The Philippine Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has approved the first renewal of Exploration Permit No. 011-2023-CAR for the Botilao Porphyry Copper-Gold Prospect, located in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), under the Philippine affiliate of Celsius Resources Limited, Makilala Mining Company, Inc. (MMCI).
The two-year renewal allows MMCI to continue its exploration activities, including geological studies, surface mapping, geochemical sampling, and evaluation of targets for potential geophysical surveys and drilling, subject to regulatory approvals. These efforts aim to better define the extent and characteristics of mineralization in the permit area.
The renewed permit also supports environmental protection measures under the approved Environmental Work Program, as well as socio-economic initiatives under the Community Development Program, in consultation with local communities and government units.
MMCI Technical Director Peter Hume said that the renewal of the Botilao exploration permit represents an important milestone, enabling the company to build on the technical work completed to date. Botilao remains a highly prospective tenement with geological similarities to the nearby Maalinao-Caigutan-Biyog (MCB) Project deposit and has the potential to provide additional feed that could extend the operating life of the MCB Project process plant.
"The renewal allows exploration activities to be progressed in a systematic and responsible manner, consistent with the company’s commitments to environmental stewardship and community engagement," Hume said.
Botilao covers 947.67 hectares southwest of Celsius’ MCB Project. Historical exploration by Lepanto Consolidated Mining Inc. in the 1970s included diamond drilling and tunnel sampling along Botilao Creek, which identified two major ore zones with copper grades reaching about 1%.
The site’s geological similarities to the MCB Project position it as a potential source to supplement future concentrate supply, reinforcing Celsius’ exploration strategy in the Philippines.
