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Hot Chili Ltd
Hot Chili Ltd was formed in 2008 by Australian geologist Christian Easterday, initially focused on early-stage exploration in the Atacama region of Chile.
Hot Chili Ltd
Hot Chili Ltd was formed in 2008 by Australian geologist Christian Easterday, initially focused on early-stage exploration in the Atacama region of Chile. The company transitioned from a portfolio of prospects to a single-asset developer following the 2019 consolidation of the Cortadera discovery with the existing Productora deposit, creating the Costa Fuego copper-gold hub. Easterday remains managing director, operating from the firm's Perth headquarters with a Chilean exploration team stationed near the asset. Costa Fuego is a large-scale, lower-risk copper development project positioned at low altitude near coastal infrastructure. The 2022 preliminary economic assessment outlined a resource of roughly 3 million tonnes of copper and 2.6 million ounces of gold, supporting a potential 112,000-tonne-per-annum copper operation over a multi-decade mine life. Hot Chili holds this asset through Chilean subsidiaries, having eliminated third-party earn-in obligations. The project benefits from existing roads, grid power, and seawater-processing access, reducing typical Andean capex intensity (per the firm's technical disclosures, 2022). The company's largest shareholders include institutional resource funds and a strategic backing from Osisko Gold Royalties. Hot Chili trades on the ASX and TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker HCH, with a market capitalization that reflects the pre-construction stage of development. In June 2025, the company released results from a water-supply drilling program at Costa Fuego, confirming the viability of a coastal borefield as a sustainable water source for the planned operation. The team has pursued a de-risking strategy of resource expansion through step-out drilling and systematic pre-feasibility work, with the next major catalyst being a definitive feasibility study targeted for finalization. Hot Chili's structural differentiator lies in its counter-positioning against the broader copper-junior sector. Where most large Chilean copper deposits sit above 4,000 meters in the water-scarce Andes, Costa Fuego's location below 1,000 meters places it adjacent to the Pacific coast and existing desalination infrastructure. This materially alters the environmental-permitting profile and operational risk relative to higher-altitude peers, effectively pre-solving the social-license issues that have stalled competing projects in the region.
General information
Firm type
other
Year founded
2008
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Oceania
Country
Australia
City
Perth
Corporate office
Perth, WA, Australia
Principals
Christian Easterday
Managing Director
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is the Costa Fuego project and why does its location matter?
Costa Fuego is a combined copper-gold development near the Chilean coast, formed by merging the Cortadera, Productora, and San Antonio deposits. Unlike most major Chilean copper projects located high in the Andes, it sits below 1,000 meters with direct access to coastal infrastructure, seawater, and grid power. This coastal placement removes the significant water-supply and high-altitude engineering challenges that have delayed or blocked other Chilean copper developments.
Who controls investment and operational decisions at Hot Chili?
Christian Easterday, as founder and managing director, leads the board and executive team out of the Perth office. The company operates through a dual-listed structure on the ASX and TSXV, with no single majority shareholder controlling votes. Strategic investors including Osisko Gold Royalties hold meaningful positions, but governance remains in the hands of the board led by Easterday.
Is Hot Chili a single-family office or a public company?
Hot Chili Ltd is a publicly traded mineral-exploration and development company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange. It is not a family office, nor a privately held investment vehicle. Institutional and retail investors hold the equity, and it operates under standard ASX listing rules and continuous-disclosure obligations.
How far is Costa Fuego from actual mine construction?
The project completed a preliminary economic assessment in 2022 and has advanced pre-feasibility work including water drilling and resource infill campaigns. A definitive feasibility study is the next major technical milestone, targeted by the company as the gateway to a construction decision. No formal mine-construction commitment or project financing has been announced as of mid-2025, placing Costa Fuego in the late-stage development category.
What gives Hot Chili genuine differentiation among copper juniors?
Three linked structural factors set it apart. First, the fully-consolidated asset eliminates third-party earn-in dilution. Second, the rare coastal, low-altitude location pre-empts the permitting risk that ties up competing high-Andean projects. Third, the presence of Osisko Gold Royalties as a cornerstone shareholder adds a de-risking validation signal from one of the few royalty companies willing to back pre-construction copper developers.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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