Sunstone Metals Discovers Additional High-Grade Gold at Bramaderos Project
Sunstone Metals Ltd (ASX: STM) has announced exceptional high-grade gold assays from recent surface sampling at its Bramaderos Project in southern Ecuador. The results reveal multiple new epithermal gold corridors that could significantly enhance the project's economic potential.
Surface Sampling Reveals Significant New Gold Opportunities
Recent geological mapping and rock chip sampling programs at Bramaderos have identified additional areas of epithermal gold-silver mineralisation extending from the defined Brama-Alba porphyry gold-copper deposits. The new sampling returned values of up to 14.4g/t gold in surface rock chip samples.
These high-grade surface results demonstrate a clear relationship between the project's known porphyry deposits and surrounding epithermal corridors, reinforcing the potential for multiple higher-grade gold systems similar to the Limon gold-silver deposit.
"These results are significant because they demonstrate very clearly that with additional mapping and surface sampling, the higher-grade gold opportunity will expand in scale at Bramaderos," said Sunstone Managing Director Patrick Duffy.
Highlighted Sample Results
The sampling program targeted areas north and west of the Brama-Alba porphyry gold-copper deposit, revealing multiple high-grade gold samples associated with epithermal pathfinder elements (silver and lead) and specific alteration types:
| Sample ID | Lithology | Alteration | Gold (g/t) | Silver (g/t) | Lead (ppm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R123065 | Hydrothermal Breccia | Advanced Argillic | 14.4 | 1.41 | 134.7 |
| R123073 | Andesite | Silicic Argillic | 1.92 | 3.09 | 797.2 |
| R123030 | Quartz Vein | Silicic Argillic | 1.02 | 11.21 | 3267.2 |
| R123052 | Quartz Vein | Silicic Argillic | 0.76 | 9.58 | 71.7 |
These results confirm that multiple higher-grade epithermal mineralised corridors extend from the defined porphyry gold-copper deposits at Brama-Alba, expanding the project's higher-grade gold potential.
Understanding Epithermal Gold Systems
Epithermal gold deposits form in the upper portions of hydrothermal systems, typically within 1-2 km of the earth's surface. They often contain higher gold grades than their associated porphyry systems and can represent attractive initial mining targets due to their:
- Typically higher grades (often >1g/t gold)
- Near-surface location allowing for lower-cost open pit mining
- Relatively straightforward metallurgy and processing
The discoveries at Sunstone Metals Ltd Bramaderos project demonstrate the relationship between porphyry and epithermal systems, creating a compelling development scenario where higher-grade epithermal deposits could potentially provide early cashflow to support development of the larger porphyry resources.
Sunstone's Development Strategy
Sunstone's two-stage development strategy for Bramaderos now appears increasingly viable:
- Near-term focus: Develop near-surface, high-grade epithermal gold-silver opportunities (like Limon and these newly discovered zones)
- Long-term vision: Utilise epithermal cashflow to fund development of the much larger porphyry gold-copper-silver deposits
The company's current resources at Bramaderos include:
- Initial Mineral Resource: 156Mt at 0.53g/t AuEq for 2.7Moz AuEq
- Porphyry Exploration Target: Between 3.3Moz and 8.6Moz AuEq
- Limon Epithermal Exploration Target: 0.9-1.7Moz AuEq at higher grades (0.9-1.2g/t AuEq)
These new high-grade epithermal gold zones could further enhance this resource base. The discoveries at Sunstone Metals Ltd Bramaderos project continue to expand the scale of the potential mining operation.
Future Exploration Plans
The latest results will guide Sunstone's expanded exploration program at Bramaderos, which will focus on:
- Continued geological mapping and surface sampling to further define epithermal corridors
- Targeted drilling of high-priority epithermal gold-silver targets
- Ongoing exploration of additional porphyry targets including the recently identified Copete prospect
"At Bramaderos, we have a cluster of gold-silver epithermal systems at surface that are adjacent to several very large gold-copper porphyry deposits. This is an ideal scenario for considering future developments at what we expect will become a major gold-copper mining centre in southern Ecuador," Mr. Duffy emphasised.
Why Investors Should Follow Sunstone Metals
Sunstone presents a compelling investment case based on several key factors:
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Dual Project Portfolio: The company controls two significant gold-copper projects in Ecuador – Bramaderos (87.5% ownership) and El Palmar (100% ownership)
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Resource Growth Potential: Current resources of 2.7Moz AuEq at Bramaderos and 1.2Moz AuEq at El Palmar, with substantial exploration targets at both projects
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Development Flexibility: The presence of both epithermal and porphyry systems provides optionality for staged development approaches
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Proven Team: Management has been involved in significant discoveries and successful gold production in Indonesia, Ecuador, Australia and New Caledonia
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Infrastructure Advantages: Both projects benefit from established infrastructure with proximity to power, roads and ports
The latest high-grade gold results from Bramaderos further strengthen this investment thesis by potentially adding high-grade, near-surface resources that could significantly enhance project economics and development timelines.
"These results form the basis for an expanding exploration program – one that continues to define additional at-surface gold-silver systems, and defines other gold-copper porphyry systems like that recently identified at Copete," noted Mr. Duffy.
The discoveries at Sunstone Metals Ltd Bramaderos project represent a significant advancement for the company's exploration efforts. With ongoing gold discovery insights, Sunstone is positioning itself to become a significant player in Ecuador's growing mining sector.
The recent success in identifying new gold targets at Bramaderos demonstrates the project's potential to host not only large porphyry deposits but also more immediate, higher-grade gold opportunities that could materially improve the economics of any future development scenario. Furthermore, the company is targeting high-grade gold potential and has shown exceptional gold and silver results that continue to validate the company's exploration model and strengthen its position as a promising junior explorer in the Ecuadorian mining sector.
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