The Montclar Bridge spans approximately 60 meters in length and 2.5 meters in width, providing a safe crossing over the Mocoa River for both community members and project personnel. This development eliminates the need for helicopter support, thereby reducing operational costs and enhancing efficiency.

Community Collaboration

The bridge’s design and construction were executed under a Mutual Benefit Agreement between Libero Copper and the local Montclar community, the last settlement at the start of the access corridor. This collaboration aimed to address shared economic development needs and improve local connectivity.

Figure 1—New Montclar walking bridge. (CNW Group/Libero Copper & Gold Corporation)

With the new ground access, the transport of drills and supplies is streamlined, facilitating the acceleration of a planned 14,000-meter drilling campaign and setting the stage for further exploration expansion.

About the Mocoa Deposit

Located approximately 10 kilometers from the town of Mocoa in Putumayo, the Mocoa deposit was discovered in 1973 through a regional geochemical survey conducted by the United Nations and the Colombian government. Subsequent exploration programs have included geological mapping, surface sampling, geophysics, and diamond drilling. The deposit remains open along strike and at depth, with ongoing work identifying additional porphyry targets and potential expansion of known mineralization.

Figure 3 – Drill path improvements (CNW Group/Libero Copper & Gold Corporation)

The Mocoa deposit is situated in the Central Cordillera of Colombia, a 30-kilometer-wide tectonic belt hosting several other porphyry-copper deposits in Ecuador, such as Mirador, San Carlos, Panantza, and Solaris’ Warintza. Mineralization consists of disseminated chalcopyrite, molybdenite, and local bornite and chalcocite associated with multiphase veins, stockwork, and hydrothermal breccias. The deposit is roughly cylindrical, with a 600-meter diameter, and high-grade copper-molybdenum mineralization continues to depths exceeding 1,000 meters.

Libero Copper’s holdings cover over 1,000 square kilometers through titles and applications, encompassing most of the Jurassic porphyry belt in southern Colombia.

Photo credit: Libero Copper.

Balint is a highly respected mining executive and Professional Geologist (P.Geo) with over 40 years of industry experience—most notably at Inmet Mining Corporation, where he served as Vice President of Corporate Development and Vice President of Exploration. Under his leadership, Inmet’s market capitalization grew from under $200 million to over $5 billion, culminating in its acquisition by First Quantum Minerals. He was instrumental in advancing Cobre Panama, one of the world’s largest porphyry copper deposits, and contributed to multiple exploration initiatives and M&A transactions globally.

Beyond Inmet, Balint has held directorships at Wolfden Resources (TSX, sold to Zinifex for $363 million CAD), GoldQuest Mining Corp., and Doré Copper Mining Corp. He holds a P.Geo (Retired) in Ontario and earned an HBSc in Geology from Lakehead University.

“Frank’s proven track record—from discovery and financing to readying world-class porphyry mines for construction—makes him the ideal strategic advisor as we advance our flagship Mocoa copper-molybdenum project in Colombia. His geological perspective complements the strong technical expertise we already have, and he’ll be actively involved on the ground—helping interpret new data and guide the design of upcoming drill holes,” said Libero Copper President & CEO Ian Harris.

Accelerating Mocoa’s Growth

In his new role, Balint will work closely with Libero’s geology and technical teams to review and rank newly identified porphyry centers, advising on how best to refine each target for future drilling. He will also provide critical input on hole planning for the ongoing 14,000-meter program, aiming to maximize resource expansion and explore potential extensions of the known deposit. By guiding the refinement of geological models and interpreting new data, he will offer fresh perspectives on managing geological complexities while enhancing Mocoa’s long-term potential.

About the Mocoa Porphyry Copper-Molybdenum Deposit

The Mocoa deposit is located in the department of Putumayo, 10 kilometers from the town of Mocoa. Libero Copper’s district scale holdings cover over 1,000 km2 through titles and applications, encompassing most of the Jurassic porphyry belt in southern Colombia. Mocoa was discovered in 1973 when the United Nations and the Colombian government conducted a regional stream sediment geochemical survey. Between 1978 and 1983, an exploration program was carried out that consisted of geological mapping, surface sampling, ground geophysics (IP, magnetics), 31 diamond drill holes totaling 18,321 meters, and metallurgical test work B2Gold subsequently executed diamond drill programs in 2008 and 2012.

The Mocoa deposit appears to be open in both directions along strike and at depth. Current work on the property has identified additional porphyry targets, including the possible expansion of known mineralization. The Mocoa deposit is situated in the Central Cordillera of Colombia, a 30-kilometer-wide tectonic belt underlain by volcano-sedimentary, sedimentary, and intrusive rocks that range in age from Triassic-Jurassic to Quaternary and by remnants of Paleozoic metasediments and metamorphic rocks of Precambrian age.

This belt hosts several other porphyry-copper deposits in Ecuador, such as Mirador, San Carlos, Panantza, and Solaris’ Warintza. Copper-molybdenum mineralization is associated with dacite porphyry intrusions of the Middle Jurassic age that are emplaced into andesitic and dacitic volcanics. The Mocoa porphyry system exhibits a classical zonal pattern of hydrothermal alteration and mineralization, with a deeper central core of potassic alteration overlain by sericitization and surrounded by propylitization.

Mineralization consists of disseminated chalcopyrite, molybdenite and local bornite, and chalcocite associated with multiphase veins, stockwork, and hydrothermal breccias. The Mocoa deposit is roughly cylindrical, with a 600-meter diameter. High-grade copper-molybdenum mineralization continues to depths of more than 1,000 meters.

Headline Image: Frank Balint. Photo credit: Libero Copper.