoing Ontenu NE drilling campaigns.

South Pacific Metals Corp. is an exploration-stage company focused on gold and copper projects in Papua New Guinea. Its flagship asset is the 100%-owned Kili Teke project in Enga Province, which was acquired from Harmony Gold in 2023. The property hosts a 4.2 Moz AuEq Inferred Resource and is road accessible, with a staged exploration program initiated in June 2026.

The company also holds other projects in exploration or advanced exploration stages, including the Ontenu (Osena) Project in the Kainantu District, which is adjacent to K92 Mining's operation, as well as the Anga Project and the May River Project. Management emphasizes a district-scale approach, leveraging historical work and modern targeting techniques, including AI and machine learning, to expand resources across multiple prospect areas.