VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Aldebaran Resources Inc. and Centauri Minerals Inc. have jointly announced a substantial increase in mineral resources at their Rio Grande gold-copper project located in Salta, Argentina. The updated mineral resource estimate reveals significant growth in both indicated and inferred resources, marking a major milestone for the project.
Updated Resource Estimate Details
The comprehensive mineral resource estimate was completed by SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 standards. The Rio Grande property, situated in northwest Argentina's Altiplano region at elevations between 3,700 and 4,700 meters above sea level, benefits from established infrastructure serving regional mining operations.
Indicated Resources
The indicated resources now contain:
- 1.45 million ounces of gold
- 384,000 tonnes of copper
- 12.7 million ounces of silver
This represents 153.7 million tonnes grading 0.29 grams per tonne gold, 0.25% copper, and 2.6 grams per tonne silver.
Inferred Resources
The inferred resources show even greater potential with:
- 1.55 million ounces of gold
- 420,000 tonnes of copper
- 17.8 million ounces of silver
This comprises 220.8 million tonnes grading 0.22 grams per tonne gold, 0.19% copper, and 2.5 grams per tonne silver.
Exploration Potential and Future Plans
Mineralization remains open in multiple directions, with significant porphyry potential identified beneath the current resource. Historical drilling has already intersected impressive results, including 257.2 meters of 1.20 grams per tonne gold and 0.53% copper in porphyry dykes.
Sam Leung, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Centauri, expressed enthusiasm about the project's future: "This new mineral resource estimate provides fresh evidence that encourages modern exploration and future studies. With no drilling or targeting programs since 2012, we now have the exciting opportunity to apply modern geophysical and geochemical tools ahead of future drilling programs on a project that already contains a substantial mineral inventory."
Leung further noted that with this resource in hand, a drill program planned for later this year, and five additional exploration projects in their portfolio, Centauri is well positioned to move forward with plans to become a public company in the first half of 2026.
Expert Commentary
Dr. Kevin B. Heather, Chief Geological Officer of Aldebaran Resources and Technical Advisor to Centauri, who has been involved with the project since 2004, commented: "We have always felt the project needed additional exploration to realize its full potential. The mineral resource estimate reported here marks a significant milestone in the resurrection of the project, and I look forward to working with the Centauri team to unlock significant value in the future."
Project Location and Infrastructure
The Rio Grande gold-copper property is strategically located approximately 260 kilometers west of the city of Salta, 40 kilometers east of the Chilean border, and just 9 kilometers from the operating Lindero gold-copper mine. This proximity to existing mining infrastructure provides significant operational advantages for future development.
The technical report was prepared following SLR's site visit to the Rio Grande property from December 5 to 7, 2025, ensuring comprehensive data collection and analysis for the updated resource estimate.
