Midas Minerals is now positioned to transition its Namibian copper-gold assets, including the South Otavi and Otavi Copper Project, from reconnaissance to full-scale drilling programs by late 2025.
The company’s growing Namibian exploration team on the ground has completed the initial trenching and mapping, while soil sampling and drill targeting are underway.
Midas has agreed to acquire the ~1,776km² high-grade Otavi Copper Project in Namibia.
The Otavi Project has exceptional exploration upside, with an abundance of historic shallow, high-grade drill intercepts including 17.2m at 7.24% Cu and 144.4g/t Ag, and significant untapped potential for future discoveries due to modern exploration covering <40% of the tenure.
The company says it is actively preparing to commence drilling immediately upon completion of the acquisition.
Midas has the option to acquire 80% of the ~195 km² South Otavi Project in Namibia, located proximal to the Otavi Copper Project.
Exploration has commenced to test extensive areas of known copper and gold anomalism.
The recent trenching at South Otavi has confirmed widespread in-situ copper mineralisation extending more than 2km along strike in a favourable corridor of Askevold meta-volcanics within the Nosib Group.
The copper zones, which include oxides, chalcocite and bornite, are hosted in a 100m-wide corridor and remain open along strike.
The best trench result to date is 2m at 2.41% copper and 28.5g/t silver.
Midas Minerals is preparing to commence resource definition drilling on known copper and gold deposits, as well as regional exploration across its newly acquired 1,776km² Otavi Copper Project in northern Namibia, while advancing early-stage trenching and mapping at the adjacent South Otavi Project.
Ongoing trenching and infill soil sampling are targeting additional zones of copper and gold under shallow soil cover.
The company has also acquired open-file geophysical data to refine exploration priorities and is clearing drill pads for both copper and gold targets.
Site facilities have been established in the town of Otavi, including offices, a core shed, and long-term accommodation to support the field campaign.
Executive Director Mark Calderwood said: “Midas is undertaking the first documented exploration on the South Otavi copper and gold targets in the last 25 to 50 years. We have managed to locate intermittent in-situ copper mineralisation within the prospective Askevold meta-volcanics over at least 2km strike, under a veneer of shallow soil cover.”
“We’re finalising preparations for our first drilling program since announcing the Namibian acquisitions. Concurrently, we are building our in-country team and logistics capacity to launch a broader program at the larger Otavi Project once the acquisition process is complete.”
Otavi Project drilling preparation underway
At the Otavi Copper Project, which hosts the high-grade T13 and Deblin deposits, Midas is mobilising for a multi-target drilling campaign.
The project area, located within the Pan-African Damaran Orogen, is situated on the Khorixas-Gasenirob Thrust Zone.
This tectonic setting mirrors world-class copper-gold systems seen in both the Central African Copperbelt and Namibia’s renowned Tsumeb and Otjikoto mining districts.
Past results from the Otavi Project include 17.2m at 7.24% copper and 144.4g/t silver, including 6m at 16.65% copper and 370.3g/t silver (T13).
Another intersection at T13 returned 45m at 2.43% copper and 54.9g/t silver, including 11m at 5.18% copper and 133.7g/t silver.
Further drilling at T13 produced 20m at 4.16% copper and 13.5g/t silver from 62.6m and 16.3m at 2.68% copper and 78.8g/t silver from 97.2m.
At Deblin, Midas reported 15m at 4.15% copper, 14.6g/t silver and 0.22g/t gold from 449m, and 17m at 1.72% copper from 394m.
At the Hartebeestpoort Prospect, results included 11.2m at 3.11% copper, 0.54g/t gold and 28.4g/t silver from 26m.
At Driekoppies, drilling produced 12.5m at 3.64% copper from 28.3m, 14.7m at 1.65% copper and 0.4g/t gold from 90.7m, and 12m at 1.53% copper from 30.7m with a separate interval of 4.3m at 2.94% copper from 50.4m.
These mineralised zones are mostly near-surface, remain open along strike, and occur across folded and faulted contacts between the Nosib and Otavi Groups—critical structures known to control copper-silver-gold emplacement.
Midas has begun logging historic drill core and interpreting newly acquired airborne magnetic data to refine targets. It has also commenced procurement of drilling consumables and is constructing logistics infrastructure in preparation for sustained exploration through the second half of 2025.
Geological and strategic potential
Located 350km north of Windhoek and adjacent to key mining infrastructure, the Otavi and South Otavi Projects provide Midas with access to proven metallogenic corridors and untapped potential in a country with a rich mining history and a transparent permitting environment.
South Otavi lies near the 3Moz Otjikoto gold mine and replicates many of the same geological features, including proximity to the Swakop and Otavi Groups and presence of gold-bearing anticlinal structures.
