Sunstone Metals (ASX:STM) said the latest two drill holes completed at the southern end of the Melonal porphyry system returned gold and copper from outside the existing mineral resource at the Bramaderos project in Ecuador, according to a Thursday Australian bourse filing.

It encountered sub-intervals of 296.7 meters grading 0.43 grams per tonne grade of gold-equivalent from surface, as well as 102 meters grading 0.52 g/t grade of gold-equivalent from surface.

Sunstone also expanded the surface sampling program by excavating trenches and cutting channel samples from outcrops in surface ravines across all three porphyry centers that lie outside the existing mineral resource.

Its shares jumped 5% in recent trading on Thursday.