Torino Metals Pty Ltd., a privately held mineral exploration company, has announced a maiden Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate for its wholly owned Zonda copper-gold porphyry project in San Juan Province, Argentina. The estimate, prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, totals 615 million tonnes grading 0.34% copper equivalent, containing 2.824 billion pounds of copper and 2.88 million ounces of gold, or approximately 4.55 billion pounds of copper equivalent. The resource is constrained within an optimized open-pit shell and includes a higher-grade zone of 338 million tonnes grading 0.41% copper equivalent, containing 1.92 billion pounds of copper and 1.86 million ounces of gold.
The Zonda deposit begins at or near surface, with an estimated strip ratio of approximately 0.5:1, which suggests relatively low waste removal costs per tonne of ore. Torino completed five diamond twin holes totaling 908 meters during its 2026 drilling campaign to validate historical exploration data. The company reported that 21 of 30 historical drill holes ended in mineralization, with the deposit remaining open at depth and laterally. The resource estimate has an effective date of Oct. 13, 2026, and was prepared by independent qualified person Marcelo Zangrandi of AMBA Consultoria Ltda. Torino noted that mineral resources are not mineral reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability.
The maiden resource is significant because it provides the first modern, NI 43-101-compliant quantification of a project that had seen historical exploration but lacked a current estimate. The near-surface nature of the deposit and the low strip ratio could support a low-cost open-pit operation, while the higher-grade zone may offer early operational flexibility. The fact that the deposit remains open at depth and laterally indicates potential for further resource growth through additional drilling. For Torino, a private Australian company, the estimate may help attract strategic partners or financing to advance the project. The full press release is available through https://ibn.fm/yjslh.
Torino Metals is focused on the Zonda project, held through its wholly owned subsidiary Torino Metals Argentina SAS. The announcement was distributed through Rocks & Stocks, a mining-focused communications platform within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio at IBN. The platform provides wire distribution via InvestorWire and editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets, among other services. Terms of use and disclaimers are available at https://RocksAndStocks.news/Disclaimer.
