Peru Approves First-Round Exploration Drilling at Tierra Roja Copper Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 7, Canadian mining company Radius Gold announced that its Tierra Roja copper project in the Arequipa region of Peru has obtained exploration authorization from the local energy and mining authority, allowing it to commence mineral exploration activities, including drilling, at the Ferruginosa I-400 mining concession. The project has secured the previously required environmental permit and temporary surface use rights. The company plans to carry out first-round drilling by the end of 2026 and is currently advancing drilling contract negotiations, road preparation, and camp construction.

The Tierra Roja project is located in the Atico district of Caravelí Province in southern Peru. Radius Gold holds an option to acquire 3,670 hectares of the core mining area and has secured arrangements for further evaluation and potential acquisition of surrounding mining concessions. A surface copper oxide mineralization zone of approximately 800 meters by 600 meters has been identified in the core exploration area, with principal minerals including malachite, chrysocolla, and other secondary copper minerals.

Previous surface trench sampling returned results of 35 meters at 1.25% copper grade and 20 meters at 2.1% copper grade, with some individual samples exceeding 3% copper. The company has also completed ground magnetic, induced polarization, and resistivity surveys, identifying continuous deep geophysical anomalies beneath the surface mineralization zone. The project has not previously undergone systematic drilling.

The environmental technical document for the first-round exploration has been approved for the construction of 20 drilling platforms and associated access roads, with each platform capable of accommodating multiple drill holes. The project area lacks on-site drilling water. Radius Gold is negotiating with potential drilling contractors to evaluate options for transporting drilling water from an approved water source and employing reverse circulation drilling technology.

The project obtained its exploration environmental permit in 2025. In January 2026, the Arequipa Regional Energy and Mining Management Authority completed the technical review of surface access; in March, Peru's National Superintendency of State Assets (SBN) granted temporary surface use rights, after which the company submitted a formal application to commence exploration operations. During the approval process, coordinate issues with the project caused procedural delays, and the relevant objections were upheld upon appeal.

With this operational authorization secured, Radius Gold can commence exploration under the existing temporary surface use rights while continuing to process the final surface easement procedures. The company has also completed additional rock chip geochemical sampling outside the core area, with samples sent to the laboratory. The assay results will subsequently be used to adjust drilling targets and regional exploration plans.