Centauri Minerals mobilizes first drill program at Rio Grande since 2013
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Centauri Minerals Inc. (TSX-V: CENT) (“Centauri” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide an update on exploration activities at the Rio Grande gold-copper project (“Rio Grande”) in Salta province of Northern Argentina.
Progress and Execution Highlights Include:
- Completion of the geophysical program at the Rio Grande gold-copper project identifies new drill targets for both near surface resource expansion and potential mineralization sources at depth.
- Mobilization continues with full refurbishment of historical camp at Rio Grande to support the first new drilling programs since 2013:
- The Phase 1 program targets 12,000 m of diamond drilling, with two drill rigs from a local provider being mobilized to site this month.
- The first rig will focus on near surface exploration to expand the understanding of known resources and for collection of new samples for future engineering/metallurgical test work.
- The second rig will focus on deeper targets identified from the integration of the historical and recently acquired geophysics, which could help identify potential generative sources of the mineralized system at Rio Grande.
- The Phase 1 program is expected to take approximately 6-months (into Q2 2027), at which time Centauri will evaluate findings and has funded optionality to continue towards 24,000 m with two-rigs or further ramp up activities as part of a Phase 2 program.
- Recent exploration team additions are supporting ramp-up of drilling at Rio Grande as Centauri’s immediate priority, however new fieldwork initiatives have commenced at the other portfolio projects; Aguas Calientes, Catua, and Frontera (subject of a future press release).
Sam Leung, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Centauri, commented:
"One month into Centauri as a public company, we are pleased with the promising target generation results that support mobilization and ramp-up to drilling at Rio Grande, which is in full swing on the ground in Northern Argentina. Our first priority is drilling at Rio Grande, but we have also begun parallel preparations for exploration across our earlier stage portfolio in the region. Our team appreciates the continuing investor support as we work hard to begin a steady pace of results driven catalysts in the weeks and months ahead.”
Geophysical Program & Drill Target Generation at Rio Grande
In the third quarter of 2026, Centauri completed a 3D Magneto-Telluric (“MT”) survey on Rio Grande which covered an area of approximately 56 km2 (Figure 1), combined with a reprocessing review of historical geophysics, geochemistry, and geological mapping in order to define drill targets for; (a) shallow areas with near-surface resource expansion potential, and (b) high-priority porphyry targets at depth that aims to confirm the potential of a larger-scale gold-copper-silver system.
Figure 2 is a plan view map that summarizes the results of Centauri’s latest interpretative model which highlights shallow zones of higher resistivity vectoring towards the southwest and northeast of the known mineral resources at Rio Grande. The shallow Phase 1 drilling program will evaluate infill areas where the geological, geochemical, and geophysical data show greater potential to expand the existing Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), as well as to improve understanding of current estimated pit shell models and where extensions may be possible.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of these consolidated results at Rio Grande, with resistivity signals highlighted. A large low-resistivity (i.e., high-conductivity) target area measuring over 1.3 by 2.0 km appears to be located beneath the currently known ring-shaped mineralization that defines the Rio Grande deposit.
This distribution of low resistivity (i.e., high-conductivity) may relate to a predominantly intrusive setting in the central area which transitions outward to higher resistivity that could be volcano-sedimentary dominated rocks toward the peripheries and/or to alteration zoned concentrically outwards. The 3D inversion modelling presents a central domain of moderate-high resistivity (nominally >100 Ωm) open to the east, partially ringed by moderate-low resistivity (nominally <50 Ωm). Within the central zone, an anomalous body of low resistivity (<30 Ωm) is buried, compatible with a mineralized nucleus of a porphyry-type system. The MT data from the recently completed large survey area supported 1D and 3D inversion modelling that allowed imaging of the resistivity distribution down to a depth of 3 to 4 km.
Centauri’s compilation and targeting work to date, which included a variety of geophysical datasets (ground magnetics, gradient array induced polarization and resistivity survey, MT survey), supports the potential presence of a large porphyry-type body at depth beneath the known ring-shaped deposit area and suggests a potential extension towards the northeast, which must be confirmed with future drilling.
Phase 1 Drill Targets:
As a result of the compilation and targeting work, three main exploration areas have been defined for Phase 1 drilling:
- Ring-shaped deposit (shallow drilling): drilling within and around the known ring-shaped mineralization to confirm and expand the existing MRE, including testing the shallow resistive zones to the southwest and northeast described above (Figures 2 and 3), and collecting new core suitable for engineering and metallurgical test work.
- Area A (deep targets beneath the ring): located beneath the ring-shaped resources, where a magnetic low coincides with low resistivity-high conductivity (<50 ohm·m). The geophysics indicate that the higher conductivity begins at relatively shallow depths beneath the ring and continues down to the limits of the MT model. The low resistivity may reflect zones of more intense veining and sulphide mineralization. Area A can be further subdivided into three to four deep sub-targets (T1 to T3, Figure 2), consistent with those defined by Regulus Resources Inc. in 2017, which have been refined using the new information collected by Centauri.
- Area B (northeast – shallow and deep targets): Area B is both a shallow and a deep target:
- Shallow target: the Cerro Cori area contains a different style of gold mineralization near surface related to fine stringers of sulphides and magnetite. In 2012 to 2013, Regulus Resources Inc. completed a small four-hole, 1,200 m drill program at the Cerro Cori target, approximately 1,000 m east-northeast of the Sofia zone of the Rio Grande deposit (Figures 2 and 3). Although the results were not considered notable at the time, the best intercepts included 297 m at 0.36 g/t Au from surface (hole RGR-12-118) and 19.0 m at 0.59 g/t Au (hole RGR-13-126). Please refer to the Regulus press releases dated November 16, 2012 and June 27, 2013.
- Deep target (northeast): reprocessing of historical gradient array IP/resistivity and ground magnetic data has identified a zone of high chargeability and low magnetism trending northeast from beneath the ring-shaped resources, at elevations of around 3,000 m.a.s.l. This may represent magnetite destruction by alteration and the presence of disseminated sulphides. This deeper target, also defined by the MT survey, is untested and may be contiguous with the deep conductive zone in Area A, suggesting the Rio Grande system may remain open to the northeast (Figures 2 and 3). Area B will be tested as part of the Phase 1 or Phase 2 program.
Camp Facilities and Established Infrastructure at Rio Grande
Centauri is completing and upgrading its existing camp at Arita, on the southern margin of the Salar de Arizaro, Salta, approximately 9 km east of the Rio Grande deposit (Figure 1). The site is located in an established mining district neighbouring the Lindero gold mine (Fortuna Mining Corp.), with year-round road access and an airstrip owned by Centauri. In the third quarter of 2026, the camp was put into service to support the 3D MT geophysical program, with some services provided by a local supplier from the village of Tolar Grande. Work is now underway ahead of drilling which includes construction of a new accommodation block for work crews, a new core logging facility, a power generation system, a fuel and waste storage system, a wastewater treatment system, and health and safety services to support the Phase 1 and 2 drilling programs. Centauri continues to prioritize employee hiring from the communities of Tolar Grande and San Antonio de los Cobres. The camp is expected to receive the first drill rigs at site later this month.
For further information, please visit the Centauri website and subscribe to the Centauri news list.
Sam Leung
CEO and Director, Centauri Minerals Inc.
Phone: +1 416 206 4187
Email: sam.leung@centauriminerals.com
Website: www.centauriminerals.com
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical data contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Kevin B. Heather, B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc, Ph.D, FAusIMM, FGS, Technical Advisor to Centauri Minerals, who serves as the qualified person (QP) under the definitions of National Instrument 43-101.
About Centauri Minerals Inc.
Centauri Minerals Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on Northern Argentina, a mining region of increasing global significance. Centauri holds a 100%-interest in a portfolio of exploration projects spanning approximately 40,000 hectares in the provinces of Salta, Jujuy, and Catamarca, which was spun-out from Aldebaran Resources Inc. The most advanced is the Rio Grande gold-copper project located in Salta, which has an independent National Instrument 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate that highlights significant gold, copper and silver quantities. Centauri has offices and facilities in Salta, Argentina and Vancouver, Canada. Centauri trades on the TSX Venture Exchange with the symbol: CENT.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements regarding Centauri, including management’s assessment of future-plans and operations, may constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws and necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond the control of Centauri. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate” or “believes” or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved.
Specifically, and without limitation, all statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that Centauri expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, but not limited to the proposed exploration and development of the Company’s projects described herein, and management’s assessment of future plans and operations and statements with respect to the completion of the anticipated exploration and development programs, may constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws and necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond Centauri’s control. These risks may cause actual financial and operating results, performance, levels of activity and achievements to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Although Centauri believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Centauri does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities law.
Figure 1: Location map of the Rio Grande MT survey area (magenta) in relation to the property boundaries, the Centauri exploration camp, and Fortuna Mining’s Lindero Mine.
Figure 2: Centauri’s Rio Grande Plan View Map. Interpretation of the reprocessed historical, geophysics and new MT resistivity model. Resistivity contours of < 70 ohm·m are shown, as well as the magnetic low contour. The plan view represents a horizontal slice at an elevation of 3,250 m.a.s.l.
Figure 3: Centauri’s Rio Grande section NE-SW displaying resistivity (Area A = ~2km across, Area B = ~2 km across, A+B = 4 km across).
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/258b2ab6-269d-4fad-903a-2a938e8e222b
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cf6e2994-8454-4f00-aec5-d36342659c95
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e677483b-7cb3-4057-8644-b09d729a9eaf
GlobeNewswire
News by QuoteMedia - http://www.quotemedia.com
Copyright (c) 2026 QuoteMedia, Inc.