An 11 000 m drilling programme currently under way at Aim-listed Arc Minerals’ Kalaba prospect, in Zambia, is progressing well.
The prospect is owned by Zamsort, which is developing a copper/gold project. Arc has a 66% interest in Zamsort.
The drilling programme is designed with the view to rapidly delineate a shallow oxide resource for the commercial scale demonstration plant that is currently in the process of being completed, as well as to establish a maiden mineral resource estimate at the Kalaba prospect.
"Even though we are still at an early stage in the programme and the first few holes drilled are intended to test the geological framework at Kalaba, visible copper and cobalt mineralisation has been reported,” chairperson Nick von Schirnding said in an update to shareholders on Wednesday.
The mineralised core from these holes is currently being prepared to be cut, sampled and sent to a laboratory for analysis.
“We have also just trialled a ground penetrating radar survey to assist in identifying mineralised structures for a more targeted drilling programme in the future. The results from this exercise will be correlated against the holes drilled and compared to test its effectiveness,” he noted.
Final road permits to transport the reverse circulation drill to site are in the process of being obtained and the company anticipates mobilisation and commencement of drilling from this third drill rig in the next fortnight.