PERTH, Australia - Hot Chili Limited (ASX: HCH) (TSXV: HCH) (OTCQX: HHLKF) ('Hot Chili' or the 'Company') is pleased to announce the receipt of regulatory approval1 to expand drill coverage across the La Verde copper-gold (Cu-Au) discovery, located approximately 30km south of the Company's Costa Fuego Cu-Au Project ('Costa Fuego' or 'the Project') planned central processing hub at low elevation in the coastal range of the Atacama region, Chile.
The approval follows the commencement of phase two diamond drilling (single drill rig, double shift) from existing drill platforms at La Verde on 22 September 2025.
Diamond drilling is currently testing depth extensions to higher grade centres within the current +0.2% Cu discovery footprint, which measures 1,000 m by 750 m and extends up to 400 m vertical depth (refer announcement dated 19 May 2025).
Two diamond drill holes of an eleven-hole programme are already complete. Both diamond drill holes have visually recorded wide intersections of porphyry-style copper mineralisation and assay results are pending. Results will be announced to ASX on receipt of assays in coming weeks.
Note: Visual estimates of mineral abundance should never be considered a proxy or substitute for laboratory analyses where concentrations or grades are the factor of principal economic interest. Visual estimates also potentially provide no information regarding impurities or deleterious physical properties relevant to valuations.
This recent regulatory approval allows Hot Chili to continue expanding the La Verde discovery, providing access to test: 1. Further lateral and along-strike extensions to the La Verde discovery footprint, and 2. Potential for La Verde to be part of a district-scale copper porphyry cluster, with three nearby look-alike targets set for first-pass drilling.
Drill platform clearing is planned to start ahead of the arrival of a second drill rig (Reverse Circulation) to accelerate phase two drilling at La Verde.
Phase one drill results have already demonstrated significant potential for resource growth and additional front-end open pit mine life, materially enhancing the economics of Hot Chili's March 2025 Pre-feasibility Study for Costa Fuego.
La Verde is shaping to be a significant growth engine, and the Company looks forward to providing further updates on the results from drilling activities.
Contact:
Christian Easterday
Tel: +61 8 9315 9009
Email: admin@hotchili.net.au
Carol Marinkovich
Tel: +61 8 9315 9009
Email: cosec@hotchili.net.au
Forward Looking Statements
This announcement contains certain statements that are 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and Australian securities legislation (each, a 'forward-looking statement'). Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectations, forecasts, and projections with respect to future events, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and are based on certain assumptions. No assurance can be given that these expectations, forecasts, or projections will prove to be correct, and such forward-looking statements included in this announcement should not be unduly relied upon. Forward-looking information is by its nature prospective and requires the Company to make certain assumptions and is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words 'could', 'enhancing', 'estimate', 'plan', 'planned', 'potential', 'shaping', 'should', 'will', 'would', variants of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements within this announcement are based on information currently available and what management believes are reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement.
In this announcement, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: the potential of the La Verde discovery; regulatory applications and approvals; the timing and results of future economic studies and the Company's future exploration and other business plans.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from a conclusion, forecast or projection contained in the forward-looking statements in this announcement, including, but not limited to, the following material factors: the ability of drilling and other exploration activities to accurately predict mineralisation; operational risks; risks related to the cost estimates of exploration; sovereign risks associated with the Company's operations in Chile; changes in estimates of mineral resources or mineral reserves of properties where the Company holds interests; recruiting qualified personnel and retaining key personnel; future financial needs and availability of adequate financing; fluctuations in mineral prices; market volatility; exchange rate fluctuations; ability to exploit successful discoveries; the production at or performance of properties where the Company holds interests; ability to retain title to mining concessions; environmental risks; financial failure or default of joint venture partners, contractors or service providers; competition risks; economic and market conditions and other risks and uncertainties described elsewhere in this announcement and elsewhere in the Company's public disclosure record.
Although the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are based upon assumptions which the Company believes to be reasonable, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, the Company has made assumptions regarding: future commodity prices and demand; availability of skilled labour; timing and amount of capital expenditures; future currency exchange and interest rates; the impact of increasing competition; general conditions in economic and financial markets; availability of drilling and related equipment; effects of regulation by governmental agencies; future tax rates; future operating costs; availability of future sources of funding; ability to obtain financing and assumptions underlying estimates related to adjusted funds from operations. The Company has included the above summary of assumptions and risks related to forward-looking information provided in this announcement to provide investors with a more complete perspective on the Company's future operations, and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom.
The forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements and are made as of the date of this announcement. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this announcement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise. Investors should read this entire announcement and consult their own professional advisors to ascertain and assess the income tax and legal risks and other aspects of an investment in the Company.
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