Kobrea and BHP invest US$4 million in Argentina copper exploration

Kobrea Exploration and BHP have announced a US$4 million investment for copper exploration in the Mendoza province of Argentina. The funding, provided by BHP Metals Exploration, is designated for the 2026-2027 exploration season within the Western Malargüe Copper Projects.

The program will focus on the El Destino prospect, a 9,487-hectare site containing a copper-gold-molybdenum porphyry system. Planned activities include diamond drilling, induced polarization surveys, rock chip sampling, and geological mapping. The initiative is part of a broader cooperation agreement established in August, under which BHP committed to funding exploration across seven of Kobrea’s copper projects in the region.

Kobrea CEO James Hedalen stated that the budget allows for a comprehensive summer field season aimed at accelerating geological knowledge and evaluating the development potential of the land package. The projects are located within the Neogene Porphyry Belt, a geological formation spanning the Andes mountains that is considered strategic for the global energy transition.