Our vast 506 km2 property features numerous structural and mineralized targets and our team have made multiple significant discoveries on our property to date. We have identified 4 separate target areas that we intend to explore and develop to their full potential. They are Dumbwa, Mitu, Kazhiba (22 Zone) and Crunch Zone.
Dumbwa
Dumbwa is a Tier-One exploration target, featuring a remarkable copper soil anomaly, which ranks among the strongest on record in Zambia. This continuous, high-grade, copper-in-soil anomaly tracks for over 20 kilometres along strike and exceeds 1 kilometre in width, with peak values up to 0.78% copper. Extensive soil sampling and shallow drilling have established extensive oxide copper potential, while also demonstrating that further drill campaigns guided by structural controls are necessary to establish dip direction, continuity, size, and scale. Our team has discovered multiple stacked mineralized horizons, which we believe are analogous to Barrick’s Lumwana Mine, located just a short distance to the west.
Dumbwa in detail
Successive campaigns of soil sampling and shallow Air Core drilling have tested oxide copper potential and limited diamond drilling has returned positive results. During 2015 and 2016, 50 air-core and 6 diamond drill holes were completed at Dumbwa. The strong north-south copper anomaly indicates a high degree of structural control and a possible fault zone potentially regional in size. Based on the Company’s interpretation and past drill results, Dumbwa is a target worth pursuing at depth.
The Dumbwa mineralization is located within the highly folded and faulted Pre-Katanga Basement rock of the Solwezi Dome. The dominant lithology of the mineralized zone is fine to medium grained quartz biotite muscovite garnet “basement” gneisses that become schistose in localized areas. Surface mineralization is associated with intense potassic alteration of the basement gneisses. Mineralization appears to be structurally controlled and occurs as multiple zones of disseminated and veinlet hosted Cu of hydrothermal origin. Cu mineralization occurs as malachite within the oxidized zone, and chalcopyrite, bornite and minor chalcocite within the sulphidized zone.
Drill highlights include
| Hole | True Width (m) | Cu (%) | Co (%) | Cu eq (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCAC16-3 INCL | 16.5 10.5 | 0.410 0.547 | 0.009 0.011 | 0.50 0.66 |
| DCAC16-4 | 18.0 | 0.603 | 0.009 | 0.70 |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Mitu
Mitu, located in the southwestern portion of our Solwezi Project, features “ore shale” type mineralization on the flank of the Solwezi Dome, cross-cut by Kansanshi style veins. A series of near surface Cu-Co-Ni-Au intercepts, have identified and confirmed copper-cobalt mineralization, including an intercept of 11.6 metres grading 3.44% Copper. This recent discovery of structurally controlled Kansanshi-style mineralized veins represents an additional mineralizing event in the area and drilling has delineated a 1 kilometre by 500 metre zone of mineralization which remains open. A VTEM survey has been carried out and interpretation has delineated multiple conductive zones at Mitu, all occurring in favourable geology, over more than 17 kilometres on strike. Extensive soil sampling and shallow drilling have also established extensive oxide copper potential.
Mitu in detail
The Mitu area was targeted for drilling as a potential location of ore shale type base metal mineralization based on evidence from geochemical and geological surveys conducted by the Company and previous operators between 2010 and 2015. Ore shale mineralization is the dominant form of copper, cobalt, and nickel deposition in the Zambia-Congo Copper Belt, the second largest copper production area in the world.
Mineralization is associated with shale units which form chemical and physical “traps” for base metals at or near the favourable contact between the Upper and Lower Roan units. This contact zone along the western flank of the Solwezi Dome extends for over 17 kilometres on the Company’s License areas. Diamond drilling has confirmed the association of copper, cobalt, nickel, and gold with the carbonaceous shales, returning intercepts of up to 3.44% Copper over 11.4 metres. Further exploration work is required to delineate the geometry of the sub-basin to successfully target the prospective carbonaceous shale unit.
Drill highlights include
| Hole | True Width (m) | Cu (%) | Co (%) | Ni (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDD-16-01 and | 8.0 14.0 | 1.22 1.02 | 0.09 0.03 | 0.05 0.06 |
| MDD-16-06 and | 30.3 9.0 | 0.49 0.49 | 0.03 0.02 | 0.05 0.03 |
| MDD-16-09 | 9.4 | 1.03 | 0.14 | 0.04 |
| MDD-16-11 | 28 | 0.82 | 0.03 | 0.05 |
| MDD-17-15 | 11.6 | 3.44 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
Kazhiba (22 Zone)
Kazhiba, which features our high grade 22 Zone, is located 20 kilometers northwest of the Solwezi Dome and is less than 10 kilometres from the western mine gate of First Quantum’s Kansanshi Mine complex. Kazhiba is underlain by a previously undiscovered basement dome similar to those at both Kansanshi and Solwezi. Domes are believed to be associated with the copper mineralization at nearby mines, including both First Quantum’s Kansanshi and Sentinel mines as well as Barrick’s Lumwana Mine.
The 22 Zone was discovered by follow up shallow drilling in 2012 over a subtle copper anomaly with thick overburden. The discovery hole intersected 11.3 metres of 5.71% Copper, near surface. Additional intercepts include 21 metres of 3.26% Copper and 6.4 metres of 5.08% Copper.1 Drill campaigns in 2013 (reverse circulation) and 2014 (diamond drilling) extended the high grade, near surface discovery. Drilling has now confirmed a high-grade copper oxide blanket, the source of which is yet to be found.
Kazhiba in detail
In an attempt to detect the underlying source of the oxide mineralization at the 22 Zone, 6.7 kilometres of NSAMT geophysics was run in the vicinity, and a conductive zone was indicated. To date, this conductive zone has not been drill tested.
It is currently thought that the 22 Zone and environs may be underlain by a basement dome similar to those at Kansanshi and Solwezi. This doming is believed to be intimately associated with the processes resulting in the copper mineralization at those sites.
Drill highlights include
| Hole | True Width (m) | Cu (%) |
|---|---|---|
| SLZ-13-RC-002 | 21.0 | 3.26 |
| SLZ-14-DD-010 | 11.3 | 5.71 |
| SLZ-14-DD-005 | 6.4 | 5.08 |
| SLZ-14-DD-001 | 4.5 | 6.27 |
Underlain by a previously undiscovered basement dome similar to those at Kansanshi and Solwezi. Domes are believed to be associated with the copper mineralization at each of Kansanshi, Lumwana, and Sentinel.
Crunch Zone
The Crunch Zone exploration target is situated between the Kazhiba Dome in the northwest and the Solwezi Dome in the southeast. This newly identified structural target features a wedged fan of tight structural folds, located between domal structures, and linked to Kansanshi via a succession of sedimentary host rock. A VTEM survey identified the largest untested continuous EM conductive target/anomaly on the property, and this trend occurs in the same stratigraphy as that surrounding the neighbouring Kansanshi Mine. The anomaly remains largely untested & continuous for over 5 kilometres in length and 2 kilometres on strike. The sheer size and scale demonstrated by this anomaly, clearly indicates that appropriate investigation and attention is warranted. This conductive trend represents a potential new discovery at the Crunch Zone.
Crunch in detail
Based on geophysical data, it appears a northeast trending wedge of Copperbelt strata is ‘crunched’ between the domes showing interference fold patterns that abruptly terminate against the domal structures. An analysis of a VTEM electromagnetic survey identified the largest untested continuous EM conductive target/anomaly on the property and suggests that mineralized fluids may have migrated along major faults or thrusts which occurred where the Copperbelt strata encountered the dome structures.
