Drilling starts at Grootfontein gold project
By Hilary Mare
NAMIBIA Critical Metals has mobilised a reverse circulation (RC) drilling rig which last week commenced drilling at its Grootfontein gold project.
The drill programme will test the first set of four prospective structures defined by interpretation of geophysical and soil geochemical data.
The programme plans for 23 RC holes of a total 4 200m to be completed within the next six weeks.
Providing an update on the company’s exploration activities on its 95 percent owned Grootfontein and Erongo projects, Namibia Critical Metals President, Darrin Campbell highlighted that the company’s current structural interpretation of the Grootfontein project is based on the 200m line spacing magnetic survey data produced by the Geological Survey of Namibia.
The Grootfontein Project consists of two large Exclusive Prospecting Licences with a total area of 163 784 ha (1 638 km2) and covers ground prospective for orogenic gold, magmatic copper-nickel-PGE and sediment-hosted lead-zinc-silver-copper-vanadium mineralisation.
“As previously announced a number of geophysical surveys have been completed generating several drill targets. The large-scale airborne EM survey previously announced April 26, 2021 has been delayed due to permitting issues with the Namibian Department of Defence around the Grootfontein Air Base,” Campbell said.
The Company has also commissioned a ground magnetic and ground Induced Polarization (Gradient Array IP) programme at its Erongo Gold Project to target the Kanona North gold and arsenic soil anomaly and plans to commence at Erongo by mid-September 2021.
The Company’s Exclusive Prospecting Licences are located in the Central Namibian Gold Belt which hosts a number of significant orogenic gold deposits including the Otjikoto Gold Mine of B2Gold, the Navachab Gold Mine of QKR and Osino Resources’ Twin Hill deposit.
Phase one drill programme targets three geophysical and soil geochemical anomalies associated with second order structures of the Grootfontein Shear Zone.
“A total of 3 700m of RC drilling are planned in 20 boreholes clustered in the east, centre and west of the Grootfontein Shear Zone. In addition, three holes for a total of 600m are planned to test magnetic anomalies related to the Waterberg Fault,” Campbell further stated.
The Grootfontein area is one of the very few under-explored areas with geologically complex and prospective ground in Namibia. Historical exploration was limited and challenged due to the complete cover of the area with calcrete and Kalahari sands.
The Erongo Gold Project comprises 606 square kilometers situated 20 kilometers north of the Navachab gold mine and 10 kilometers northwest of the Twin Hills discovery.
The project area is centered on the Erongo granitic intrusive complex which was emplaced into the older metasedimentary rocks of the Damara Orogen which host significant gold deposits at Twin Hills (just 10 km to the southeast), Navachab (30 km to the south) and at the Otjikoto gold mine operated by B2 Gold.
Namibia Critical Metals holds a diversified portfolio of exploration and advanced stage projects in the country of Namibia focused on the development of sustainable and ethical sources of metals for the battery, electric vehicle and associated industries.
The two advanced stage projects in the portfolio are Lofdal and Epembe.
The Company’s Exclusive Prospecting Licences are located in the Central Namibian Gold Belt which hosts a number of significant orogenic gold deposits including the Otjikoto Gold Mine of B2Gold, the Navachab Gold Mine of QKR and Osino Resources’ Twin Hill deposit.
Phase one drill programme targets three geophysical and soil geochemical anomalies associated with second order structures of the Grootfontein Shear Zone.
“A total of 3 700m of RC drilling are planned in 20 boreholes clustered in the east, centre and west of the Grootfontein Shear Zone. In addition, three holes for a total of 600m are planned to test magnetic anomalies related to the Waterberg Fault,” Campbell further stated.
The Grootfontein area is one of the very few under-explored areas with geologically complex and prospective ground in Namibia. Historical exploration was limited and challenged due to the complete cover of the area with calcrete and Kalahari sands.
The Erongo Gold Project comprises 606 square kilometers situated 20 kilometers north of the Navachab gold mine and 10 kilometers northwest of the Twin Hills discovery. The project area is centered on the Erongo granitic intrusive complex which was emplaced into the older metasedimentary rocks of the Damara Orogen which host significant gold deposits at Twin Hills (just 10 km to the southeast), Navachab (30 km to the south) and at the Otjikoto gold mine operated by B2 Gold.
Namibia Critical Metals holds a diversified portfolio of exploration and advanced stage projects in the country of Namibia focused on the development of sustainable and ethical sources of metals for the battery, electric vehicle and associated industries. The two advanced stage projects in the portfolio are Lofdal and Epembe.