JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed copper miner MOD Resources has received approval from the Botswana Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) to start drilling on a farm north of its T3 copper project, doubling its approved exploration area to 100 km2, while opening up additional airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey targets for drilling.
T3 forms part of the joint venture (JV) between MOD and Aim-listed Metal Tiger and includes an extensive licence holding in the central and western parts of the Kalahari copper belt.
The environmental approval allows MOD to drill two further AEM targets, A15 and A18, immediately.
The DEA has also approved an environmental management plant for a planned 20-hole diamond drilling programme at MOD’s 100% held T1 Project.
The approval is subject to a four-week public review, which started on November 24.
MOD’s in-country subsidiary Tshukudu has also submitted a project brief for the substantial T3 dome drilling programme. Once the project brief is approved, Tshukudu will submit an environmental management plan for authorisation by the DEA. This is expected to be followed by a four-week public review process with drilling targeted to start in the first quarter of 2018.
The T3 Dome drilling programme will initially focus on testing about nine AEM targets including the high priority A1, A2, A3, A4, A9 and A10 anomalies.
Tshukudu has received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana to fly a 193 km2 extension, east and south of the previous T3 Dome AEM survey area. The extension will cover a strong soil anomaly and several large magnetic structural features. Flying is expected to start in December.