Libero Copper Strengthens Team with Appointment of Porphyry Expert Frank Balint
LIBERO COPPER STRENGTHENS TEAM WITH APPOINTMENT OF
PORPHYRY EXPERT FRANK BALINT
VANCOUVER, BC
,
Feb. 19, 2025
/CNW/ -
Libero Copper
& Gold Corporation
(TSXV: LBC) (OTCQB: LBCMF) (FRA: 29H)
(
"
Libero Copper
" or the
"
Company
"
)
is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr.
Frank Balint
as Strategic Advisor, a role in which he will be actively engaged in guiding the Company's
ongoing exploration and growth at its flagship Mocoa copper-molybdenum project in
Colombia
.
Mr. 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, Mr. Balint has held directorships at Wolfden Resources (TSX, sold to Zinifex for CAD
$363 million
), GoldQuest Mining Corp., and Doré Copper
Mining Corp. He holds a P.Geo (Retired) designation 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
," said
Ian Harris
, President & CEO of
Libero Copper
. "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."
Accelerating Mocoa's Growth
In his new role, Mr. 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 kilometres from the town of Mocoa.
Libero Copper's
district scale holdings cover over 1,000
km
2
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 metres 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-kilometre-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-metre
diameter. High-grade copper-molybdenum mineralization continues to depths in excess of 1,000 metres.
1
For further information refer to National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") Technical Report, entitled
"Technical Report on the Mocoa Copper-Molybdenum Project,
Colombia
", dated
January 17, 2022
, prepared by Michael Rowland Brepsant, FAusIMM,
Robert Sim
About
Libero Copper
Libero Copper
is led by a team with rare experience—having advanced projects from post-resource discovery to the path of construction, including some of the
few large copper projects built in the last 20 years. This real-world expertise drives
Libero Copper's
focus on relationships, responsibility, trust, and a relentless
commitment to sustainable progress.
At the core of
Libero Copper's
portfolio is the Mocoa copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit in Putumayo, Colombia—a cornerstone asset where the Company is
actively drilling. In a market increasingly hungry for new copper supply, Libero is focused on systematically expanding and de-risking Mocoa's resource base.
Now, with the Fiore Group's bold company-building vision behind it,
Libero Copper
is uniquely positioned to fill a crucial gap in the copper industry—advancing
large-scale projects toward construction. Through this approach,
Libero Copper
is committed to creating lasting value for all stakeholders while positioning itself at
the forefront of meeting the growing global demand for copper—the metal driving progress in the modern economy.
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 release.
This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact,
including statements regarding anticipated drilling and expected results, the resulting other activities and achievements of the Company, including but are not
limited to: the timing and success for the advancement of the Mocoa Project, are to be considered forward looking. Although
Libero Copper
believes the
expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance
and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those in forward-looking statements include market prices and volatility with the Company's common shares, exploitation and exploration successes,
uncertainty of reserve and resource estimates, risks of not achieving production, continued availability of capital and financing, processes, permits and filing
requirements, risks related to operations in foreign and developing countries and compliance with foreign laws and including risks related to changes in foreign
laws and changing policies related to mining and local ownership requirements in
Colombia
, and general economic, market, political or business conditions
and regulatory and administrative approvals. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely
on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
SOURCE
Libero Copper
& Gold Corporation
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For further information:
Additional Information: Ian Harris, Chief Executive Officer, +1 604 294 9039, [email protected]; Tetiana Konstantynivska, Vice
President Investor Relations, +1 778 829 8455, [email protected]
CO: Libero Copper & Gold Corporation
CNW 07:30e 19-FEB-25