Aldoro Resources has announced it will acquire two new diamond drill rigs to extend its exploration capacity at the Kameelburg rare earth and niobium project.
The rigs are expected to arrive on site in September and will allow the company to drill significantly deeper than before.
The purchase is part of Aldoro’s plan to push the current maximum drilling depth from 510 metres to approximately 740 metres—a 40% increase that could prove critical in mapping deeper extensions of the mineralised system.
According to Aldoro’s latest update, the company is buying two rigs: a Nock 600, which can drill to 510 metres, and a Nock 800, rated to 740 metres. Along with the rigs, the company will receive drill rods sufficient for an additional 15,000 metres of drilling, giving it the capacity to accelerate and extend its current campaign well beyond the initial phase.
Company management described the move as a strategic investment designed to give Aldoro more control over its schedule and costs.
The new rigs will reduce dependence on Namibia’s limited pool of contractor equipment—an issue that has challenged many explorers working in the country.
Aldoro’s exploration at Kameelburg has already defined a broad zone of rare earth and niobium mineralisation over roughly a kilometre in length, more than 500 metres in width, and at least 510 metres deep.
Recent drilling has returned long intercepts of carbonatite mineralisation, with some holes ending in mineralised rock—suggesting the system remains open at depth.
The company’s decision to secure deeper-capacity rigs follows those results, as management seeks to test whether grades and widths continue below the existing drilling horizon.
The Nock 800 in particular is expected to become the workhorse for exploring new deeper targets that were previously out of reach.
The rigs will be delivered with consumables and support equipment valued at about A$800,000. Aldoro plans to settle the cost in two equal instalments, with the first A$400,000 tranche paid in Aldoro shares and the balance to be paid in cash or shares within a year.
Beyond technical advantages, the company says the new rigs will also support local employment.
Previous phases at Kameelburg have relied on Namibian operators and local contractors for site works, logistics and core processing, and Aldoro expects the expansion to generate additional local jobs once the rigs arrive.
The Kameelburg project has become a central focus for Aldoro’s portfolio, with management pitching it as a potential source of critical rare earth elements and niobium—commodities that have seen increased strategic interest amid efforts to secure non-Chinese supply.
The company has indicated it aims to deliver a maiden JORC resource for Kameelburg once sufficient drilling has been completed. With the new rigs arriving, that goal looks a step closer, as Aldoro prepares to deepen its understanding of the deposit—and drill far below where previous campaigns had to stop.
