A larger platform for staged growth.
Sabaleta lies in the Camunbi River valley in Carchi Province, approximately 230 km northeast of Quito. Concession 402338 covers 3,380 hectares of river plain and elevated terraces in a district with a long history of artisanal gold mining. Quatro Metales is pursuing participation with the project partners as the flagship development opportunity in its Ecuador portfolio.
Four terraces. One alluvial system.
The project contains gold-bearing gravels across four terrace levels, known as T1 to T4. The oldest terrace stands around 200 metres above the active river plain. Gold occurs within sequences of rounded cobbles, gravel, sand and clay, including a gold-rich basal layer above the underlying bedrock.
These deposits support a shallow, open-cut mining concept using excavators rather than drilling and blasting. The September 2026 project plan begins on the youngest terrace, T4, near Blocks 7 and 8 at the southern end of the concession.
A technical history to build on.
An independent report prepared by Michel Rowland in 2016 under the JORC Code forms the project’s historical resource foundation. Its work drew on 139 exploration pits across the terraces. The latest memorandum treats the estimate as historical, pending re-preparation under current standards.
Subsequent bulk sampling and ALS laboratory assays in 2021 provide an additional layer of technical information. Planned terrace surveying, infill pitting and work to identify former river channels are intended to improve geological understanding and support the resource update.
Gravity recovery and modular expansion.
The development concept combines excavation, screening and washing with gravity concentration. A proposed production module includes a wash plant, excavators, haulage equipment, camp and power supply. Additional modules would be introduced in stages as funding, operating performance and project approvals allow.
Historical test work also records platinum-group minerals and iron-titanium sands. These offer additional exploration interest, but no defined platinum resource or revenue contribution is presented here.
Technical background: Sabaleta project memorandum, September 2026, drawing on the 2016 JORC report and subsequent sampling.