Regional grassroots exploration began in the mid-1970s. Minera Aguilar explored the Taguas Property discovering high-grade gold-silver mineralization at Cerro Taguas Sur, Cerro Campamento and the Leonor vein at Cerro Silla Sur. Work during this period included surface prospecting, airborne and surface geophysics, diamond drilling and underground exploration development and sampling. Minera Aguilar’s interest in the Property was eventually taken over by Minera Taguas and exploration activities were operated by Compañía Minera Piuquenes S.A. (Piuquenes).
From 2011 to 2013 Gold Fields Limited (Gold Fields) explored sulfide mineralization at Cerro Silla Sur, Cerros Taguas and Cerro Campamento under a joint venture (JV) agreement with Piuquenes. Gold Fields executed re-logging, re-sampling, data verification, drilling and assay quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) work. Piuquenes re-started exploration activities on the Property following the Gold Fields JV. In 2016 Piuquenes began to focus on the definition of oxide gold-silver mineralization at Cerro Taguas. On May 14, 2019, Orvana entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement to acquire the Taguas Property and on May 21, 2021 all the requisite steps to acquire the Taguas property were completed.