- 0155 targets identified across Unico’s Argentine projects.
- 02Nine set for 2026–27 follow-up; seven outside resources.
- 03Pre-feasibility study due January 2027.
Unico Silver (ASX: USL) has identified 55 surface exploration targets across its wholly owned Joaquin and Cerro Leon silver-gold projects in Argentina’s Santa Cruz province, creating a wider pipeline for future drilling.
The company has selected nine priorities for follow-up during the 2026–27 summer field season, comprising seven targets outside existing mineral resources and two potential extensions of those resources.
The ranking draws on 19,406 surface samples including 5,606 collected by Unico, alongside a ground magnetic survey covering more than 643 line-kilometres.
Regional exploration is running separately from the pre-feasibility study, which remains scheduled for release in January 2027.
Gold Corridor Draws Attention
At Joaquin, sampling has outlined a mineralised corridor extending more than 2.5km from La Morena eastwards along Lineamiento Oeste, with selected rock chips returning up to 32.6 grams per tonne gold at La Morena.
Further along the trend, a check sample returned up to 30.5g/t gold, while surface results from nearby northern and eastern targets included grades of 12.7g/t and 6.49g/t gold.
Initial drilling at La Morena intersected 36m at 1.34g/t gold and 8g/t silver from 17m, providing subsurface evidence of mineralisation in the area.
Unico plans further drilling along Lineamiento Oeste and at a target north-west of La Morena, where selective rock chips have returned up to 9.41g/t gold.
The south-western Cerro Puntudo area is another priority after anomalous stream sediments and rock chips reaching 13.3g/t gold highlighted a separate exploration opportunity.
Cerro Leon Adds Silver Prospects
At Cerro Leon, the SB-01 prospect in Sierra Blanca produced selected rock chip results of up to 2,104g/t silver and 3.75g/t gold, although the area remains undrilled.
The Isla Zone has a mapped vein-breccia extending more than 1.3km, with rock chips reaching 6.36g/t gold and 324g/t silver along the western continuation of the Isla vein.
Two priority resource-extension areas have been identified at La Negra in Joaquin and Maco near Marta Norte in Cerro Leon, where surface anomalies overlap existing mineral resource outlines.
The broader target inventory comprises 33 prospects at Joaquin and 22 at Cerro Leon, with lower-ranked areas requiring further work before drilling decisions can be made.
Summer Drilling Program
The summer program includes more than 3,000 additional soil samples across known mineralised corridors supplemented by mapping, channel sampling, and trenching to refine exploration priorities.
Field teams will investigate anomalous stream sediment catchments around Cerro Puntudo and north-west of La Morena, while extending work into other prospective areas at both projects to identify further drilling opportunities beyond the resources being assessed in the PFS.
A recent ground magnetic survey at Joaquin has helped delineate structures and contacts associated with known silver-gold veins, adding geological context to the geochemical targets.
“This update is a significant step forward for regional exploration at the Joaquin and Cerro Leon projects, turning 18 months of work across our district-scale land position into a ranked pipeline of 55 targets,” managing director Todd Williams said.
“With nine priority targets, most of them yet to be drilled, we see significant scope to grow Joaquin and Cerro Leon beyond the PFS.”
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