en.Wedoany.com Reported - Lunex Metals Corp. has released assay results from seven diamond drill holes at the Orion and Estrella del Norte targets from its 2026 drilling program at the Luna Roja Project in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, confirming the presence of a second mineralization center within the Vía Láctea structural corridor.
Table 1. Drill hole locations for the 2026 drilling program at the Luna Roja Project
The reported results include drill holes LR_DDH18, LR_DDH19, LR_DDH26, and LR_DDH27 at the Estrella del Norte target, and drill holes LR_DDH23, LR_DDH24, and LR_DDH25 at the Orion target. These targets are located within the Vía Láctea structural corridor, which trends northwest and extends approximately 2.8 kilometers, representing the main exploration trend identified at the project.
Joaquin Mignaquy, President and CEO of Lunex Metals, stated that the results from Estrella del Norte confirm a new mineralization center located more than two kilometers north of Cruz del Sur. Drilling has identified mineralized intervals associated with silicification, hydrothermal alteration, and structures related to the Vía Láctea corridor, indicating that the system extends beyond its initially defined boundaries. Drilling at Orion has helped to more precisely define the corridor's geometry, particularly by identifying structural and lithological contacts between volcaniclastic rocks and domes associated with the main fault, which is crucial for guiding future drilling.
At the Estrella del Norte target, a total of four diamond drill holes were completed. Drill holes LR_DDH26 and LR_DDH27 were designed to test the structural and lithological contact between hanging wall volcaniclastic rocks and footwall dome complex along the Vía Láctea fault. LR_DDH26 was abandoned early at 38.5 meters due to the loss of drilling equipment within the fault zone, while LR_DDH27, drilled from the same platform at a steeper angle, successfully penetrated the full width of the mineralized system. Drill holes LR_DDH18 and LR_DDH19 were designed to test hydrothermal breccia structures fully developed within the dome complex. The results confirm gold and silver mineralization associated with hydrothermal breccias, stockwork, and veinlets. Highlight intercepts include: 8.0 meters grading 0.23 g/t Au and 44.05 g/t Ag in LR_DDH26; multiple mineralized intervals in LR_DDH27, including 8.0 meters grading 0.07 g/t Au and 30.15 g/t Ag, 6.0 meters grading 0.39 g/t Au and 16.40 g/t Ag, and 7.0 meters grading 0.21 g/t Au and 3.34 g/t Ag; 6.0 meters grading 0.30 g/t Au and 0.87 g/t Ag in LR_DDH18; and 7.7 meters grading 0.17 g/t Au and 0.88 g/t Ag in LR_DDH19. The relatively higher silver values compared to most drilling results at Cruz del Sur indicate geochemical variations within the hydrothermal system, supporting the interpretation that Estrella del Norte represents a second mineralization center within the corridor. As part of ongoing geological review, the company has also identified several unsampled core intervals within broader mineralized zones, which are being systematically cut, sampled, and assayed, with results to be reported upon receipt.
Table 2. Highlight results from the current drilling program at the Estrella del Norte target
At the Orion target, drill holes LR_DDH23, LR_DDH24, and LR_DDH25 tested the central portion of the corridor. Although no significant gold or silver intervals were encountered, drill hole LR_DDH23 successfully intersected the Vía Láctea fault, precisely identifying the structural and lithological contact between Jurassic volcaniclastic rocks and the rhyodacite dome complex. This contact is a key element for refining the corridor's geometry and improving future drill hole targeting, and is interpreted as one of the primary controls on mineralization within the system.
Geological interpretation indicates that the results from Estrella del Norte confirm the presence of a second mineralization center located approximately 2.0 kilometers north of Cruz del Sur, consolidating the continuity of a mineralized hydrothermal system extending at least 2.8 kilometers. Mineralization is associated with silicification, quartz stockwork, hydrothermal breccias, and veinlets. At Cruz del Sur, mineralization is related to moderately west-dipping structures, whereas at Estrella del Norte, the system transitions to a steeper to near-vertical geometry. The silver values obtained at Estrella del Norte are significantly higher than those at Cruz del Sur, suggesting potential vertical or lateral variations within the epithermal system. Additionally, the identified high arsenic values and surface mercury anomalies remain consistent with a relatively shallow level of a well-preserved low-sulfidation epithermal system, maintaining the potential to identify higher-grade zones at depth along the corridor.
The Luna Roja Project is located in the Deseado Massif of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, one of the most favorable geological provinces for epithermal gold-silver deposits in South America. The project hosts a series of structurally controlled gold-silver targets developed within Jurassic volcanic rocks, with the main exploration trend being the Vía Láctea structural corridor.
Drill core samples were obtained by longitudinal sawing, with one half retained as a reference sample. Samples were submitted to Alex Stewart International Argentina S.A. in San Julián, Santa Cruz Province, for analysis. Gold analysis was completed by fire assay with AA finish, while silver and multi-element analysis were determined by acid digestion and ICP methods. The QA/QC program includes systematic insertion of blanks, certified reference materials, and duplicates.
