Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd (TSX-V:MON, OTC:MXTRF) said on Monday it has completed a detailed exploration and data compilation program at its Potrero gold project in Chile’s Maricunga Belt, a prolific mining district in northern Chile.
The program, which incorporated advanced analytics and machine learning techniques, aimed to refine the geological and structural understanding of the project and assess its potential for gold mineralization at depth, the company said.
Potrero is located about 50 km southeast of El Salvador and 20 km north of Kinross’ La Coipa mine, in a district that also hosts Gold Fields’ Salares Norte mine and Rio2’s Fenix project. The project comprises a contiguous package of mining concessions covering interpreted hydrothermal alteration and structural corridors identified to date.
Montero’s exploration program included geological mapping at 1:10,000 scale, high-resolution geochemical sampling using four-acid digestion ICP-MS methods, analysis of satellite imagery for clay and iron oxide mapping, and reprocessing of 189 line-kilometres of historical magnetic survey data. In addition, the company completed approximately 28 line-kilometres of induced polarization and resistivity surveys.
“The completion of this integrated program represents an important step forward in our understanding of Potrero,” Montero CEO Dr. Tony Harwood said.
“Rather than focusing on isolated anomalies, we are taking a systematic approach, combining detailed fieldwork with AI-assisted modelling and modern visualization tools to identify and prioritize areas for further analysis.”
Historic exploration at Potrero has included surface sampling, geophysical surveys, and drilling. Verde Resources Inc. reported intersections of gold in reverse circulation drilling, including 126 metres at 0.44 g/t gold and surface grab samples up to 7 g/t gold. Hochschild Mining later completed over 2,700 metres of diamond drilling, confirming the presence of gold anomalies. Montero noted that it has not independently verified the historical results.
Detailed geological mapping shows Potrero hosts a hydrothermal system within andesitic domes and breccias, with polydirectional quartz-limonite and quartz-magnetite stockwork veining typical of porphyry gold systems in the Maricunga Belt. Geophysical surveys are being integrated with geological and geochemical datasets as part of ongoing AI-assisted modelling and three-dimensional visualization.
“This work is ongoing and will guide the next phase of exploration leading to drill target definition following completion of the company’s technical evaluation process,” Harwood noted.
Montero said it has commissioned an independent geochemical vectoring analysis with Fathom Geophysics, which will be integrated into the company’s evolving interpretation. The firm plans to continue refining its geological, geochemical, and geophysical models.
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