South Pacific Metals Corp. has bolstered its 2026 exploration campaign at the Ontenu prospect in Papua New Guinea by contracting a second drill rig, the company announced on 18 February. The additional rig is expected to arrive on site within approximately two weeks and will work alongside the company’s existing drill to step up testing across multiple targets in the Ontenu portion of its broader Osena Project in the Kainantu District.
The move reflects South Pacific’s strategy to expedite evaluation of high-grade targets identified in its 5 km by 3 km Ontenu project area, which lies on the southwestern flank of K92 Mining Inc.’s Kainantu Gold Mine tenure.
High-grade surface results guide new phase
Surface rock chip sampling across the Ontenu NE (Northeast) area has revealed encouraging multi-element mineralisation. Assays from structures in the Onki Fault area — the initial focus for the new rig — include:
-
21.2 per cent copper, 214 g/t silver and 0.41 g/t gold;
-
18.1 per cent copper, 310 g/t silver and 0.32 g/t gold;
-
12.4 per cent copper, 131 g/t silver and 1.21 g/t gold; and
-
0.2 per cent copper, 32 g/t silver and 8.6 g/t gold.
These results, drawn from earlier news releases in November and October 2025, are driving the company’s prioritisation of drill targets.
Campaign goals and logistics
Drilling is already under way with South Pacific’s first rig at Ontenu NE southern area, and targeting work continues across several structures and corridors within the project. The company aims to complete approximately 5 000 metres of drilling across these multiple targets during 2026.
The new contractor-operated rig will initially focus on the Onki Fault zone but is expected to contribute to broader testing as the programme progresses.
South Pacific Metals’ chief executive, Timo Jauristo, said the decision to add a second rig reflects both the wide array of targets identified from surface work and the company’s desire to accelerate evaluation of high-grade epithermal systems. He noted that Ontenu NE in particular has produced multiple compelling targets over a broad area.
Strategic context: Osena Project
The Osena Project covers about 738 km² of highly prospective ground adjacent to major operations in the Kainantu District. Within this region, Ontenu sits amid a recognised mineralised corridor associated with significant gold-copper deposits.
The addition of the second drill rig aligns with a broader push by the company to advance technical understanding across its portfolio, which includes other projects such as Anga, Kili Teke and May River.
South Pacific Metals shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, OTCQB and Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
