In a significant development for copper exploration, Southern Hemisphere Mining has made a substantial high-grade copper discovery at its Ferro South prospect in central Chile. The company announced the finding of outcropping high-grade copper mineralisation that could signal a robust near-surface copper system with excellent potential for open-cut mining operations.
Exceptional Grade Copper Identified
The discovery came to light through field work that utilised portable XRF technology, which recorded an impressive 15 per cent copper reading. This measurement indicates the presence of a higher-grade zone than previously mapped in the area. The findings suggest that Ferro South may host a substantial near-surface copper system that could be amenable to open-cut mining methods.
On-site geologists have identified visible copper oxide minerals including chrysocolla and atacamite within the fractured and altered host rock. These mineralogical observations provide strong evidence for the quality of the discovery. The company has dispatched samples from this area to an assay laboratory, with results anticipated in the coming weeks that will provide more precise data on the mineralisation.
Strategic Location and Upcoming Exploration
The Ferro South prospect forms part of the larger Llahuin copper-gold-molybdenum project, which has already defined substantial resources of 218.2 million tonnes grading 0.38 per cent copper equivalent. This equates to 496,600 tonnes of copper, 654,900 ounces of gold and 12,500 tonnes of molybdenum. The project's location within 100 kilometres of major copper-gold deposits in Chile and Argentina, including Los Pelambres and El Espino, underscores its strategic significance.
An upcoming drill program at Ferro South has been designed to test the oxide copper zone and potential extensions that could connect the Ferro South target to the larger Llahuin system and a magnetotellurics (MT) anomaly. Previous drilling at Ferro South has already yielded promising results, including intervals of 122 metres at 0.41% copper equivalent and 110 metres at 0.32% copper equivalent.
Mineralised Corridor with Multiple Prospects
The Ferro South prospect is situated within a six-kilometre-long mineralised corridor that hosts multiple copper-gold-molybdenum porphyry centres. Field mapping completed in June and July 2025 identified argillic alteration, silicification and epithermal quartz veining at the surface, along with zones of secondary copper mineralisation assemblages that are typical of the upper levels of a copper porphyry system.
Recent re-logging of historic drillholes has confirmed these features at depth, with intervals showing hydrothermal alteration, silicification, and disseminated chalcopyrite-pyrite mineralisation. These geological observations suggest a telescoped system characterised by epithermal-style veining and alteration preserved above a deeper porphyry core.
The Llahuin Project represents an 'A' rated jurisdiction in a workable location with substantial and growing resources underpinning its value. Rock chips containing abundant copper staining have added to the excitement surrounding this emerging copper district, positioning it as a significant new discovery in one of the world's premier copper-producing regions.
