Centenario Gold Corp. (TSXV: CTG) has announced the completion of its first-phase exploration program at the Los Reyes project in Chihuahua, Mexico, revealing high-grade copper mineralization in underground sampling. The program focused on mapping and sampling old mine dumps and underground workings along the intrusive-limestone contact zone, where copper-rich skarn zones are present. The property, located 225 km south of Chihuahua City, includes the El Rey and El Rey 2 mineral claims, covering segments of the intrusive-sediment contact.
The exploration involved collecting 58 rock samples: 7 from surface outcrops, 11 from waste dumps and shallow pits, 12 from the Tuesda mine underground, and 28 from the Jibosa mine underground. Sampling was supervised by a senior professional geologist, with samples weighing between 1.5 kg and 2.0 kg. The samples were sent to ALS Chemex in Chihuahua for analysis using fire assay for gold and acid digestion for 34 other elements. Results are expected by mid-June.
The copper-rich skarn mineralization at El Rey occurs sporadically for over 800 meters along the north-south trending granodiorite-limestone contact, with the altered zone reaching up to 120 meters in width. Mineralization includes chalcopyrite, bornite, malachite, azurite, and chalcocite within irregular, semi-tabular lenses up to 60 meters wide. At the Tuesda shaft, the mineralized zone showed thicknesses up to 20 meters, while at Jibosa, thickness did not exceed 15 meters. Higher sulfide content is presumed to persist north of the Tuesda Shaft, with magnetite and specularite fragments in old dumps suggesting copper-gold skarn-type mineralization.
Centenario plans to initiate a 1,500-meter drill program in July to test strike and down-dip extensions of the identified copper-rich skarn zones, targeting areas near the Jibosa and Tuesda shafts. The company views this as a critical step toward understanding the controls, distribution, and extension of mineralization. The project is adjacent to properties controlled by Penoles, a major Mexican mining company, though the qualified person has not verified mineralization on adjacent properties.
The exploration work was designed to review existing geological data from IMMSA (1992) and Valterra Resources Corporation (2019) and to conduct systematic sampling of the underground workings for the first time. Derrick Strickland, an independent Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure. Centenario Gold Corp. is based in Vancouver, Canada, and focuses on acquiring and developing high-potential mineral projects in the Americas. The company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and continues to evaluate new opportunities. For more information, visit www.centenariogold.com.
