Panoro Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: PML) (BVL: PML) (FSE: PZM) (OTCQB: POROF) has signed a five-year surface access agreement with the Cochapata community in Peru, covering the full extent of the community's lands at the company's Cotabambas Copper/Gold/Silver Project in the Apurimac region.

The agreement, referred to as a "Convenio," is the third such deal signed between Panoro and the Cochapata community and enables the company to proceed with infill and step-out drilling at the project's North Pit, which sits primarily within community boundaries. The company said this is one of several agreements completed in 2026 with local communities, a municipality, and private landowners.

Panoro plans approximately 10,000 meters of drilling at the North Pit to expand and define the high-grade portion of its mineral resource and upgrade portions to the Indicated category. The company said 150 million of the current 222 million tonnes constrained by the North Pit shell are part of that resource. A mineral resource estimate update is planned for early 2027, followed by a Preliminary Economic Assessment by mid-2027 and a Pre-Feasibility Study by the end of 2027.

The Convenio also includes commitments by Panoro to invest in education, local employment, infrastructure, and support for seniors. It provides for the acquisition of land near Cusco, approximately 120 km from Cochapata, near a parcel previously acquired for the community in 2018.

According to a company statement, Luquman Shaheen, President and CEO, said the agreement "demonstrates the high degree of alignment between the Community and Panoro towards the development of the Cotabambas Project into Peru's next important mine."