Solis Minerals Ltd (ASX:SLM, TSX-V:SLMN, OTCQB:SLMFF) has completed the first three diamond drill holes at its 100%-owned Mandacaru Lithium Project in Brazil and has begun a fourth, while preparations are complete for a 2,500-metre drilling program at the Cinto Copper Project in Peru.
The first three Mandacaru holes were drilled to planned depths of around 200 metres, with drilling now underway at PDH-08.
Pegmatites mapped at surface have been intersected from about 30 to 40 metres below surface in positions broadly consistent with the company's geological interpretation. Laboratory assays from the completed holes remain pending.
Meanwhile, Solis has executed a drilling contract for Cinto, where an initial program of around 5 diamond holes for 2,500 metres is expected to start during August 2026.
Mandacaru Lithium Project plan view. Solis Minerals is currently drilling at location PDH-08; the start of the second geological "fence" (having completed drill-holes PDH-01, PDH-02 and PDH-05) as part of the Company's planned drill program.
The Mandacaru program is designed to test the grade, continuity, geometry and subsurface expression of a lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite corridor previously identified through mapping, geochemical sampling and auger drilling.
Holes PDH-01, PDH-02 and PDH-05 were completed across the first geological drill "fence", providing an initial test of the pegmatite system's geometry and continuity. The drilling indicates that prospective pegmatite sheets cutting the host schist sequence predominantly dip steeply to the north-northeast.
Drilling has moved to a second fence around 300 metres northwest, where holes including PDH-07, PDH-08 and PDH-06 are designed to test continuity along strike. Geological logging of completed holes is substantially advanced, with samples being prepared for submission to an accredited laboratory in Belo Horizonte.
Chief executive officer Mitch Thomas said the intersection of pegmatites below surface provided early support for the geological model, with assay results expected to provide the next key information from the program.
At Cinto in Peru, the planned 2,500-metre program will test high-priority copper porphyry targets identified through geochemical and induced polarisation surveys.
Previous surface exploration has identified widespread copper mineralisation associated with brecciation, alteration and porphyry-style geological features, together with geophysical anomalies and rock-chip and channel sampling results that have been used to define the upcoming drill targets.
The drilling will run in parallel with the Mandacaru campaign, giving Solis active exploration programs targeting both lithium in Brazil and copper in Peru.
Cinto IP conductivity and historical geochemical sampling (grab and channel). Drill-holes CI-0012026 through CI-003-2026 (with planned traces) illustrated.
At Mandacaru, Solis will continue the planned diamond drilling program while completing geological logging, sample preparation and laboratory analysis of the completed holes. Assay results will be used alongside drilling data to refine the geological interpretation and optimise subsequent drill targeting.
At Cinto, diamond drilling is expected to begin during August, with further updates to follow as drilling progresses and geological information becomes available.