Solis drills Brazil lithium, kicks off Peru copper

Solis Minerals confirms its maiden drilling campaign at its Mandacaru lithium project in Brazil has intersected visual pegmatites just as the company prepares to kick off a separate 2500-metre diamond drill (DD) program at its Cinto copper project in Peru.

The company says drilling at Mandacaru is progressing well, with three diamond holes now completed to their planned depths of approximately 200 metres each. The rods are still turning on a fourth hole, with early results confirming mapped surface pegmatites are also lurking below the surface.

Solis says the initial holes intersected the targeted pegmatites from relatively shallow depths of between 30m and 40m providing early encouragement for the company’s geological model.

The program is designed to test the grade, continuity and geometry of a lithium-caesium-tantalum pegmatite corridor. Solis previously outlined the compelling target using geological mapping and geochem sampling. The first three drill holes were completed across a geological fence, or grid, to test the geometry of the system, confirming the pegmatite sheets dip steeply to the north-northeast.

The company says drilling has now moved to a second fence, 300m to the northwest, as it aims to test the system’s continuity along strike. While visual observations are encouraging, the market will now be keenly awaiting the laboratory assay results which are currently pending.

Solis’ Mandacaru project is located in Brazil’s Araçuaí–Salinas lithium valley which has become a global hotspot for lithium exploration with the region hosting the right style of geology for major discoveries. The company’s 930 square kilometre project was acquired from mining goliath Rio Tinto for a bargain basement half a million dollars after the ASX mining major changed its South American lithium strategy to focus only on lithium brines.

Notably, Mandacaru came with an impressive database, containing extensive surface mapping, 1800 soil samples and 18 auger drill holes over the 93,000-hectare project. The ground sits adjacent to PLS Group’s Colina project which hosts a mineral resource estimate of 77.7 million tonnes grading 1.24 per cent lithium oxide. Impressively, Solis’ recent $6 million capital raising was cornerstoned by PLS Group which is now Solis’ largest shareholder with a 5.1 per cent stake, an important vote of confidence from the lithium major.

We are pleased with the progress of drilling at Mandacaru. Completing three diamond holes to planned depth, and now progressing our fourth hole at PDH-08. Encouragingly, pegmatites mapped at surface have been intersected below surface, providing early support for our geological model. Drilling at Cinto – commencing August 2026 – in parallel to Mandacaru is also a very exciting development for the Company.

While the lithium hunt in Brazil continues, Solis is advancing on a second front at its Cinto copper project in Peru. The company has inked a new drilling contract and expects to commence a five-hole 2500m DD program this month. The campaign will test a series of high-priority copper porphyry targets identified through previous geochem work and induced polarisation geophysical surveys.

Cinto is considered an advanced exploration target with previous work confirming widespread copper mineralisation associated with brecciation and porphyry-style features. The ongoing global push for electrification continues to shine a light on the discovery of new, large-scale copper supply sources.

With drills rods turning in a celebrated Brazilian lithium province and a second campaign poised to launch at a promising copper porphyry project in Peru, Solis looks set to start generating news flow on two of the world’s most sought-after energy metals.

The pending assays from Mandacaru will provide the first real look at the project’s potential and with a parallel copper story unfolding, it looks like there should be plenty of news for punters to follow in the coming months.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@wanews.com.au