“These results add weight to our conviction that this area is potentially host to one of the next big copper districts and provides further validation for our current exploration methodology,” said Executive Chairman and Managing Director, Martin Holland.
Cobre Ltd (ASX:CBE) has unearthed new high-grade copper results at Ngami Copper Project (NCP) in the Kalahari Copper Belt (KCB) in Botswana, including one intersection the company described as having potential for economic concentrations of the metal.
Drill hole NCP08 from the first batch of assay results returned 10.7 metres at 1.3% copper and 18 g/t silver (1.5% copper equivalent) from 136.2 metres downhole including 4.4 metres at 2.0% copper and 25 g/t silver (2.2% copper equivalent) and 1.-metre at 5.3% copper and 39 g/t silver (5.6% copper equivalent).
Other highlights include:
- 11.0 metres at 0.5% copper and 16 g/t silver (0.6% copper equivalent) from 250.0 metres downhole;
- 13.1 metres at 0.4% copper and 7 g/t silver (0.5% copper equivalent) from 108.2 metres; and
- 2.0 metres at 1.8% copper and 8 g/t silver (1.9% copper equivalent) from 171.2 metres.
District-scale potential
Cobre executive chairman and managing director Martin Holland said:
“We’re delighted to release the first batch of assay results which corroborate the visual estimates of anomalous copper mineralisation and the exciting district-scale potential of this portion of the KCB.
“These results add weight to our conviction that this area is potentially host to one of the next big copper districts and provides further validation for our current exploration methodology.
“The programme has now been significantly expanded as we start drilling for further high-grade zones within a broad footprint to include new targets in this emerging district.”
Next steps
The ongoing 500-metre infill drill programme has now completed drill holes NCP13 and NCP14, both of which have intersected notable copper mineralisation at the expected target depth, confirming the lateral continuity of anomalous copper results over more than 4 kilometres strike. The programme will now focus on completing the 500-metre spaced lateral coverage along the target and extending the target footprint to the northeast. A second rig will concurrently begin testing high-grade portions of the target, and will include eight additional diamond drill holes totalling about 2,400 metres, and is expected to be completed by the end of October.
As well, further drill testing of targets in the remainder of the project area will commence when partial leach low detection limit assays are completed on about 5,000 soil samples.
Results will be announced when the planned drilling has been completed and assays received.
