Partnership with Namibia-based company KDN Geo Consulting has significantly improved the progress made at Australia-based explorer and developer Cazaly Resources’ two projects in Namibia, says Cazaly Resources MD Tara French.

Cazaly’s projects in Namibia consist of the Abenab North project, located in the Otavi Mountain Land region of northern Namibia, and the Kaoko project, located in the north-western section of Namibia, close to the Namibia-Angola border.

Cazaly owns 95% of both projects, while 5% is owned by KDN Geo Consulting.

French explains that having a local partner on the projects has been “immensely valuable” owing to their local knowledge, as well as their technical skills and general industry expertise.

The partnership has also connected Cazaly with various local providers, which have assisted in the projects thus far.

In particular, KDN Geo Consulting has been able to communicate with Namibian officials to get updates on licence approval processes, as well as start discussions with local landowners in Namibia.

French says the partnership has been instrumental in maintaining best practices with landowners and local counterparts in Namibia.

The partnership also proved key in managing the projects throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, she adds.

The pandemic, and its resulting lockdowns, significantly impacted on the progress of Cazaly’s projects in Namibia, resulting in significant delays in their timelines.

However, during the lockdown period, KDN Geo Consulting was able to liaise with Cazaly and the relevant Namibian officials, consequently resulting in Cazaly representatives being able to visit both projects in February this year and conduct low-level surface work.

Abenab North, Kaoko Projects
Existing drill results from the Abenab North project have revealed broad intercepts of total rare earth oxides with good grades, leading Cazaly to currently focus on evaluating whether the project has enough volume to justify economically viable mining thereof.

French says that an exciting aspect of the project is the presence of limited historical drilling data which offers greater insights when compared to other greenfield projects.

Cazaly submitted its application for the Abenab tenement in November 2022 and expects that the licence will be granted within the next two months, says French.

The Kaoko critical minerals project piqued Cazaly’s interest owing to its location north of exploration and development company Celsius Resources’ Opuwo copper-cobalt prospect.

French adds that as work progressed, the Kaoko tenement and geochemical data were reassessed and Cazaly found that the area had significant potential for lithium.