South Pacific Metals Targets Exploration Upside Outside the 4.2 Moz AuEq (3.14B lbs. CuEq) Inferred Resource at Kili Teke; First Rock Samples Dispatched
South Pacific advances field work at the Kili Teke project, targeting district-scale upside potential across the deposit.
South Pacific Metals Corp. announced the commencement of the first phase of field work at its Kili Teke Copper-Gold Project in Papua New Guinea. The company collected 52 rock samples for laboratory analysis to validate 14 machine-learning-ranked drill targets located outside the current NI 43-101 Inferred Resource. No assay results are available at this time; the first drill campaign is targeted for the second half of 2026.
The current resource of 4.2 moz AuEq is defined on a single porphyry center, while more than 95% of historical drilling on the 253 km² license was concentrated there. The remaining license area, including the Skarn Corridor, Ridge Gold Area, and a second porphyry target, remains largely undrilled and represents significant exploration upside. This update follows the June 25, 2026 announcement regarding secured landowner and government support to restart exploration at Kili Teke.
South Pacific Metals Corp. (SPMC) released an update confirming the execution of its field verification phase ahead of planned discovery drilling. This development represents an expected, incremental step in the company’s staged exploration program, which was scheduled to commence in June 2026, with drilling targeted for the second half of that year.
The release carries no immediate financial impact or change to the resource estimate. While the update reinforces the company's long-term exploration thesis, it does not constitute a material, market-moving event in the short term.
South Pacific Metals Corp. is a pre-revenue junior explorer advancing four gold-copper projects in Papua New Guinea. The company’s flagship project is Kili Teke, which hosts a 4.2 moz AuEq NI 43-101 Inferred Resource (237 Mt at 0.24 g/t Au, 0.34% Cu).
The Ontenu NE prospect, part of the Osena Project, has recently demonstrated high-grade epithermal gold-copper mineralization, with drill intercepts up to 28.06 g/t AuEq. The Anga and May River projects are in early exploration stages, with soil and rock chip sampling highlighting significant copper and gold anomalies.
Management includes Executive Chairman Michael Murphy, founder of Torex Gold, and CEO Timo Jauristo, bringing extensive experience in large-scale mining and exploration.