Eastport Critical Metals has uncovered historical exploration trenches extending over 12 kilometres at its Copper Snake prospect in north-eastern Botswana, with visible copper mineralisation and indications of gold strengthening the company’s plans to begin drilling in early 2027.
The discovery was made during a 291-square-kilometre gravity survey at the Matsitama Copper Project, approximately 85 kilometres west of Francistown, where Eastport has been investigating a copper-in-soil anomaly extending for nearly 30 kilometres between Thole and Copper Snake.
In an update released on 6 November 2026, the Canadian-listed company said several historical trenches had been identified in the Lepashe/Copper Snake area, with evidence of copper mineralisation observed at multiple locations.
Eastport has already re-excavated one of the trenches, designated LT001, measuring 12 metres long and two metres deep. Initial examination identified a two-metre-wide zone of copper mineralisation, together with native gold.
The copper minerals identified include chrysocolla, brochantite, shattuckite and malachite, which the company said occur within fractures, veins and the quartz rock matrix.
Eastport believes the presence of these minerals provides evidence of copper mineralisation within the underlying bedrock rather than material transported from elsewhere.
Chief executive officer Daniel Major said the findings added another important element to the company’s understanding of the Copper Snake prospect, which has remained a priority because of the scale of its copper anomaly.
“The Copper Snake target at Matsitama has long been a priority for Eastport, with the approximately 30km long Copper-in-soil anomaly almost impossible to ignore,” Major said.
He said the company launched the gravity survey in September to identify geological structures that could host mineralisation and help determine future drilling locations.
“The extensive presence of multiple trenches for some 12km with visible base and precious metal mineralisation continues to support our internal technical models that includes building a geological model to support an Iron Oxide Copper Gold (“IOCG”) target.”
The company is investigating whether the geological characteristics at Copper Snake could indicate an iron oxide copper-gold mineral system, a type of deposit associated with copper and gold mineralisation.
Although the discovery of native gold is encouraging, Eastport has not yet reported laboratory assay results establishing the copper or gold grades within the trenches.
The trenches themselves are historical exploration workings rather than newly excavated discoveries, and many have become overgrown. Their identification during the geophysical survey has prompted Eastport to begin reopening them for geological mapping and sampling.
The company expects to complete this work during the fourth quarter of 2026 while continuing to search for additional trenches along the anomaly.
Results from the trenching programme will be combined with the gravity survey, which has been completed but is awaiting final interpretation, and electromagnetic survey data to identify potential drilling targets.
Eastport plans to use the combined results to define drilling locations during the first quarter of 2027.
The Matsitama project comprises six exploration licences covering approximately 1,845 square kilometres and is Eastport’s most advanced asset in Botswana.
The company also holds interests in the Selebi East nickel-copper-cobalt project, the Semarule rare earth elements project, the Foley uranium project, the Jwaneng diamond project and the Keng nickel-copper-platinum group elements project.
Eastport said historical and current expenditure across its six Botswana projects is approaching C$20 million.
The latest findings move Copper Snake closer to drill-target selection, although the extent, grade and economic significance of the mineralisation remain to be established through sampling, laboratory analysis and drilling.
