Tertiary Minerals plc’s earn-in partner has completed drilling the first hole, short of the target horizon, at the Konkola West copper project in Zambia.
POSITIVE
Following “continued technical difficulties and limited advancement” operator KoBold Metals drilled hole KWDD001 to a down-hole depth of 2,711.1 metres.
KoBold has the right to earn into the project by drilling two holes for a minimum of 2,000m.
Tertiary said that although the hole did not reach the Copperbelt Orebody member, or the Ore Shale, the collected data would lead to better understanding of the basin.
The hole intersected two zones of low-grade copper sulphide mineralisation while trace
bornite and chalcopyrite mineralisation was observed.
Analysis of drill core is underway and a wireline downhole geophysical survey completed.
“KWDD001 is believed to be the deepest mineral exploration drill hole to ever be drilled in the
Zambian Copperbelt and marks a significant milestone within the industry,” added the company.
Drilling on the second hole KWDD002 began on 26 March for a planned approximate 2,000m.
Managing director Richard Belcher said: “While we are naturally disappointed the target horizon was not reached by the final hole depth, the drilling of such a deep borehole along with the geological data collected as part of KoBold’s comprehensive, data-driven approach has been truly impressive.
“It is incredibly exciting for Tertiary to be involved in such a ground-breaking project and we
remain extremely positive on the potential future outcomes.”
Konkola West is located 5km to the southwest of KoBold’s Mingomba deposit, part of the Lubambe-Mingomba-Konkola copper deposits of the Zambian Copperbelt.