High-grade gold discovered in northern South America

South America is on a hot streak. In Ecuador’s Zamora-Chinchipe province, new drill results include ultra-high grades at Fruta del Norte South and confirmation that a copper and gold porphyry system sits right next door at Trancaloma, as outlined by Lundin Gold’s May 2025 disclosure.

Guyana is stirring too. Omai Gold’s latest holes at the historic Omai mine cut rich zones at Wenot, while an April 2024 economic study lays out a long-life open pit plan for that deposit.

Andre Oliveira, Vice President of Exploration at Lundin Gold, is identified as the Qualified Person who reviewed the technical content supporting these Ecuador updates, per the company’s public filing.

Reading gold deposit numbers

Grades like these can be confusing if you do not spend your day reading core logs.

The industry often reports grams per ton of gold, which simply measures how much gold sits in a ton of rock, so when a number spikes into the triple digits, it signals a very rich slice of the deposit.

The porphyry label matters because these deposits supply a large share of the world’s copper and can also carry gold.

That combination of scale and metal mix is the reason explorers celebrate long runs of consistent mineralization.

You will also see the term epithermal in this news. Epithermal systems form closer to the surface and can deliver pockets of very high grade, which is a common pairing near porphyry centers in many districts described by USGS models.

Record year of drilling in Ecuador

At Fruta del Norte East, one hole reported 7.12 grams per ton gold across about 46.9 feet.

Also, deeper in the hole, 4.62 grams per ton over about 76.0 feet, which points to a broad mineralized corridor a short distance from the existing mine. That is not a single narrow vein, it is a stacked system with multiple zones.

“We will accelerate the delineation of these new exploration opportunities,” said Ron Hochstein, President and CEO of Lundin Gold, after releasing the new results.

The company’s next decisions, from drilling priorities to engineering studies, flow from data like this.

Fruta del Norte is not new to geologists. Its discovery and geologic character have been documented in the scientific literature, including an overview in Economic Geology that set the deposit in its regional context. The district-scale picture is getting sharper as new targets are tested.

Porphyry confirmation at Trancaloma

Trancaloma sits immediately adjacent to the mine area and now carries confirmation of a copper and gold porphyry at surface.

Company updates since May describe a several mile-long corridor with multiple porphyry targets aligned beside the epithermal system that hosts Fruta del Norte.

That geometry matters. A porphyry at surface can support very long intercepts and, if the rock behaves economically, large tonnages that benefit from scale.

Geologists often find epithermal veins and porphyry centers living in the same neighborhoods. Seeing both in one compact area is the kind of pattern that encourages sustained exploration programs and patient follow up.

Guyana’s gold deposit past

The Omai mine in Guyana produced more than 3.7 million ounces of gold between 1993 and 2005, and the company’s 2024 study outlines a plan for 1.84 million ounces over 13 years from the Wenot open pit if developed. That history, plus a defined plan, keeps attention on each new drill result.

In May, Omai reported a highlight interval grading 28.04 grams per tonne over roughly 30.5 feet, with a one yard section running 252.36 grams per tonne, at the Wenot deposit.

The team also cut additional multi-interval hits along the 1.55 mile strike length of Wenot, which helps push resource potential outward.

“Today’s results exemplify the continued resource expansion potential of our Wenot shear-hosted orogenic deposit,” said Elaine Ellingham, President and CEO of Omai Gold Mines.

Management has flagged near term updates to the resource model and future economic analysis that could incorporate new zones.

Methods, quality and caution

When results move fast, it is worth asking how the numbers were produced.

Lundin Gold’s release outlines assay preparation and analysis at accredited labs and a quality control program that includes standards, blanks, and duplicates, with oversight by a named Qualified Person as required by Canadian disclosure rules.

Investors should also remember that early intercepts may be reported as downhole lengths, not true thickness.

Regulators expect companies to name the Qualified Person who approves technical disclosure and to follow NI 43-101 standards, which are designed to keep reports consistent and clear.

What to watch next

Lundin Gold has stated that studies are underway to assess how Fruta del Norte South could fit into the 2026 long term mine plan if results keep lining up.

The company’s first quarter 2025 update points readers back to the detailed drill tables and maps that guide those decisions.

In Guyana, Omai’s Wenot focus remains on extending mineralization at depth and along strike, while using fresh data to refresh both the resource and the project’s economics.

As the work advances, step changes could come from adding nearby targets into a single mine plan.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–