NGEx Drills 94.00m at 8.99% CuEq including 21.70m 31.92% CuEq at Lunahuasi
Lunahuasi High-Grade Core Solidifies as Mars Zone Intersects 32% Copper Equivalent
The news release dated January 12, 2026, reports the first set of assay results from the ongoing Phase 4 diamond drilling program at the Lunahuasi project in San Juan, Argentina. The headline result is hole DPDH054, which intersected 94.00m at 8.99% CuEq (Copper Equivalent), including an ultra-high-grade interval of 21.70m at 31.92% CuEq in the Mars Zone. Additionally, the program highlights significant gold-rich intervals in the Saturn Zone, including hole DPDH051 with 327.4m at 1.53% Au and hole DPDH050 with 1.2m at 24.5 g/t Au. The company has completed approximately 12,000 meters of the planned Phase 4 program with eight rigs currently operating.
- Validation of High-Grade Model: The results from hole DPDH054 are exceptional. A 31.92% CuEq interval over nearly 22 meters is world-class and confirms the presence of ultra-high-grade "core" zones within the larger mineralized system. This reduces the risk that previous high-grade hits were isolated "nuggets."
- Gold Potential Expansion: The 327-meter interval of 1.53% Au in hole DPDH051 suggests that Lunahuasi is evolving from a copper-silver play into a significant gold deposit. This adds a diversification layer to the project's valuation.
- Operational Pace: With 12,000 meters drilled and eight rigs on-site, the company is executing its largest-ever program ahead of schedule. This rapid data generation is necessary to justify the company's multi-billion dollar market capitalization.
- Geological Continuity: The results support the geological interpretation of the Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn zones as a coherent, large-scale system. CEO Wojtek Wodzicki’s statement regarding "big step outs" testing conceptual targets indicates the company is now moving from "proving the discovery" to "defining the scale."
NGEx Minerals is a Lundin Group company focused on copper-gold exploration in the Vicuña District of the Andes. - Flagship Project: Lunahuasi (100% owned), San Juan, Argentina. It is a high-grade copper-gold-silver discovery characterized by high-sulphidation epithermal veins overprinting a porphyry system. - Advanced Project: Los Helados (approx. 69% interest), Chile. A large-scale porphyry deposit with an Indicated Resource of 18.4 billion pounds of copper. - Strategy: Currently prioritizing Lunahuasi for its extreme high grades while maintaining Los Helados as a large-scale development option or potential monetization candidate.