Aldoro Resources has completed two reconnaissance diamond drillholes at its Avondschaduw copper-gold prospect in Namibia and is relocating its drilling rig to the Kameelburg Project, where three additional holes will investigate high-grade niobium mineralisation.
The company said both Avondschaduw holes, AD001 and AD002, had intersected multiple zones containing visible sulphide minerals, with laboratory analysis now required to determine their copper and gold content.
The company has completed geological logging, cutting and sampling of core from AD001, with 47 half-core samples covering 13 mineralised intervals delivered to a laboratory in Otjiwarongo for gold and multi-element analysis.
Core from AD002 is undergoing detailed geological logging, photography and cutting at the company’s field facility. So far, 62 samples have been cut across 11 intervals ahead of laboratory submission.
The drilling identified several sulphide-bearing zones, including an interval of 31.1 metres in AD001, from 80.1 metres to 111.2 metres below the drillhole collar, containing an estimated 1% to 2% visible sulphides.
A second interval in AD001, measuring 4.3 metres from 204.9 metres, contained an estimated 2% to 3% sulphides, while another 4.8-metre interval from 333 metres contained approximately 1%.
Visible chalcopyrite, a copper-bearing sulphide mineral, was identified at depths of 334.25 metres and 334.60 metres in AD001.
At AD002, the company recorded a 33.62-metre interval from 182.7 metres to 216.32 metres containing an estimated 3% to 5% sulphides, with local concentrations reaching 5% to 10%.
Another interval measuring 55.4 metres, from 258.8 metres to 314.2 metres, contained approximately 2% to 3% sulphides.
The mineralisation in AD002 was predominantly pyrrhotite, with smaller quantities of pyrite, occurring in altered syenogranite associated with quartz veins.
Visible chalcopyrite was also identified at a depth of 62.6 metres in AD002.
Although the drilling has identified sulphide-bearing zones, the visual estimates represent the total abundance of sulphide minerals rather than copper or gold grades.
The reported intervals are measured along the drillholes, and their true widths have not yet been established.
Laboratory assays will therefore be necessary to determine whether the intersections contain economically significant copper or gold mineralisation.
Three more holes planned at Kameelburg
With both reconnaissance holes completed at Avondschaduw, Aldoro is demobilising the diamond drilling rig from Line 6200 and relocating it to the DD003 drill pad at its flagship Kameelburg Project.
The rig will undertake three follow-up diamond holes aimed at investigating high-grade niobium mineralisation.
Aldoro said the results from Avondschaduw would be integrated with geological logging and geophysical information to guide further exploration along the copper-gold corridor.
The company has not provided an expected date for the laboratory results or a completion timetable for the three planned Kameelburg drillholes.
The immediate next steps are the analysis of Avondschaduw core samples and the commencement of follow-up niobium drilling at Kameelburg.
