Copper resources development company Deep-South has completed the soil sampling programme on its Luanshya West and Chililabombwe projects in Zambia.
The programme on the Mpongwe project – also in Zambia – was postponed to this year owing to difficult weather.
At the Luanshya West project, 1 980 soil samples have been delivered to the laboratory for assays, the company said on January 9. The samples were collected on a regional grid of 500 m by 100 m and an infill grid of 100 m by 100 m. The programme covered three targets where five large anomalies have been identified from soil sampling and geophysical survey results compiled by exploration and mining company Teal in 2009.
Assay results are expected this month, Deep-South said.
The licence is situated in the centre of the Zambian Copperbelt and covers 5 423.26 ha. The project area is close to established copper and cobalt mines, with Chibuluma South mine about 10 km northeast of the project area. The Chambishi mine is 41 km north-northeast, N’changa mine is 53 km north-northwest and Luanshya mine about 40 km east-southeast from the centre of the project area.
At the Chililabombwe project, 124 soil samples have been delivered to the laboratory for assays. The samples were collected on a regional grid of 500 m x 100 m. Assay results are also expected this month.
In this particular area, owing to their abundance, termite mounds will be sampled rather than digging sample holes. Deep-South said that this is because termites bring material to the surface from considerable depth and, therefore, sample at a greater depth than a regular soil sample.
The licence is situated in the north of the Zambia Copperbelt near the Democratic Republic of Congo border. The large exploration licence covers 2 200 ha and is situated within 10 km of the Konkola copper mine, one of the largest integrated copper mines in Zambia.
Meanwhile, the Mpongwe project programme will resume when weather allows and when the area is dry enough to enable sample collection. This licence is situated on the southern side of the Zambian Copperbelt, covering 67 500 ha.
No mineral resources have been estimated on these projects as they have not demonstrated economic viability at this stage, Deep-South said.
The historical geophysical survey and sampling results demonstrate potential to classify the Luanshya West project as one of merit but are considered too speculative geologically to complete a National Instrument 43-101-compliant resource estimate.