KCB maiden drill programme

RNS Number : 2681B

Kavango Resources PLC

30 September 2022

 

PRESS RELEASE

30^th September 2022

KAVANGO RESOURCES PLC

("Kavango" or "the Company")

KCB maiden drill programme

Botswana focussed metals exploration company Kavango Resources plc (LSE:KAV) ("Kavango") is pleased to announce its maiden drill campaign in the  Kalahari Copper Belt ("KCB").

The Company has signed a contract with Mindea Exploration and Drilling Services Pty ("Mindea") for the first phase of drilling on licence PL082/2018. Kavango's technical team believes this prospecting licence ("PL") is a possible analogue to Khoemacau's Banana Zone deposit.

HIGHLIGHTS

-  Contract signed with Mindea for maiden KCB drill campaign

-  Mindea to deploy a multi-purpose rig, capable of both diamond core ("DC") and reverse circulation ("RC") drilling

-  First phase drill programme

-  Up to 6 holes (est. 1,250m) on PL082/2018, as first phase of 37,600m drill strategy (announced >>> 28 September 2022 )

-  Drilling to commence no later than 9 October

-  Expected completion by early November

-  Samples to be sent to an internationally accredited laboratory for testing

-  Drill Targets

-  Two discrete copper geochemical anomalies, which align with mapped regional geology (announced >>> 26 August 2022)

-  Northern Zone: 9km strike length with maximum width of 650m

-  Central Zone: 27km strike length extending over length of PL082/2018

-  Peak soil sample value of 118.8ppm Copper ("Cu") (pXRF values)  

Ben Turney, Chief Executive Officer of Kavango Resources, commented:

"Our technical team has worked extremely hard to maximise our chances of making one or more copper discoveries in the Kalahari Copper Belt. Our thorough exploration programme over the last 18 months has delivered 14 priority targets and I am now delighted to announce our maiden KCB drill campaign.

This is a significant achievement for Kavango. Following our successful drilling in the Kalahari Suture Zone and at Ditau in H1, we are on course to have drilled all three of our projects during 2022.

We are very happy to have partnered again with Mindea. Mindea has been active in the KCB over recent months with some notable successes. This work has recently paused, so we took advantage of that break to initiate drilling on PL082.

We are very fortunate that Mindea has been using a multi-purpose rig on its other job, as this is exactly what we need to optimise our programme as it develops. The timing has also worked out very well, allowing us to drill so soon after the latest positive exploration results from this licence.

Our technical team has done a superb job in identifying such significant drill targets. The alignment of coincident geological, geochemical and geophysical data sets is decidedly encouraging at this stage.

We now approach our first phase drilling on the KCB with a high degree of confidence and look forward to mobilising the rig as soon as we can."

First phase drill programme details

Kavango has signed a contract with Mindea for a first phase drill programme, consisting of an initial 1,250m of drilling on PL082/2018 in the KCB.

Mindea has been active in the KCB over recent months, with a multi-purpose rig capable of both diamond core and RC drilling. Kavango has been able to take advantage of a pause in that programme to engage Mindea to mobilise the rig to PL082/2018 for the first phase drill programme. Kavango intends to use the same rig for future drilling in the KCB, subject to its availability.

The Company's technical team believes that PL082/2018 is a possible analogue to Khoemacau's Banana Zone deposit. The Banana Zone deposit sits immediately to the south of Ghanzi Ridge, and has been reported as having an estimated total mineral resource of 55.8Mt @ 1.1% Cu & 16.4g/t Ag.

The first phase drill programme will focus on testing two discrete copper geochemical anomalies (the "Targets"), which are aligned with mapped underlying geology at PL082/2018. The Company has validated and improved the definition of the Targets through a follow-up infill soil sampling programme (announced >>> 29^thSeptember 2022).

The details of the Targets are as follows:

I) Central Zone     (Cu: >30ppm, Max 118.8ppm)

-  Follows the geological trend of a sub outcropping anticline. This anticline forms the dome that hosts the Zeta and Plutus copper deposits located by Discovery Metals to the North East. The elevated copper values are postulated to represent a possible leakage zone from an underlying redox contact

-  The unit has been mapped to extend over the length of PL082/2018, extending over 27km, and is also characterised by a zone of elevated magnetic response

-  Infill soil sampling has confirmed elevated readings along the Target, further strengthening its prospectivity

II) Northern Zone     (Cu: >30ppm, Max 39.7ppm)

-  A robust anomaly occurring in an area with no outcrop (under Kalahari cover) on the edge of a magnetic high that bears similarities to the Ourea and Quirinus copper deposits identified by Discovery Metals in 2009. These deposits are interpreted to be on the limbs of tight anticlines

-  Previous work by Kavango identified an Airborne ElectroMagnetic ("AEM") conductor, which coincides with the geochemical northern zone identified in this latest work

-  Infill soil sampling confirmed that the Target extends over 9km of geological strike length and has a maximum width of 650m, which may comprise up to three separate parallel anomalies, with a peak value of 43ppm Cu (pXRF values)

Drilling is expected to commence by 9^th October.

Kavango is also mobilising Controlled-Source Audio MagnetoTelluric ("CSAMT") equipment to PL082/2018 and expects to complete up to 17 line-km of surveys. The Company's objective is to provide resolution of the anticipated anticline structure and to ensure optimal drill orientation.

Next steps

The first phase drilling programme at PL082/2018 initiates commencement of Kavango's comprehensive KCB drill strategy (announced >>> 27 September 2022).

The Company has so far identified 188 drill collar locations across the KCB and aims ultimately to complete up to 37,600m of RC and diamond drilling. These locations are centred on 13 priority target areas delineated across four PLs (PL082/2018, PL036/2020, as well as the "Mamuno" licences (PL049/2020 and PL052/2020)).

Kavango will continue further field exploration across all 12 of its PLs in the KCB in parallel with any drilling. The Company expects to add more target areas and drill collar locations to its inventory as this work progresses.

About Mindea

Mindea Exploration and Drilling Services (Pty) LTD was formed in September 2019 by Equity Drilling Limited and Maureen Mokgaotsane (Geologist), Sebanka Lobatlamang (Geologist) and Eddie Babuseng (Attorney at Law) to provide complete exploration solutions to its clients in Botswana.

Mindea is currently operated under the Botswana Citizen Economic Empowerment Policy and is owned 51% by local shareholders and 49% by Equity Drilling. Over the coming years, it is expected that Botswana nationals will wholly own Mindea, with Equity Drilling continuing to provide strategic and technical support.

Mindea operates to strict international safety standards and deploys the latest equipment to its projects. Mindea is rigorous in its planning and site preparation.

Reflecting the quality of its operations, Mindea has recently been awarded a 3-year contract by Debswana to drill various national projects in Botswana. In addition to this, Mindea is a regular drill contractor for DeBeers.

Further information in respect of Kavango and its business interests is provided on the Company's website at  www.kavangoresources.com  and on Twitter at #KAV.

For further information please contact:

Kavango Resources plc   

Ben Turney

[e-mail]

[phone]

First Equity (Joint Broker)

[phone]

Jason Robertson   

SI Capital Limited (Joint Broker) 

[phone]

Nick Emerson

Kavango Competent Person Statement

The technical information contained in this announcement pertaining to geology and exploration have been read and approved by Brett Grist BSc(Hons) FAusIMM (CP).  Mr Grist is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy with Chartered Professional status.  Mr Grist has sufficient experience that is relevant to the exploration programmes and geology of the main styles of mineralisation and deposit types under consideration to act as a Qualified Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'.

NOTES TO EDITORS

KAVANGO'S INTERESTS IN THE KALAHARI COPPER BELT

Kavango's exploration licences in the KCB include:

Kanye Resources

Agreement to acquire 100% working interest (Kavango currently owns 50% working interest) in 10 prospecting licences held in a Joint Venture vehicle (Kanye Resources) with Power Metal Resources (LSE:POW), which cover 4,256km². Terms of the acquisition, which is subject to the issue of a prospectus by Kavango, are provided in the announcement dated 8 July 2022.

The Mamuno Project Area consists of four of the Kanye licences (PL046/2020, PL049/2020, PL052/2020, PL053/2020).

The LVR Project

Kavango has a 90% interest in prospecting licences PL082/2018 & PL 083/2018, held in a Joint Venture with LVR GeoExplorers (Pty) Ltd ("LVR"), which cover 809km².

THE KCB PROJECT GEOLOGICAL SETTING

Kavango's KCB Project areas include lengthy redox boundaries, close to surface, that represent excellent exploration targets.

The redox boundaries were formed several hundred million years ago in active sedimentary basins flooded by shallow seas. Organic matter accumulating on the sea floor created anoxic conditions, which formed a chemical barrier to metal ions rising upwards through the sediments as the basin subsided. The change in chemistry caused the precipitation of metal species (carbonates, sulphides etc.) including copper and silver on or just below the redox boundary.

Subsequent tectonic activity folded the sedimentary layers, which was often accompanied by the concentration of metals into the fold hinges and shear zones. Fold hinges pointing upwards are known as anticlines, while the downward pointing hinges are called synclines.

Several large copper-silver ore deposits have been discovered on the KCB in association with anticlines in areas now held under licence by Sandfire Resources (ASX:SFR) and Cupric Canyon (a privately owned mining development company). These deposits are relatively close to surface and many are amenable to open pit mining operations.

Accumulations of metals can be traced along the strike of Redox boundaries (sometimes for many kilometres) because they often contain iron and have a higher magnetic signature than the surrounding rock. These have recently been successfully mapped by Kavango's exploration teams.

GLOSSARY

AEM:  Airborne Electromagnetic Survey. This uses an energised loop to induce currents in underlying lithological units, which resultant magnetic field can then be measured.

CSAMT:  Abbreviated from Controlled Source Audio frequency Magneto Telluric. An AMT survey is an electromagnetic survey technique that uses naturally occurring passive energy sources, and which can electrically map geologic structures to depths of 500 metres or more.

Inversion:  Geophysical inversion refers to mathematical and statistical techniques for recovering information on subsurface physical properties, from observed geophysical data

KCB:  Kalahari Copper Belt. An area of southern Africa, running ENE-WSW from Botswana into Namibia, within which multiple economic copper-silver sedimentary rock hosted deposits have been discovered.

RC:  Reverse Circulation drilling. This is a cost-effective method of drilling that uses compressed air to drive a downhole hammer, which breaks rock into chips that are forced up an internal tube in the drill rod, minimising risk of contamination by wall-rock.

Redox boundary:  Reduction and oxidation boundary, at which the chemical oxidative state of chemical species changes, typically resulting in precipitation of metal salts.

 

END

 

 

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