Mineral Resource Estimation
The Costa Fuego Mineral Resource ( “MRE” ) is reported in accordance with the Joint Ore Reserves Committee Code (2012) and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ( “CIM” ) Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definition, as required by NI 43-101.
Indicated Resources for the Costa Fuego Project total 798 Mt @ 0.45% CuEq (0.37% Cu, 0.1 g/t Au, 0.5 g/t Ag, and 85 ppm Mo). The MRE has an effective date of February 26, 2024, and was reported within open pit and block cave shapes generated considering reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction ( “RPEEE” ).
Drilling across Costa Fuego has been completed over 15 years, beginning with Productora and Alice in 2010, followed by San Antonio in 2018 and then Cortadera in 2019. The Costa Fuego Mineral Resources are informed by approximately 76 400 m of diamond drilling and 284 000 m of reverse circulation drilling across the four mineral deposits.
Estimation of the main grade variables (copper, gold, silver, and molybdenum) was completed using categorical indicator kriging, ordinary block kriging and inverse distance interpolation within either manually interpreted mineralisation domains or software-guided grade interpolants, and sometimes a combination of both methodologies.
Extensive validation was completed on the resource estimations, including internal company peer review. The MRE has benefited immensely from the technical guidance of Dr Steve Garwin, one of the leading authorities on porphyry style mineralisation in the circum-pacific region. Mineral Resource practises and the resultant estimates have also undergone detailed external technical review.
February 2024 Costa Fuego Mineral Resources – Productora (above) and Cortadera (below)


Mineral Resources
Costa Fuego Combined Mineral Resource (Effective Date 26th February 2024)

1. Mineral Resources are reported on a 100% Basis – combining Mineral Resource estimates for the Cortadera, Productora, Alice and San Antonio deposits. All figures are rounded, reported to appropriate significant figures and reported in accordance with the Joint Ore Reserves Committee Code (2012) and NI 43-101. Mineral Resource estimation practices are in accordance with CIM Estimation of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Best Practice Guidelines (November 29, 2019) and reported in accordance CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 10, 2014) that are incorporated by reference into NI 43-101.
2. The Productora deposit is 100% owned by Chilean incorporated company Sociedad Minera El Aguila SpA (SMEA). SMEA is a joint venture (JV) company – 80% owned by Sociedad Minera El Corazón SpA (a 100% subsidiary of Hot Chili Limited), and 20% owned by Compañía Minera del Pacífico S.A (CMP).
3. The Cortadera deposit is controlled by a Chilean incorporated company Sociedad Minera La Frontera SpA (Frontera). Frontera is a subsidiary company – 100% owned by Sociedad Minera El Corazón SpA, which is a 100% subsidiary of Hot Chili Limited.
4. The San Antonio deposit is controlled through Frontera (100% owned by Sociedad Minera El Corazón SpA, which is a 100% subsidiary of Hot Chili Limited) and Frontera has an Option Agreement to earn a 100% interest.
5. The Mineral Resource Estimates in the tables above form coherent bodies of mineralisation that are considered amenable to a combination of open pit and underground extraction methods based on the following parameters: Base Case Metal Prices: Copper US$ 3.00/lb, Gold US$ 1,700/oz, Molybdenum US$ 14/lb, and Silver US$20/oz.
6. All Mineral Resource Estimates were assessed for Reasonable Prospects of Eventual Economic Extraction (RPEEE) using both Open Pit and Block Cave Extraction mining methods at Cortadera and Open Pit mining methods at Productora, Alice and San Antonio.
7. Metallurgical recovery averages for each deposit consider Indicated + Inferred material and are weighted to combine sulphide flotation and oxide leaching performance. Process recoveries:
Cortadera – Weighted recoveries of 82% Cu, 55% Au, 81% Mo and 36% Ag. CuEq(%) = Cu(%) + 0.55 x Au(g/t) + 0.00046 x Mo(ppm) + 0.0043 x Ag(g/t)
San Antonio – Weighted recoveries of 85% Cu, 66% Au, 80% Mo and 63% Ag. CuEq(%) = Cu(%) + 0.64 x Au(g/t) + 0.00044 x Mo(ppm) + 0.0072 x Ag(g/t)
Alice– Weighted recoveries of 81% Cu, 47% Au, 52% Mo and 37% Ag. CuEq(%) = Cu(%) + 0.48 x Au(g/t) + 0.00030 x Mo(ppm) + 0.0044 x Ag(g/t)
Productora– Weighted recoveries of 84% Cu, 47% Au, 48% Mo and 18% Ag. CuEq(%) = Cu(%) + 0.46 x Au(g/t) + 0.00026 x Mo(ppm) + 0.0021 x Ag(g/t)
Costa Fuego– Recoveries of 83% Cu, 53% Au, 71% Mo and 26% Ag. CuEq(%) = Cu(%) + 0.53 x Au(g/t) + 0.00040 x Mo(ppm) + 0.0030 x Ag(g/t)
8. Copper Equivalent (CuEq) grades are calculated based on the formula: CuEq% = ((Cu% × Cu price 1% per tonne × Cu_recovery) + (Mo ppm × Mo price per g/t × Mo_recovery) + (Au ppm × Au price per g/t × Au_recovery) + (Ag ppm × Ag price per g/t × Ag_recovery)) / (Cu price 1% per tonne × Cu recovery). The base case cut-off grade for Mineral Resources considered amenable to open pit extraction methods at the Cortadera, Productora, Alice and San Antonio deposits is 0.20% CuEq, while the cut-off grade for Mineral Resources considered amenable to underground extraction methods at the Cortadera deposit is 0.27% CuEq. It is the Company’s opinion that all the elements included in the CuEq calculation have a reasonable potential to be recovered and sold.
9. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. These Mineral Resource estimates include Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorised as Mineral Reserves. It is reasonably expected that the majority of Inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration.
10. The effective date of the estimate of Mineral Resources is February 26th, 2024. Hot Chili confirms it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the Resource Announcement and all material assumptions and technical parameters stated for the Mineral Resource Estimates in the Resource Announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed.
11. Hot Chili Limited is not aware of political, environmental, or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of the Mineral Resources other than as disclosed in this Report. A detailed list of Costa Fuego Project risks is included in Chapter 25.12 of the Technical Report “Costa Fuego Copper Project – NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate Update” dated April 8th, 2024.
COMMON QUESTIONS
-
What are the deposit types at Costa Fuego?
Costa Fuego is a collection of 4 different deposits, each with unique geology.
Cortadera and La Verde mineralisation are associated with a classic copper-gold-molybdenum porphyry deposits, while San Antonio mineralisation is interpreted to be a lode-style copper skarn deposit often found proximal to porphyry deposits. Productora displays characteristics of both IOCG and Manto-type copper mineralisation, but subsequent structural deformation and alteration had made classification complicated. The Productora proximal Alice mineralisation is a copper-molybdenum porphyry, which suggests mineralisation at Productora may have porphyry sources.
-
What is the Costa Fuego project?
Read more about Costa Fuego on our project page or in the PFS Infosheet below
READ THE INFOSHEET -
What minerals are at Costa Fuego?
The main economic mineral is chalcopyrite, a sulphide containing copper.
The deposit contains other economic elements such as gold, silver and molybdenum which are included within the "copper equivalent" calculation used to describe the value of the deposit.
ASK A QUESTION
If you would like to ask a question about this page, please contact us using the form below
Subscribe
Stay updated with news & events by joining our mailing list today.
- Terms & Conditions
- Privacy Policy
- © Hot Chili Limited









