Dual-listed Shuka Minerals has successfully completed the ninth drill hole, KBDD09, slightly to the south of the previously unmined Speaks and Mine Club zones at its Kabwe zinc mine, in Zambia.

The company and consultants, GeoQuest, intersected a previously unknown, near-surface orebody a few hundred metres south of the Speaks and Mine Club areas.

Shuka says KBDD09 represents the first of three exploratory drill holes, targeting this new orebody.

Pinpoint X-ray fluorescence (XRF) readings over the defined mineralised intervals ranged from less than 1% to 65% zinc. Lead is present at values ranging from 0.1% to 12.3% lead.

Copper and vanadium grades were also detected consistent with the historically reported copper oxide and vanadium oxide mineralisation.

The Behre Dolbear 2023 National Instrument 43-101 report indicates that the Speaks orebody contains 1.94-million tonnes of indicated and inferred resource at grades of 12% zinc and 2% lead.

The Mine Club orebody contains 666 000 t of indicated and inferred resource at grades of 11.7% zinc and 0.8% lead, plus silver and vanadium oxide. Copper mineralisation has also been reported in the northerly areas.

Shuka says the new orebody would be in addition to any previously reported resources.

Encouragingly, the company says it can clearly see the mineralisation thickens in the central part of the northerly area, also the copper oxide mineralisation the company expected in the central and southern areas of Speaks and Mine Club is appearing.

Shuka will report on drillholes KB010 and KB011 in due course, which also targeted the new orebody.

The company notes that the GeoQuest geological team are finalising the reporting of the initial phase of drilling which was extended to 2 500 m owing to the excellent results received to date.

Drilling has been undertaken by Ox Drilling, a contractor with 21 years of operating experience in Zambia, and Shuka says it looks forward to welcoming Ox Drilling back later in the year for Phase 2.

"It is exciting to intersect a new and multi-element orebody. It shows that speaking to some of the old time workers about the area and Kabwe history can uncover previously untouched areas.

“To have zinc, lead, copper and vanadium mineralisation existing in the same intervals suggest much richer mineral bearing fluids and perhaps a zonal nature of the wider orebody.

“These steep exploration holes continue to give us confidence in the continuity of the Kabwe orebody. We are hoping to hit a lot more high-grade zinc mineralisation, as well as copper,” says Shuka CEO Richard Lloyd.