London-listed Kavango Resources has uncovered several new induced polarization (IP) zones at its Nara gold exploration project in Zimbabwe. The company also found extensions of existing structures already hosting mines and artisanal workings. Kavango holds an option to acquire Nara until June 2025.
Six scoping holes, totaling 1,364.4 meters, were drilled to test the gold-bearing potential beneath artisanal surface workings. Samples have been submitted for assay, with results expected soon. Gradient array ground IP has been completed over the Nara option area, with seven lines of Stacked Schlumberger Sections covering 6,600 meters over selected target areas. The data is being inverted and modeled to provide further drill targets.
Kavango plans to collaborate with a mining consultant to evaluate the economic viability of different mining approaches at Nara. Concurrently, metallurgical and economic studies continue on tailings from the Nara dumps and potential feed material from underground mines.
“Modern exploration can transform Zimbabwe’s mining economy,” said Kavango CEO Ben Turney. “Technologies like IP have not been widely deployed here, despite the potential for undiscovered, large-scale gold deposits. As one of the first companies to pursue modern exploration in Zimbabwe’s greenstone belts, Kavango has a significant first-mover advantage.”
Turney emphasized the strength of their position at Nara. “We’ve identified several previously unrecognized structures that could be gold-bearing. Our current bottleneck is drilling capacity. The rig we use at Hillside is booked for the rest of the year, so we plan to bring a second rig into the country,” he added.
BOTSWANA
Kavango also released a new technical report for its 100%-owned Ditau project in Botswana. The report, completed by mining adviser SLR Consulting (Canada), recommends the next steps for Kavango’s exploration at Ditau.
SLR was selected to prepare the report due to its extensive understanding of the types of deposits and targets associated with Ditau. The report concluded that Ditau is an attractive early-stage exploration project with potential to host various mineralization styles, warranting a systematic exploration effort of detailed geophysical surveying and significant drilling.
Prospective mineralization targets include banded iron formation-hosted orogenic gold, iron oxide copper/gold, and rare earth element-bearing carbonatites. SLR made recommendations for future work programs, which Kavango is now evaluating.
“SLR’s new report underlines the discovery potential within Kavango’s Ditau project in Botswana for a range of critical and precious metals,” Turney said. “The Ditau project offers a longer-term, blue-sky exploration opportunity, complementing our nearer-term efforts in the Kalahari Copper Belt and Zimbabwe.”
Turney noted that SLR consolidated the large datasets Kavango has gathered at Ditau to provide clear recommendations for future exploration. “We are currently considering these recommendations,” he said.
Source: Mining Weekly
