# STM: Exploration drilling restarts at El Palmar Canonical Atlas analysis: https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/stm-exploration-drilling-restarts-at-el-palmar--fb5abc79-c622-4d32-aa08-a68774d4b59e Original source: https://www.asx.com.au/asx/v2/statistics/displayAnnouncement.do?display=pdf&idsId=03149330 Publisher: asx Original announcement: 2026-10-06T22:07:00.000Z Analysis by Minestarters Atlas Atlas analysis published: 2026-10-06T22:17:33.160Z Atlas analysis updated: 2026-10-06T22:17:33.160Z - Company: Sunstone Metals Limited - Ticker: STM - Exchange: ASX - Region: Northern Ecuador - Primary commodity: Gold - Secondary commodities: Copper - Document categories: Other, Drill results - Extracted: 2026-10-06 22:17:33 UTC Narrative sentiment: 0.40 · Bullish ## Minestarters Atlas summary Sunstone Metals has restarted exploration drilling at the El Palmar gold-copper project in northern Ecuador. Two drill rigs have been mobilised to test deep porphyry targets \(T3\) and magnetic anomalies \(T1\) to expand the existing mineral resource and exploration target. Reasoning: The announcement signals the commencement of a new drilling campaign to test significant exploration targets, which is a positive operational milestone for an explorer. - Positive factor: Restart of exploration drilling at El Palmar - Positive factor: Mobilisation of two drill rigs - Positive factor: Testing high-conviction deep porphyry targets Facts used in scoring: 4 ## Classification and evidence **Nearology Play** Polarity: neutral Story-specific tag Definition: Value premise rests on proximity to a known deposit rather than own results. Why it applies: The project is positioned adjacent to the world-class Cascabel and Llurimagua copper projects. Evidence · text > The El Palmar and nearby Verde Chico concessions sit adjacent to the Toachi Fault system in northern Ecuador, which hosts the world-class 3Bt Cascabel Copper Project ## Extracted facts Stored fact records: 4. Some facts used in scoring do not have a stored record. ## Drill Results (4) ### EPDD026 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/stm-exploration-drilling-restarts-at-el-palmar--fb5abc79-c622-4d32-aa08-a68774d4b59e#fact-drill-facts-0) El Palmar · gold Historical result Needs review: historical\_restatement #### Identity - Hole ID: EPDD026 - Project: El Palmar - Commodity: gold - Region: ecuador - Reported Region: ecuador - Ticker: STM #### Geometry - Grade: 0.4 - Grade Unit: g/t - Intercept: 190 m - From: 1171 m - To: 1361 m - Intercept Depth: 1171 m #### Classification - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: EPDD026:1171-1361 #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: historical\_restatement - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: Yes - Historical Source Date: 2023-06-20T00:00:00.000Z #### Dates - Event date: 2026-10-06T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: Historical intercept reported as part of geological context. - Positive factor: Intersected porphyry Au-Cu mineralisation Evidence · text > EPDD026: 190m @ 0.40g/t Au, 0.11% Cu, 0.58g/t AuEq6 from 1,171m down-hole #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated **Stale Data Re-release** Polarity: negative Definition: Historical results re-announced with no new assays or reinterpretation — low genuine novelty. Why it applies: the fact restates a prior release **Nearology Play** Polarity: neutral Definition: Value premise rests on proximity to a known deposit rather than own results. Why it applies: proximity is offered as the value premise: "It is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Resource • The El Palmar and nearby Verde Chic" ### EPDD026 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/stm-exploration-drilling-restarts-at-el-palmar--fb5abc79-c622-4d32-aa08-a68774d4b59e#fact-drill-facts-1) El Palmar · copper Historical result Needs review: historical\_restatement #### Identity - Hole ID: EPDD026 - Project: El Palmar - Commodity: copper - Region: ecuador - Reported Region: ecuador - Ticker: STM #### Geometry - Grade: 0.11 - Grade Unit: % - Intercept: 190 m - From: 1171 m - To: 1361 m - Intercept Depth: 1171 m #### Classification - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: EPDD026:1171-1361 #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: historical\_restatement - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: Yes - Historical Source Date: 2023-06-20T00:00:00.000Z #### Dates - Event date: 2026-10-06T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: Historical intercept reported as part of geological context. - Positive factor: Intersected porphyry Au-Cu mineralisation Evidence · text > EPDD026: 190m @ 0.40g/t Au, 0.11% Cu, 0.58g/t AuEq6 from 1,171m down-hole #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated **Stale Data Re-release** Polarity: negative Definition: Historical results re-announced with no new assays or reinterpretation — low genuine novelty. Why it applies: the fact restates a prior release **Nearology Play** Polarity: neutral Definition: Value premise rests on proximity to a known deposit rather than own results. Why it applies: proximity is offered as the value premise: "It is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Resource • The El Palmar and nearby Verde Chic" ### EPDD028 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/stm-exploration-drilling-restarts-at-el-palmar--fb5abc79-c622-4d32-aa08-a68774d4b59e#fact-drill-facts-2) El Palmar · gold Historical result Needs review: historical\_restatement #### Identity - Hole ID: EPDD028 - Project: El Palmar - Commodity: gold - Region: ecuador - Reported Region: ecuador - Ticker: STM #### Geometry - Grade: 0.37 - Grade Unit: g/t - Intercept: 251 m - From: 936 m - To: 1187 m - Intercept Depth: 936 m #### Classification - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: EPDD028:936-1187 #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: historical\_restatement - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: Yes - Historical Source Date: 2023-09-11T00:00:00.000Z #### Dates - Event date: 2026-10-06T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: Historical intercept reported as part of geological context. - Positive factor: Intersected porphyry Au-Cu mineralisation Evidence · text > EPDD028: 251m @ 0.37g/t Au, 0.12% Cu, 0.56g/t AuEq6 from 936m down-hole #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated **Stale Data Re-release** Polarity: negative Definition: Historical results re-announced with no new assays or reinterpretation — low genuine novelty. Why it applies: the fact restates a prior release **Nearology Play** Polarity: neutral Definition: Value premise rests on proximity to a known deposit rather than own results. Why it applies: proximity is offered as the value premise: "It is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Resource • The El Palmar and nearby Verde Chic" ### EPDD028 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/stm-exploration-drilling-restarts-at-el-palmar--fb5abc79-c622-4d32-aa08-a68774d4b59e#fact-drill-facts-3) El Palmar · copper Historical result Needs review: historical\_restatement #### Identity - Hole ID: EPDD028 - Project: El Palmar - Commodity: copper - Region: ecuador - Reported Region: ecuador - Ticker: STM #### Geometry - Grade: 0.12 - Grade Unit: % - Intercept: 251 m - From: 936 m - To: 1187 m - Intercept Depth: 936 m #### Classification - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: EPDD028:936-1187 #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: historical\_restatement - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: Yes - Historical Source Date: 2023-09-11T00:00:00.000Z #### Dates - Event date: 2026-10-06T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: Historical intercept reported as part of geological context. - Positive factor: Intersected porphyry Au-Cu mineralisation Evidence · text > EPDD028: 251m @ 0.37g/t Au, 0.12% Cu, 0.56g/t AuEq6 from 936m down-hole #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated **Stale Data Re-release** Polarity: negative Definition: Historical results re-announced with no new assays or reinterpretation — low genuine novelty. Why it applies: the fact restates a prior release **Nearology Play** Polarity: neutral Definition: Value premise rests on proximity to a known deposit rather than own results. Why it applies: proximity is offered as the value premise: "It is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Resource • The El Palmar and nearby Verde Chic" ## How Atlas produces this analysis Minestarters Atlas uses automated extraction to summarize mining announcements, identify reported measurements, and classify supporting evidence. Sentiment reflects the extracted narrative and classification rules; it is an interpretation, not a reported measurement. Evidence quotes and context are provided where available. Missing data, low-confidence results, and review flags indicate limitations. Check the original publisher announcement before relying on an interpretation.