Expansion Drilling Commences at Eloro Resources Ltd.'s Iska Iska Project, Southern Bolivia
Rhea-AI Summary
Eloro Resources (OTCQX: ELRRF) has started a 40,000m expansion diamond drilling program at its Iska Iska Silver-Tin-polymetallic project in southern Bolivia, supporting a planned Preliminary Economic Assessment after an Updated Mineral Resource Estimate with 85.17Mt Indicated and 945.43Mt Inferred resources.
The program, executed by Major Drilling using three rigs, will include about 75 holes in two phases and is expected to finish in Q1 2027. Objectives include expanding and upgrading higher-grade Indicated resources and testing down-dip and along-strike extensions of higher-grade Ag-Sn polymetallic shoots.
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Positive
- 40,000m, ~75-hole expansion drilling program underway at Iska Iska
- Targets 85.17Mt Indicated and 945.43Mt Inferred resources for expansion/upgrade
- Three drill rigs from Major Drilling to accelerate program execution
- Program expected to complete by Q1 2027, supporting planned PEA
- Recent 1.4km strike-length mineralization provides basis for step-out drilling
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – ELRRF
On the day this news was published, ELRRF declined 4.89%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Expansion diamond drilling program underway at Eloro Resources' Iska Iska Project, as part of the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) process following the successful completion of the Updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) in late April 2026.
Key Program Objectives:
As previously announced in the Company's press releases dated February 20 and May 7, 2026, the primary objectives of the expansion drilling program are to:
- Expand and upgrade the 85.17 million tonnes of Indicated Resources and 945.43 million tonnes of Inferred Resources in the Updated MRE.
- Conduct targeted step-out drilling with 50m spacing within the higher-grade core area of the potential starter pit, aiming to further expand the Indicated Resource.
- Test the potential down-dip and strike length of known higher-grade Silver-Tin (Ag-Sn)-polymetallic shoots, which remain open laterally and at depth.
- Follow up on the successful 2024-2025 step-out drilling program that extended the mineralized envelope down-dip and along approximately 1.4 kilometres of strike length to both the east and west.
- Complete a 40,000m diamond drilling program comprising approximately 75 holes, to be executed by Major Drilling Group International Inc. using three drill rigs. The program is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2027.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 7, 2026) - Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF) (FSE: P2QM) ("Eloro" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of its expansion diamond drilling program focused on upgrading and expanding higher grade Silver-Tin (Ag-Sn)-Polymetallic mineralization at its Iska Iska Project in Southern Bolivia. Major Drilling Group International Inc. has mobilized and established two diamond drill rigs on site, with a third rig expected to be added within the next couple of months.
The drilling campaign comprises 40,000m of diamond drilling in approximately 75 holes and follows the Company's recent definition drilling program which intersected mineralization over a strike length of approximately 1.4 kilometres. The initial phase will consist of 35 holes totalling 18,250m, followed by a second phase of approximately 40 holes totalling 21,750m.
Tom Larsen, CEO of Eloro, commented: "We are pleased to commence this important expansion drilling program, which represents another significant milestone in advancing the Iska Iska Project. Following the successful resolution of the recent road blockades through agreements reached between the Bolivian government and labour unions, transportation routes have reopened, allowing the uninterrupted delivery of essential supplies, including diesel fuel, enabling us to proceed with our planned exploration activities."
Mr. Larsen added: "With these logistical challenges now behind us, we are focused on aiming to expand and upgrade the Indicated Resource, which we expect will provide further support for the planned PEA."
Figure 1: Major's drill rig commencing expansion drilling on site at the Iska Iska Silver-Tin-Polymetallic deposit.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1539/304212_eloroimg1.jpg
Figure 2: Location of the main planned drill holes at Iska Iska compared to the Ag-dominant domain.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1539/304212_c77aa99524bc9aac_029full.jpg
Bolivia Pursuing Economic Reactivation Following Recent Political Disruptions
Bolivia is entering a new phase of economic reactivation, driven by measures aimed at promoting investment, restoring economic growth, and bolstering private sector participation. In recent months, the government has implemented initiatives designed to create a more favorable environment for investment, with a particular focus on sectors such as mining and energy. International financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) have also expressed support for Bolivia's economic stabilization and recovery efforts through programs designed to promote sustainable growth and private investment. Against this backdrop, Bolivia is seeking to foster a more attractive investment climate, creating opportunities for the advancement of new projects and the development of long-term partnerships with domestic and international investors.
Sources:
https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-group-bolivia-agree-major-45-billion-support-package
Qualified Person
Dr. Osvaldo Arce, P.Geo. Executive Vice President, Latin America for Eloro and General Manager of Eloro's Bolivian subsidiary, Minera Tupiza S.R.L, and a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument ("NI") 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release. Dr. Arce who has more than 35 years of mineral exploration and extensive mining expertise across several countries in North and South America manages the overall technical program and supervises all field work conducted at Iska Iska.
Eloro utilized both ALS and AHK for drill core analyses, both of whom are major international accredited laboratories. Drill samples sent to ALS were prepared in both ALS Bolivia Ltda's preparation facility in Oruro, Bolivia and the preparation facility operated by AHK in Tupiza with pulps sent to the main ALS Global laboratory in Lima for analysis. Drill core samples sent to AHK Laboratories are also prepared by AHK in Tupiza with pulps sent to the AHK laboratory in Lima, Peru.
Silver (Ag), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) are analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) using a four-acid digestion; Sn is analyzed by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Au is analyzed by fire assay on 50g pulps with an Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) finish. AAS measures absorbed light to quantify elements, while ICP, such as ICP-OES or ICP-MS, measure emitted light or ions to determine elements. XRF uses fluorescent X-rays to excite atoms and to emit X-rays that reveal the presence and concentration of tin. Sample size in ICP typically ranges from 100 mg (0.1 g) to 1 g, for AAS, is usually less than 100 mg (0.1 g) and for XRF is ideally below 75 µm.
Check samples between ALS and AHK are regularly done as a QA/QC check. AHK is following the same analytical protocols used as with ALS and with the same QA/QC protocols except for Sn for which a sodium peroxide fusion is used at AHK following by ICP. Check comparisons of Sn results from ALS and ALS indicate no statistically significant difference between results using the two different analytical techniques.
Eloro employs an industry standard QA/QC program with standards, blanks and duplicates inserted into each batch of samples analyzed at both laboratories with selected check samples sent to a separate accredited laboratory. Check results are regularly monitored.
About Iska Iska
The Iska Iska silver-tin polymetallic project is a road accessible, royalty-free property, located 48 km north of Tupiza city, in the Sud Chichas Province of the Department of Potosi in southern Bolivia. Eloro, through its Bolivian subsidiary, Minera Tupiza SRL, has a
Iska Iska is a major silver-tin polymetallic porphyry-epithermal complex associated with a Miocene collapsed/resurgent caldera, emplaced on Ordovician age rocks with major breccia pipes, dacitic domes and hydrothermal breccias. The caldera is 1.6 km by 1.8 km in dimension with a vertical extent of at least 1km. Mineralization age is similar to Cerro Rico de Potosí and other major deposits such as San Vicente, Chorolque, Tasna and Tatasi, all located along the same overall geological trend.
Eloro began underground diamond drilling from the Huayra Kasa underground workings at Iska Iska on September 13, 2020. On January 26, 2021, Eloro announced significant results from the first drilling at the Santa Barbara Breccia Pipe (SBBP) including the discovery hole DHK-15 which returned 29.53g Ag/t, 0.078g Au/t,
Since the initial discovery hole Eloro has released a number of significant drill results in the SBBP and the surrounding mineralized envelope which, along with geophysical data, has defined an extensive target zone. On October 17, 2023, Eloro filed the NI 43-101 Technical Report outlining the initial inferred MRE for Iska Iska, prepared by independent consultants Micon International Limited. The MRE was reported in two domains, the Polymetallic (Ag-Zn-Pb) Domain which is primarily in the east and south of the Santa Barbara deposit and the Tin (Sn-Ag-Pb) Domain which is primarily in the west and north.
Metallurgical tests reported on January 23, 2024, from a 6.3 tonne PQ drill core bulk sample representative of the higher grade Polymetallic (Ag-Zn-Pb) Domain returned a significantly higher average silver value of 91 g Ag/t compared to the weighted average grade of the original twinned holes at 31 g Ag/t strongly suggesting that the average silver grade was likely significantly underreported in the original twinned holes due to the much smaller sample size.
The Company reported on July 30, 2024, that updated modelling of the potential starter pit area at Santa Barbara zone highlights the importance of completing additional drilling to better define the grade and extent of the mineral resource in this area. Areas with higher-grade resource typically have much better drilling density but holes outside the core potential pit area are too widely spaced to give an accurate estimate of grade.
On September 4, 2024, the Company announced the restart of definition drilling in the potential starter pit area at Santa Barbara. It was highly focused on infill and step-out drill program in order to better define the full vertical and lateral extent of high-grade Sn and Ag mineralization, expanding higher-grade Sn mineralization to the west and the silver to the central and west parts. Also, to fill-in gaps that were formerly categorized as low-grade or internal waste in the mineral resource model and to drill in a closer-spacing 50m x 50m grid. Previous drilling has shown that areas with high-grade mineralization typically have much better drilling density, whereas holes outside the core area are too widely spaced to give an accurate grade estimate. This increased drilling density is particularly important for defining the extent of the high-grade Ag-bearing and Sn-bearing structures, and for categorizing the mineral resources from inferred to indicated, which have a major influence on overall grade and resources that will contribute to the PEA.
Since September 4, 2024, the Company has completed 27 drill holes totalling 14,085.80 metres of definition drilling in 2 distinct phases of diamond drilling in the potential starter pit area of the Santa Barbara Zone. This drilling has continued to intersect strong, broad zones and high-grade mineralization with good continuity in both the predominant Sn-Ag domain to the west (15 drill holes) and in the predominant Ag-Zn-Polymetallic domain to the east (12 drill holes). Both zones remain open along and across strike as well as downdip.
The intercepts of 151.47 g Ag/t over 135m found in hole DSB-75; 66.90g Ag/t over 289.13m in hole DSB-68; 126.10g Ag/t over 122.03m, 127.49g Ag/t over 41.25m and 49.71g Ag/t over 142.50m found in hole DSB-69; and 45.71g Ag/t over 81.00m and 30.08g Ag/t over 255.75m found in hole DSB-70 confirm the presence of continued silver pockets grading over 50 g Ag/t. Moreover, tin enriched pockets such as
About Eloro Resources Ltd.
Eloro is an exploration and mine development company with a portfolio of precious and base-metal properties in Bolivia, Peru and Quebec. Eloro, through its Bolivian subsidiary, Minera Tupiza SRL, has a
For further information please contact either Thomas G. Larsen, Chairman and CEO or Jorge Estepa, Vice-President at (416) 868-9168.
Information in this news release may contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/304212