The Hope and Gorob Copper-Gold Project is shaping up to be one of Namibia’s most advanced new copper developments, with initial production plans focused on a large open pit at the Hope prospect.
Engineering and resource studies reveal a project that is both technically defined and economically promising, with further growth potential along strike and at depth.
The first phase of production will target 2.3 million tonnes of run-of-mine ore from the Hope mine.
The pit design reaches a depth of 150 metres, with ore averaging 1.34 per cent copper, 0.26 grams per tonne gold, and 5.05 grams per tonne silver.
Production is planned at a rate of 360,000 to 480,000 tonnes per year, with ore processed on site using dry ore sorting before being hauled to the Namibia Leand and Zinc Mine flotation plant for final concentrate production.
At nameplate capacity, the Hope pit will generate around 8,000 tonnes of contained copper annually, with a targeted copper equivalent grade of 1.65 per cent. Engineering studies indicate that 25 per cent of the ore volume will be screened out as fines after crushing, while the remaining 75 per cent will be upgraded through sorting.
About 180,000 tonnes of pre-concentrate will be delivered each year to the flotation plant, with an additional 70,000 tonnes stockpiled to extend mine life—effectively adding a year of production for every three years mined.
Mining services, including blasthole drilling, haulage, and blasting, are expected to be contracted to the Namibian arm of a primary Africa-wide service provider.
The average strip ratio at Hope has been estimated at 14:1. External consultants estimate operating costs in the region of $ 5,020 per tonne of contained copper in concentrate, at grades of no lower than 28 per cent copper.
Exploration beyond the initial pit outlines suggests further upside. Gorob and Vendome contain an additional 1.01 million tonnes of open-pittable material averaging 1.28 per cent copper at lower strip ratios.
Historic drilling did not adequately sample for gold, but recent grab samples from surface returned grades averaging 1.81 grams per tonne, suggesting a gold credit is likely to be added to future resource estimates. Additional prospects, including Du Preez and Anomaly, have also demonstrated open-pit potential under current metal prices.
Beyond the open pits, a further 900,000 tonnes of high-grade underground ore has been identified beneath Hope, averaging 2.04 per cent copper and 0.48 grams per tonne gold.
This ore could be mined in tandem with the open pit, either to lift average feed grades and boost production or to extend mine life by blending with lower-grade material.
The project is underpinned by a JORC-compliant Mineral Resource Estimate completed by Addison Mining Services in 2023. The total resource stands at 15 million tonnes, grading 1.2 per cent copper, or approximately 190,000 tonnes of contained copper.
This includes 1.24 million tonnes at 1.6 per cent copper and 0.4 grams per tonne gold in the Indicated category at Hope, and approximately 14 million tonnes in the Inferred category across Hope, Gorob, Vendome, and Anomaly.
With engineering designs based on these resources, the Hope and Gorob Project is moving toward development as a technically sound and strategically significant copper-gold asset for Namibia.
