Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
October 22, 2026
Fitzroy Minerals Identifies Nine New Copper Targets at Buen Retiro
TLDR
- Fitzroy Minerals gains a first-mover edge with nine untested copper targets at Buen Retiro, potentially yielding a low-cost discovery in Chile's prolific IOCG belt.
- Fitzroy combines Fleet Space's 3D ambient noise tomography with machine learning and 24,400 copper assays to rank nine drill targets under gravel cover.
- Advanced seismic and machine-learning targeting could enable more precise, lower-impact copper exploration, supporting the clean energy transition with fewer wasted drill holes.
- Natural seismic noise and machine learning map copper deposits 400 meters deep, turning background vibrations into a treasure map for blind drilling targets.
Impact - Why it Matters
This news matters because it demonstrates how advanced technologies like machine learning and 3D seismic imaging can unlock exploration potential in mature mining districts. The identification of nine untested targets beneath gravel cover at Buen Retiro could lead to significant copper discoveries in Chile, one of the world's most prolific copper-producing regions. If successful, the ML targeting approach could serve as a cost-effective model for future exploration, reducing the time and expense of traditional target generation. For Fitzroy Minerals, the confirmation of a large IOCG system with sulphide potential could transform the company's prospects, moving beyond the known oxide mineralization to tap into a much larger resource. This not only creates potential value for shareholders but also contributes to the global supply of copper, a critical metal for the energy transition.
Summary
Fitzroy Minerals Inc. (TSXV: FTZ, OTCQX: FTZFF, FSE: C3Y) has announced the results of an integrated seismic and machine-learning (ML) targeting study at its Buen Retiro Copper Project in Copiapo, Chile, completed in collaboration with Australian frontier technology company Fleet Space Technologies. The study combined 3D Ambient Noise Tomography (ANT) data with prior geophysical surveys, geological models, and approximately 24,400 copper assays from 140 drill holes to generate a ranked set of nine priority exploration domains. These targets are all new, untested, and located within 400 metres of the surface, focusing on gravel-covered geology that has historically been difficult to map. The ML model identified areas where subsurface characteristics closely resemble the signature of rocks hosting Buen Retiro's known copper mineralization, providing Fitzroy with a 3D framework to trace known mineralized trends and identify new opportunities, including toward the 100%-owned Sierra Fritis properties to the east.
Fitzroy has commenced a 5,000-metre drilling program using diamond and reverse circulation rigs to test the new targets. As drill logs and assay results come in, the company and Fleet will update the ML model, with each new hole serving to test a specific target, improve or validate the model, and inform the next drilling decision. Merlin Marr-Johnson, President and CEO of Fitzroy, commented that Buen Retiro shares many geological characteristics of major iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) deposits at Candelaria and Mantoverde, yet the sulphide potential of the wider property has barely been tested. He emphasized that the new tool allows the company to test the exploration optionality of this large IOCG system in one of Chile's most prolific copper-producing regions, and if successful, it will be a cost-effective discovery tool creating value for shareholders. For more details, Click Here to see Table 1 - Summary of the 4 datasets and copper assay results used in the new ML targeting.
The targeting method involved four steps: prediction, refinement, domains, and drill planning. The ML model learned the relationship between geophysical data and copper assays to predict zones with copper mineralization above a 0.5% Cu threshold within 25-metre blocks, along with an uncertainty value. Blocks were then refined by removing those within the mined-out open pit, mapped gravel cover, or within 200 metres of an existing drill hole. The remaining blocks were grouped into nine geographic domains with similar predicted responses. Fitzroy and Fleet are now reviewing drill orientations and sequencing for the targets. The new exploration domains are conceptual and have not yet been tested by drilling; they do not confirm the presence, grade, size, or continuity of mineralization. The reliability of the model depends on data quality and coverage and tends to decrease with distance from existing drill holes and with depth. Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information in the news release.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content distributed by NewMediaWire. Read the original source here, Fitzroy Minerals Identifies Nine New Copper Targets at Buen Retiro
