MINING.COM

Hot Chili Delivers Next Level of Growth

Wednesday, March 30, 2022 3:57 PM PDT

(via NewsDirect)

Highlights

· Mineral resources at Hot Chili’s Costa Fuego copper-gold hub in Chile have been materially upgraded with a 67% increase in the total Indicated Resource and a 53% increase in the high grade Indicated Resource:

Total Resource^1,2

· Indicated - 725Mt grading 0.47% CuEq for 2.8Mt Cu, 2.6Moz Au, 10.5Moz Ag & 67kt Mo

· Inferred - 202Mt grading 0.36% CuEq for 0.6Mt Cu, 0.4Moz Au, 2.0Moz Ag & 13kt Mo

High Grade Resource^1,2(Reported +0.6% CuEq)

· Indicated - 156Mt grading 0.79% CuEq for 1.0Mt Cu, 0.85Moz Au, 2.9Moz Ag & 24kt Mo

· Inferred - 11Mt grading 0.93% CuEq for 0.1Mt Cu, 0.04Moz Au, 0.3Moz Ag & 1kt Mo

· Resource upgrade cements Costa Fuego’s position as a top-ten copper development project (S&P 2022, based on criteria of active, PFS level or greater and low operating risk) with one of the shortest timeframes to potential first production amongst senior copper development projects globally

· Over 80% of Costa Fuego’s global resource estimate is now classified as Indicated (previously 56%), providing a strong platform to deliver a combined Pre-feasibility Study with a large ore reserve in Q3 2022

· High grade Indicated resources (+0.6%CuEq) account for one third of contained copper and gold (previously 20%)

· Three drill rigs in operation ahead of the planned Pre-Feasibility Study resource upgrade later this year

· First assay results from 2022 drilling are expected to be announced shortly

Hot Chili’s Managing Director Christian Easterday said:

“I would like to thank our entire team who have delivered this very strong result on-time and within guidance - elevating Costa Fuego’s position amongst the largest undeveloped copper projects in the world.

The world is hungry for advanced, low-risk, senior copper developments with near-term production potential. Copper prices are driving higher and new meaningful copper supply is fast becoming a mirage.

Hot Chili is well positioned to deliver into this forecast supply gap and contribute to the decarbonisation super cycle, particularly due to Costa Fuego’s lower economic hurdle resulting from its low elevation location and proximity to existing infrastructure; including abundant grid power with high renewables contributions.

We are fully funded for 18 months and on-track to deliver our next resource upgrade and PFS later this year as we transform Costa Fuego into one of the world’s next material copper mines.”

¹ Reported on a 100% Basis - combining Mineral Resource estimates for the Cortadera, Productora and San Antonio deposits. Figures are rounded, reported to appropriate significant figures, and reported in accordance with CIM and NI 43-101. Metal rounded to nearest thousand, or if less, to the nearest hundred. Total Resource reported at +0.21% CuEq for open pit and +0.30% CuEq for underground

²Copper Equivalent (CuEq) reported for the resource were calculated using the following formula: CuEq% = ((Cu% × Cu price 1% per tonne × Cu_recovery)+(Mo ppm × Mo price per g/t × Mo_recovery)+(Au ppm × Au price per g/t × Au_recovery)+ (Ag ppm × Ag price per g/t × Ag_recovery)) / (Cu price 1% per tonne). The Metal Prices applied in the calculation were: Cu=3.00 USD/lb, Au=1,700 USD/oz, Mo=14 USD/lb, and Ag=20 USD/oz. For Cortadera and San Antonio (Inferred + Indicated), the average Metallurgical Recoveries were: Cu=83%, Au=56%, Mo=82%, and Ag=37%. For Productora (Inferred + Indicated), the average Metallurgical Recoveries were: Cu=83%, Au=43% and Mo=42%. For Costa Fuego (Inferred + Indicated), the average Metallurgical Recoveries were: Cu=83%, Au=51%, Mo=67% and Ag=23%.

Hot Chili Limited (ASX: HCH) (TSXV:HCH) (OTCQB: HHLKF) (“Hot Chili” or “Company”) is pleased to announce a major resource upgrade for its coastal range, Costa Fuego copper-gold project in Chile.

Costa Fuego comprises the Cortadera, Productora and San Antonio deposits, all of which have updated Mineral Resource Estimates (“MRE” or “resource”) and lie proximal to one another at low-altitude elevations (800m to 1,000m), 600km north of Santiago.

The resource upgrade follows 18 months of material investment, including completion of 52,000 metres of additional resource drilling at Cortadera, purchase of 100% of the Cortadera copper-gold porphyry discovery and execution of an offtake agreement with Glencore for future concentrate production (60% for the first 8 years).

The Cortadera MRE has delivered the majority of resource growth for Costa Fuego. Cortadera is defined by over 92,000m of drilling and contains an Indicated resource of 471Mt grading 0.46% CuEq (previously 183Mt grading 0.49% CuEq) and an Inferred resource of 108Mt grading 0.35% CuEq (previously 267Mt grading 0.44% CuEq).

Cortadera’s Indicated resource has grown by 134% and is now able to be studied for conversion into ore reserves in the Company’s Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS), forecast for Q3, 2022.

The Productora MRE has been re-estimated following review of the 2016 MRE, completion of underground mine development and exploration drilling in 2021. The review and subsequent resource re-estimation has resulted in a material increase in high grade Indicated resources reported above 0.6% CuEq. High grade open pit resources from Productora are a key focus for the combined PFS and are expected to feature prominently in the early mine schedule for Costa Fuego.

A maiden San Antonio MRE has also been added to the Costa Fuego Hub. San Antonio was historically exploited by small-scale underground mining of high grade copper. The maiden resource estimate utilised an underground drone survey (increasing the spatial confidence of historic mining activities) and 4,922 metres of drilling undertaken by Hot Chili in 2018.

The Company is encouraged by the initial Inferred resource of 4.2Mt grading 1.2% CuEq. The high grade, shallow nature of San Antonio provides an additional open pittable deposit for Costa Fuego’s potential early mine schedule. Further resource upgrade drilling is planned at San Antonio and the nearby Valentina high grade deposit in the coming months.

² Copper Equivalent (CuEq) reported for the resource were calculated using the following formula: CuEq% = ((Cu% × Cu price 1% per tonne × Cu_recovery)+(Mo ppm × Mo price per g/t × Mo_recovery)+(Au ppm × Au price per g/t × Au_recovery)+ (Ag ppm × Ag price per g/t × Ag_recovery)) / (Cu price 1% per tonne). The Metal Prices applied in the calculation were: Cu=3.00 USD/lb, Au=1,700 USD/oz, Mo=14 USD/lb, and Ag=20 USD/oz. For Cortadera and San Antonio (Inferred + Indicated), the average Metallurgical Recoveries were: Cu=83%, Au=56%, Mo=82%, and Ag=37%. For Productora (Inferred + Indicated), the average Metallurgical Recoveries were: Cu=83%, Au=43% and Mo=42%. For Costa Fuego (Inferred + Indicated), the average Metallurgical Recoveries were: Cu=83%, Au=51%, Mo=67% and Ag=23%.

Table 1. Costa Fuego Copper-Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate, March 2022

Cortadera Mineral Resource Upgrade

The Cortadera MRE upgrade follows an additional 52,000m of Diamond (DD) and Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling since the maiden resource was released in October 2020. This resulted in a 134% increase in Indicated metal tonnes in comparison to the maiden resource at the same cut-off grade.

The additional drilling also enabled the delineation of high grade copper and gold domains within Cuerpo 3 (Figure 2), resulting in improved grade continuity and metal tonnes above 0.4% CuEq.

Continuity of grade and geology is controlled by the emplacement of mineralised porphyry intrusions into shallow dipping host stratigraphy. While these porphyry intrusions have a reasonably consistent pipe-like geometry, grade distribution also extends into the host stratigraphy.

Table 2 and Figures 2 and 3 below outline the upgraded Cortadera MRE.

Table 2. Cortadera Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate, March 2022

Mineralisation models have been generated using over 92,000m of drilling and an improved understanding of geological controls on mineralisation. Each metal has been independently optimised, resulting in improved continuity of higher and moderate grade copper, gold, silver and molybdenum within each of Cortadera’s three Cuerpos. These models correlate well with higher A + B porphyry vein percentages and other key porphyry datasets.

Extensive test work was completed to determine an optimal estimation approach and ensure the model was representative of the underlying porphyry mineralisation controls. The updated Cortadera MRE utilises a probabilistic estimation approach (Categorical Indicator Kriging (CIK)), within each mineralisation domain. This approach enabled the spatial and chronological aspects of the multiple phases of mineralisation to be better represented, resulting in higher metal tonnes above a 0.5% CuEq cut-off grade.

Productora Mineral Resource Update

The Productora MRE was updated following an extensive review of the 2016 resource estimate. Since 2016, copper prices have increased and underground mine development by lease miners (2020 and 2021) have reported materially higher copper grades than had been previously estimated.

The review of the 2016 MRE suggested the spatial continuity of mineralisation was not being represented sufficiently, with local-scale ductile characteristics in underground mine development not able to be accurately reflected using traditional wireframing and estimation methods. This had resulted in significant mineralised zones being excluded from the earlier resource estimation within the breccia-hosted copper deposit.

Extensive drilling and data collection by Hot Chili at Productora between 2010 and 2017 have allowed a comprehensive review of various mineralisation styles and structural complexities present within the host tourmaline breccia unit. The review determined that probabilistic techniques (CIK) were most suitable for resource estimation following analysis of all available geological, structural, alteration, assay (33 element ICP-OES analysis), geometallurgical and geotechnical information.

Using the same dataset as the 2016 MRE, the CIK approach optimised the estimations of copper, gold, molybdenum, cobalt, iron, aluminium, potassium and sulphur at Productora. Exploration drilling completed in early 2022 on the edges of the Productora resource tested the updated model, with results suggesting the new estimation approach was suitably predictive.

The updated Productora MRE is considered to be more robust than the earlier 2016 MRE and has resulted in an increase in high grade (+0.6% CuEq) Indicated material, as well as improved spatial continuity of mineralisation.

High grade open pit resources from Productora are a key focus for the combined PFS and are expected to feature prominently in the early mine schedule for Costa Fuego.

Table 3 and Figures 4 and 5 below outline the upgraded Cortadera MRE.

Table 3. Productora Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate, March 2022

Maiden Mineral Resource for San Antonio

Hot Chili is pleased to announce a maiden MRE for the San Antonio copper deposit. Hot Chili completed a drone survey of the shallowly developed historic underground mine in 2021. This enabled increased spatial confidence of the historic mining activities at San Antonio and the ability to complete an initial Inferred resource estimate.

Void models previously established from historical documentation were subsequently updated, including revisions to rotation and grid transformations. The underground survey supported the Company’s geological interpretation of multiple sub parallel lodes at San Antonio.

In 2018, Hot Chili completed 4,922m of first-pass RC drilling at San Antonio, confirming significant extensions to the high grade underground mine. Hot Chili’s drilling also validated historical underground drilling and channel sampling results. Importantly, the average grade estimated within the void model shows strong alignment to historical and lease mining production reports.

Copper mineralisation at San Antonio is fault-hosted and dips moderately towards the east within a sequence of volcanic-sedimentary units that were intruded by a series of diorite and andesite dykes. High grade copper is related to chalcopyrite and bornite mineralisation in association with strong epidote alteration.

San Antonio is an important addition to the Costa Fuego resource inventory, representing the first high grade, satellite deposit outside of Cortadera and Productora. Further drilling is planned to upgrade San Antonio to Indicated classification this year.

Resource drilling is also planned this year at the proximal Valentina high grade underground mine to follow up several significant drilling intersections recorded by Hot Chili in 2018. Initial results recorded 12m grading 1.5% copper from 28m down-hole depth (including 6m grading 2.7% copper) in drill hole VAP0001 and 8m grading 2.0% copper from 124m down-hole depth (including 2m grading 4.8% copper) in drill hole VAP0003 (see ASX announcement dated 5^th September 2018).

San Antonio and Valentina are an exciting addition and will feature in a planned PFS resource upgrade later this year. Both deposits are expected to provide high-grade open pit deposit for Costa Fuego’s early mine schedule.

Table 4 and Figures 6 and 7 below outline the maiden San Antonio MRE.

Table 4. San Antonio Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate, March 2022

This announcement is authorised by the Board of Directors for release to ASX and TSXV. For full report please visit www.SEDAR.com

Qualifying Statements

Competent Person’s Statement- Exploration Results

Exploration information in this Announcement is based upon work compiled by Mr Christian Easterday, the Managing Director and a full-time employee of Hot Chili Limited whom is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG). Mr Easterday has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a ‘Competent Person’ as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’ (JORC Code). Mr Easterday consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Competent Person’s Statement- Costa Fuego Mineral Resources

The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources for Cortadera, Productora and San Antonio which constitute the combined Costa Fuego Project is based on information compiled by Ms Elizabeth Haren, a Competent Person who is a Member and Chartered Professional of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Ms Haren is a full-time employee of Haren Consulting Pty Ltd and an independent consultant to Hot Chili. Ms Haren has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and types of deposits under consideration and to the activities undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ‘Australasian Code of Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’. Ms Haren consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on her information in the form and context in which it appears. For further information on the Costa Fuego Project, refer to the technical report titled "Resource Report for the Costa Fuego Technical Report", dated December 13, 2021, which is available for review under Hot Chili's profile at www.sedar.com.

Reporting of Copper Equivalent

Copper Equivalent (CuEq) reported for the resource were calculated using the following formula: CuEq% = ((Cu% × Cu price 1% per tonne × Cu_recovery)+(Mo ppm × Mo price per g/t × Mo_recovery)+(Au ppm × Au price per g/t × Au_recovery)+ (Ag ppm × Ag price per g/t × Ag_recovery)) / (Cu price 1% per tonne). The Metal Prices applied in the calculation were: Cu=3.00 USD/lb, Au=1,700 USD/oz, Mo=14 USD/lb, and Ag=20 USD/oz. For Cortadera and San Antonio (Inferred + Indicated), the average Metallurgical Recoveries were: Cu=83%, Au=56%, Mo=82%, and Ag=37%. For Productora (Inferred + Indicated), the average Metallurgical Recoveries were: Cu=83%, Au=43% and Mo=42%. For Costa Fuego (Inferred + Indicated), the average Metallurgical Recoveries were: Cu=83%, Au=51%, Mo=67% and Ag=23%.

About Hot Chili

Hot Chili Limited is a mineral exploration company with assets in Chile. The Company's flagship project, Costa Fuego, is the consolidation into a hub of the Cortadera porphyry copper-gold discovery and the Productora copper-gold deposit, set 14 km apart in an excellent location – low altitude, coastal range of Chile, infrastructure rich, low capital intensity.The Costa Fuego landholdings, contains an Indicated Resource of 391Mt grading 0.52% CuEq (copper equivalent), containing 1.7 Mt Cu, 1.5 Moz Au, 4.2 Moz Ag, and 37 kt Mo and an Inferred Resource of 334Mt grading 0.44% CuEq containing 1.2Mt Cu, 1.2 Moz Au, 5.6 Moz Ag and 27 kt Mo, at a cut-off grade of 0.25% CuEq.The Company is working to advance its Costa Fuego Project through a preliminary feasibility study (followed by a full FS and DTM), and test several high-priority exploration targets.

Certain statements contained in this news release, including information as to the future financial or operating performance of Hot Chili and its projects may include statements that are "forward‐looking statements" which may include, amongst other things, statements regarding targets, estimates and assumptions in respect of mineral reserves and mineral resources and anticipated grades and recovery rates, production and prices, recovery costs and results, and capital expenditures and are or may be based on assumptions and estimates related to future technical, economic, market, political, social and other conditions.These forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Hot Chili, are inherently subject to significant technical, business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results reflected in such forward‐looking statements.

Hot Chili disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or release any revisions to any forward‐looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, circumstances or results or otherwise after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, other than as may be required by law. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "indicate", "contemplate", "target", "plan", "intends", "continue", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", "schedule" and similar expressions identify forward‐looking statements.

All forward‐looking statements made in this news release are qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements. Investors are cautioned that forward‐looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward‐looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.