Aldoro Resources has purchased two Nock portable diamond drill rigs to expedite exploration and resource definition for the Kameelburg Rare Earths Project.
There is significant demand for drill rigs in Namibia due to the amount of exploration for gold and uranium, making it difficult for the company to secure drilling services promptly, which can adversely impact its licenses.
The acquisition of these two portable diamond rigs will put the company in a solid position to define a resource for the Kameelburg project in 2025 and provide valuable employment and training opportunities to the local community close to the Kameelburg project area.
The company is targeting niobium maiden drilling at the Kameelburg Rare Earths Project for the end of Q3 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.
Recent metallurgical test work by Bureau Veritas Minerals achieved a successful open-cycle niobium recovery level of 62.4% for a selected Kameelburg sample.
The processes resulted in an upgrade of the head feed of 0.74% Nb2O5 to 5.5% Nb2O5, a multiple of 10.6 times with a 62.4% recovery rate of Nb2O5.
The portable diamond drill rig is considered more environmentally friendly to the local community as it does not require an upgrade to the road or the construction of a giant drilling pad.
The models purchased are expected to arrive at Kameelburg along with drilling consumables and spares in the first week of November.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy has approved the transfer of the Kameelburg Project’s EPL 7372, 7373, and 7895 from Logan Exploration & Investments CC to the Aldoro JV operating company Kameelburg Exploration Mining (Pty) Ltd.
This transfer follows the successful renewal of the Kameelburg licenses in August 2024.
The Kameelburg Project is 60 km southwest of Otjiwarongo and covers 1,017 km2.
It comprises the project area and contains the Kameelburg (Ondurakorume) carbonatite system.
AMCOR conducted initial mineral investigations in the late 1960s and early 1970s.