African Pioneer has deployed its first drilling rig at the Ongombo copper project in Namibia as it begins a 7,000-metre programme aimed at establishing sufficient resources to support an initial three to four years of open-pit mining before longer-term underground development.
The company said the programme, being undertaken with Hong Kong Xinhai Mining Services Limited, has started with a single drilling rig to allow its Namibian technical personnel to receive training in handling, logging and sampling the large volumes of drill core expected from the operation.
Additional rigs are expected to be introduced as the programme progresses, although African Pioneer has not specified how many will eventually be deployed or when they will arrive.
The drilling forms part of a mine development programme under a conditional financing and technical services agreement signed with Xinhai and announced on 30 July 2026.
African Pioneer plans to drill 119 holes totalling approximately 7,000 metres over several months, with additional time required for laboratory analysis and receipt of the final assay results.
A central objective is to test extensions of the existing Ongombo mineral resource identified by external engineering consultants, with the aim of validating the potential for three to four years of initial open-pit mining.
The proposed open-pit phase would provide an early mining opportunity while the company advances technical studies and planning for longer-term underground operations.
However, the estimated three-to-four-year mining period remains subject to the drilling results and further mine development work. It has not yet been established as a confirmed production schedule.
African Pioneer holds an 85% interest in Ongombo, which already has a JORC (2012) Mineral Resource Estimate of 29 million tonnes grading 1.1% copper equivalent.
The resource provides the foundation for the proposed development, although the new drilling programme is intended to improve understanding of the distribution, extent and grade of mineralisation across Ongombo and the neighbouring Ongeama project.
At Ongeama, drilling will investigate potential up-dip extensions of known mineralised bodies that could provide additional material for processing during the early years of open-pit mining.
The company also intends to collect geotechnical information to support mine design and long-term underground development planning at both deposits.
Another objective is to investigate parts of the East–Ost mineralised shoots where existing drilling information is insufficient and historical exploration during the 1980s did not include gold assays.
African Pioneer said these shoots are notably thicker in some areas, potentially offering additional tonnage if further drilling confirms the continuity and extent of mineralisation.
The programme will also seek to establish a single mineral resource covering Ongombo and Ongeama for future mining and processing purposes.
Meanwhile, planning has started for an onsite core-handling facility where drill samples will be received, logged, cut and prepared for laboratory testing.
The facility will also provide secure, long-term storage for drill core, supporting future resource evaluation and mine development work.
African Pioneer chairman Colin Bird said the start of drilling marked an important step towards establishing a new mining operation.
“I am pleased to be able to confirm that work is underway that will lead to the development of a new mining operation at Ongombo – Ongeama. Our partners at Xinhai have been working closely with our Namibian-based team and we are providing the in-country technical skills required to manage the drilling programme including logging, sampling and sample custody for certified assays. We will keep shareholders updated with progress as we increase the number of drill rigs on-site to fast-track the programme”.
