Aldoro Resources Ltd has moved to lock in long-term drilling capacity in Namibia after agreeing to acquire a Diamec Smart 8 fully hydraulic diamond drill rig, a step the company says materially de-risks its path toward feasibility at the Kameelburg rare earth element–niobium carbonatite project.
The rig, valued at A$1.5 million on a CIF Namibia basis, will be settled through the issue of 3.75 million Aldoro shares, subject to shareholder approval.
Capable of drilling to depths of up to 1,500 metres per hole, the Diamec Smart 8 gives the company in-country drilling capability at a time when metallurgical certainty and resource scale are central questions at Kameelburg.
Aldoro says owning the rig will improve efficiency in collecting large-diameter metallurgical core, while avoiding the delays and environmental permitting complexities often associated with mobilising third-party rigs.
The rig acquisition sits alongside a drill-for-equity agreement with AMW Mining Pte Ltd, under which AMW will provide drilling services at roughly 50% below prevailing Namibian market rates, with no mobilisation, standby or demobilisation charges.
Part of the drilling cost can be settled in shares at A$0.40 each, preserving cash while securing up to 10,000–11,000 metres of diamond drilling expected to be completed in the first half of 2026.
Aldoro says the structure effectively funds the expanded Phase II program while maintaining balance-sheet flexibility.
With drilling capacity secured, the company expanded its Phase II program at Kameelburg to include an additional 11,000 metres of appraisal and metallurgical diamond drilling.
The program is designed to support resource expansion, bulk sampling for beneficiation studies, bench-scale and pilot-scale metallurgical optimisation, and preparation for a future JORC resource upgrade.
During the December quarter, Phase II drilling targeting high-grade niobium mineralisation continued, building on earlier results, including intercepts of up to 4.14% Nb₂O₅ in hole DD005B.
The current drill plan focuses on testing deeper niobium-enriched zones within the Kameelburg carbonatite complex, particularly along its western margin.
Aldoro’s geological model suggests niobium grades improve with depth, a hypothesis now being tested using deeper diamond holes designed to reach between 500 and 750 metres.
The program is expected to refine the geometry and continuity of high-grade zones, with preliminary internal modelling indicating that Kameelburg could ultimately support a mineralised system approaching 800 million tonnes.
If confirmed through drilling and metallurgical work, the project would rank among the largest known rare-earth and niobium deposits globally by contained resources.
Beyond Kameelburg, Aldoro advanced early-stage work at the Omuronga Heavy Rare Earth project during the quarter.
A detailed ground magnetic survey covering 3.42 km² on 50-metre line spacing outlined a circular magnetic anomaly about 1.4 kilometres in diameter.
While weaker in magnetic intensity than the Kameelburg signature, the anomaly shows comparable geometry and is interpreted as a deeply weathered carbonatite or related intrusive body.
Geological interpretation suggests the weathered profile extends to depths of roughly 100 to 150 metres, deepening from southwest to northeast.
Geochemical data adds weight to the geophysical interpretation.
Previous auger drilling and soil sampling identified rare-earth anomalies, with laboratory assays returning total rare-earth oxide plus yttrium values up to 1,130 ppm, alongside elevated calcium-to-potassium ratios and evidence of fenitisation.
The prospect lies within about 10 kilometres of Kameelburg in the Damara Belt, reinforcing the view that Omuronga lies within a fertile intrusive field capable of hosting multiple carbonatite-related systems.
A detailed soil sampling program is now nearing completion at Omuronga, while planning is underway for an initial diamond-drilling campaign of 8 holes.
The proposed drilling will test two mineralisation styles: ionic-clay-hosted heavy rare-earth mineralisation within the weathered profile, and primary light rare-earth mineralisation within the underlying fresh carbonatite.
Alongside its Namibian exploration push, Aldoro also reviewed its non-core asset portfolio during the quarter. A proposed sale of the Niobe and Narndee projects and EPL 7895 to Sultan Resources did not proceed after Sultan shareholders failed to approve the issue of consideration shares.
As a result, Aldoro retains those assets and says it will continue to assess alternative divestment or value-adding exploration options.
With the drill rig acquisition now in motion and drilling costs structurally reduced, Aldoro is positioning Kameelburg as a technically advanced rare earth–niobium project at a stage where scale, metallurgy and development pathways are coming into sharper focus.
The company says the coming months will be defined by deep drilling results, metallurgical data and a clearer line of sight toward feasibility, with the newly secured drilling capability forming the backbone of that next phase.
