Rafael Casas was also appointed as the project manager for the initiative.
The Colombian company Mineros S.A. announced the launch of its work plan to advance the La Pepa Project in Chile, appointing Rafael Casas Plata as Project Manager.
“The appointment of Rafael and the mobilization of capital for exploration and development reflect our commitment to advancing La Pepa swiftly and responsibly,” stated Daniel Henao, CEO of Mineros.
“While our primary strategic focus remains the acquisition of production-stage assets, growing the more than 2 million ounces of gold resources at La Pepa and accelerating this gold exploration project will strengthen our position in the Maricunga Gold Belt, one of the most promising gold districts in the world,” the executive expressed.
The estimated mineral resources at the La Pepa Project include 58,816 tonnes, averaging 0.61 g/t Au, containing 1,150 koz of Au, along with indicated mineral resources of 65,405 kt averaging 0.49 g/t, containing 1,039 koz of Au; and inferred mineral resources of 25,024 kt averaging 0.46 g/t, containing 366 koz of Au.
Rafael Casas is a seasoned geologist with over 20 years of experience and possesses extensive expertise leading exploration and development programs in Chile, managing multidisciplinary teams through the discovery, resource definition, engineering study, and initial project evaluation phases.
2026 Work Plan
According to the company, this year’s work plan contemplates environmental baseline studies and characterization through specialized consultants, geophysical studies to refine geological models and identify new targets, and infill and extension drilling to increase confidence in the existing mineral resource and test potential extensions, supporting the update of mineral resource estimates.
It also considers the collection of technical data (hydrogeology, geomechanics, and mineral processing) to support engineering and economic evaluations prior to a future feasibility study.
La Pepa is a gold exploration project located in the Maricunga Belt in the Atacama Region of Chile, approximately 800 km north of Santiago and 110 kilometers east of Copiapó via the CH-31 International Highway. The Project is 100% owned by Minera Cavancha SpA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mineros.
Read the original article in electromineria.cl published on Jan 2, 2026: Click here.
ES