Austral Gold has begun a staged exploration campaign at the Juncal project in northern Chile, focusing on silver targets located close to its existing operations. The programme reflects a broader strategy of prioritising near-mine opportunities that could potentially be integrated into established processing and logistics networks, an approach that can reduce development timelines and capital intensity for new discoveries.
The Juncal property sits roughly 35 kilometres south-east of the Amancaya mine and within logistical reach of the Guanaco processing plant. This positioning places the project within a corridor of known mineralisation in Chile’s Paleocene Belt, a geological setting associated with epithermal vein systems that have historically supported gold and silver production across the region.
Austral Gold acquired the Juncal project in 2016 and has since held the ground as part of its broader Chilean exploration portfolio. The current programme represents a renewed effort to evaluate the project’s silver potential following a recent capital raising that strengthened the company’s funding position for exploration work in 2026.
The Juncal project also carries a royalty interest held by Elemental Royalty Corporation, which owns a 1% net smelter return royalty on production from the property.
Elemental Royalty Corporation (NASDAQ:ELE, TSX:ELE) is a globally diverse, gold-focused portfolio featuring world-class royalties contributing to peer-leading revenue and strong growth.
