Botswana-focused explorer Kavango Resources has successfully completed the first geological borehole drilling to a depth of 578 m in target area A (hole TA2DD001) in the Hukuntsi (northern) section of its Kalahari Suture Zone (KSZ) project.

Following completion of Hole TA2DD001, Kavango has signed an addendum to the current drill contract with Equity Drilling & Mindea Exploration and Drilling Services, to enable Kavango to drill up to six geological holes in the current campaign in the KSZ.

Kavango CEO Ben Turney says the company’s strategic objective in the KSZ this year is proof-of-concept, with the “prize” on offer being “considerable”.

“The successful completion of Hole TA2DD001 will hopefully prove to be a significant step forward in that direction.”

Hole TA2DD001 was drilled 10 m below final contact with the Karoo gabbro, its primary objective being fulfilled and with core samples being extracted throughout the entire hole.

Kavango reports that visual inspection of the drill cores confirms the presence of sulphides, while the coal seams encountered confirm the presence of a potential source of sulphur for the formation of magmatic sulphides.

Going forward, the cutting of the core samples is expected to take three to four weeks to enable full sweep analysis of all the samples, while a downhole electromagnetic survey has started.

“The quality of core samples is superb and provides us with exactly the raw materials we need to perform detailed rock analysis to test the KSZ’s potential to host magmatic sulphide orebodies,” he says.

The full sweep analysis of core samples includes assay testing, fire assay testing for gold and platinum group elements and whole rock geochemical and petrology analysis.

In addition, Kavango reports that its expansion of the drilling campaign will comprise up to six boreholes being planned, targeting target areas A and C (the A-C Corridor) and target area B.

“Although we must remain measured, we are sufficiently encouraged by what we have seen so far, geologically and operationally, to expand our current drill programme in the KSZ to up to six holes,” says Turney.

As such, Kavango has mobilised a drill rig to the site of Hole TA2DD002 in target area A, following which a rig will be sent to target area B to drill Kavango’s primary exploration target.

Hole TA2DD002 is located 1 km west of hole TA2DD001 and is believed to be connected to the same gabbro encountered at hole TA2DD001.

He adds that a drill rig is mobilising to test a deeper “Norilsk-style keel” formation, on the western edge of the A2 conductive anomaly.

“This next hole should really take us into the guts of the KSZ and will hopefully provide us with the most valuable geological data recovered yet in this region.”

“This is our current primary exploration target. The conductive anomaly is [about] 475 m by 550 m, with a verified conductance reading of 8 200 Siemens,” concludes Turney.