Canadian miner Auro Metals Inc. (TSXV: AURO; OTCQB: AURFF) has released the latest batch of drill results from its Santa Barbara gold-copper project in Ecuador, with three of four holes intersecting mineralization from surface or near-surface depths, further confirming the large-scale, highly continuous nature of the porphyry system.

Hole DSB-61 returned a continuous 496.5-metre intersection averaging 0.76 g/t gold and 0.12% copper, including a 212.5-metre high-grade zone averaging 1.12 g/t gold and 0.14% copper. The high-grade segment's gold grade is approximately 115% higher than the inferred resource grade of 0.52 g/t outlined in the resource estimate report, marking the highest gold grade ever recorded in the company's drill results to date.

Additionally, hole DSB-67 intersected 380 metres of mineralization starting at 76.5 metres below overburden, averaging 0.71 g/t gold and 0.10% copper, while hole DSB-66 returned 287 metres of mineralization from surface, averaging 0.51 g/t gold and 0.08% copper. Hole DSB-65 highlighted the potential for open-ended mineralization extending westward into the hanging wall.

Chief Executive Officer Victor Feng stated that these four drill holes strongly corroborate the previous three batches of data, consistently validating the scale, continuity, and grade enhancement potential of mineralization in the southern core zone of Santa Barbara. The 496-metre continuous mineralized interval in DSB-61 shows gold grades approximately 46% higher than the inferred resources in the assessment report, while the 212-metre high-grade segment more than doubles that grade, which will positively impact future resource updates.

To date, 22 drill holes have been completed in the project's 2026 Phase 1 program, with data from 14 holes already released and assay results from 8 additional holes pending. Four drill rigs remain active on site, setting the stage for a dense sequence of upcoming catalysts.

Santa Barbara is a large-scale porphyry gold-copper deposit. According to the NI 43-101 resource estimate, the project hosts total resources exceeding 235 million tonnes, comprising 29.8 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources (0.73 g/t gold, 0.10% copper) and 205.7 million tonnes of inferred resources (0.52 g/t gold, 0.09% copper), for a combined approximately 128 tonnes of gold and 224,000 tonnes of copper.

The company has also recently completed an upgrade from the OTC Pink marketplace to the OTCQB Venture Market, broadening its visibility among U.S. investors. With mineralization remaining open at depth and in the hanging wall, and with drilling results continuing to exceed expectations, the project possesses ample headroom for resource expansion, which is expected to sustain momentum for Auro Metals' value re-rating.