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Centauri Drilling Permit Opens Rio Grande Gold-Copper in Argentina
Centauri Minerals, spun out of Aldebaran Resources, received a drilling permit for the Rio Grande gold-copper project in Argentina and added four executives as it prepares for a public listing.
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Centauri Minerals, the private exploration spin-out from Aldebaran Resources, has received a drilling permit for the Rio Grande gold-copper project in Salta, Argentina. The company said Monday it has started mobilization and exploration targeting programs ahead of drilling.
Rio Grande sits in northern Argentina's porphyry belt, a region that already hosts several world-class deposits. The Altar project, 80%-owned by Aldebaran, lies in the same cluster as Los Pelambres and El Pachón. A preliminary economic assessment for Altar, released in October 2025, outlined a large-scale copper-gold operation. Centauri holds a 100% interest in Rio Grande and four other projects spanning roughly 40,000 hectares across Salta, Jujuy and Catamarca. Rio Grande already has an independent NI 43-101 resource estimate that highlights both gold and copper.
Centauri also announced four additions to its team. Ignacio Butler and Dario Gonzalez joined the management group, both with in-region experience working alongside the Aldebaran team in northern Argentina. Amalia Sáenz, a professor in mining law at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, and Christopher Stackhouse, an independent director of Rocky Shore Gold Ltd., were appointed to the board. The new hires give the company operational depth on the ground and governance structure ahead of its planned public listing.
The drilling permit is the first major regulatory milestone for Centauri since the spin-out from Aldebaran earlier this year. The company has been assembling a portfolio of early-stage exploration properties in a region that has seen increased attention from majors. The Altar cluster alone draws comparison to other Andean copper belts because of the scale of known mineralization. Rio Grande represents one of several targets Centauri plans to test, with Aguas Calientes in Jujuy also on the list for follow-up work.
Centauri plans to go public later in 2026. The company holds a 100% interest in roughly 40,000 hectares across three provinces. First drill results from Rio Grande will test whether the property can add to the known resource.