A Major Copper-Gold Discovery Is Reshaping Chile's Mining Map

 ATEX Resources has discovered one of the most significant copper-gold porphyry deposits in recent memory at its Valeriano Copper Gold Project in Chile's Atacama region. With a combined Mineral Resource exceeding 1.9 billion tonnes and backing from mining heavyweights like Agnico Eagle Mines, Valeriano is fast becoming a cornerstone of the emerging copper supply pipeline.

The global race for copper has never been more urgent. Data centers powering artificial intelligence, EV charging networks, and large-scale renewable energy infrastructure all depend on reliable copper supply and that supply is tightening. ATEX Resources, a copper-focused exploration company, may have found one of the answers. Its flagship asset, located deep in the Atacama, is drawing serious attention from some of the biggest names in the mining world.

What Has ATEX Resources Discovered at Valeriano?

The Valeriano Copper Gold Project sits in the Atacama region of northern Chile one of the most prolific mining belts on the planet. What makes Valeriano stand out isn't just its location. It's the sheer scale and grade of what lies beneath the surface.

As of September 2025, Valeriano hosts:

• Indicated Resource: 475 Mt at 0.88% CuEq (0.58% Cu, 0.25 g/t Au, 1.39 g/t Ag, and 70.4 g/t Mo) at a cut-off grade of 0.35% Cu
• Inferred Resource: 1,511 Mt at 0.75% CuEq (0.50% Cu, 0.20 g/t Au, 1.16 g/t Ag, and 70.6 g/t Mo) at a cut-off grade of 0.35% Cu

Combined, that's over 1.9 billion tonnes of copper-gold porphyry mineralization. For context, large-scale copper porphyry systems of this caliber are rare globally and rarer still when they carry meaningful gold credits alongside copper.

Why Is the Valeriano Project in Chile Attracting Major Investors?

High-grade discoveries don't go unnoticed for long. The Valeriano Project Chile has attracted two of the most respected names in mining:

Agnico Eagle Mines, one of the world's top gold producers, committed C$55 million as the project's largest cornerstone investor in late 2024. That's not a speculative bet it's a strategic vote of confidence in the project's long-term potential.

Close behind is Pierre Lassonde, the legendary mining financier and co-founder of Franco-Nevada, who holds the position of second-largest shareholder. When investors of this caliber put capital to work in an exploration-stage project, the market takes notice.

Their involvement signals something important: Valeriano isn't just a promising drill hole. It's shaping up as the anchor asset of a new emerging copper district in northern Chile.

How Does Valeriano Fit Into the Broader Copper Story?

The Chile Copper Mining Industry has long been the backbone of global copper supply, accounting for roughly 27% of world production. But aging mines, declining grades, and underinvestment in new discoveries have created a looming supply gap.

Valeriano addresses that gap directly. The project has the potential to deliver a long-term, reliable supply of copper to feed the energy transition clean copper for solar farms, wind turbines, EV infrastructure, and the growing power demands of AI-driven data centers.

What's more, the gold and silver by-products at Valeriano improve the project's economics considerably, making it more resilient across different commodity price environments.

A Documentary Worth Watching

To understand Valeriano's full scope its geology, history, and growing global significance ATEX Resources has released an exclusive short documentary. The film takes viewers inside the project, showcasing the exceptional scale of the discovery and what it means for Chile and the broader copper market.

It's a compelling watch for anyone tracking Copper Exploration in South America or looking to understand where the next generation of major copper mines might come from.

The Road Ahead for ATEX Resources

Valeriano is still in exploration and resource development, but the foundation is already impressive. A multi-billion-tonne resource, high-grade copper-gold mineralization, and institutional-grade backing put this project in a category of its own among junior explorers.

For investors and industry watchers following the Copper Gold Project Chile story, ATEX Resources represents an opportunity to track one of the most significant copper discoveries of the decade right as global copper demand enters a structural upswing.

Keep an eye on Valeriano. The biggest copper stories often start exactly like this.