Grootfontein gold search gathers pace
By Hilary Mare
NAMIBIA Critical Metals Inc. which is currently undertaking gold exploration activities on its 95 percent owned Grootfontein Project has launched multiple geophysical surveys to accelerate drill target generation.
These surveys include a 2000 line kilometre helicopter-borne EM survey being done by SkyTEM Denmark, ultra-high resolution UAV-borne magnetic surveys being done by UAS Flightec Namibia, ground induced polarisation gradient array survey and magnetotelluric test surveys over the key gold targets being done by GSG Namibia.
Darrin Campbell, chief financial officer and incoming president as of April 1 last week stated that the mining company was encouraged by the results from early-stage exploration activities throughout 2020.
“We are excited to begin this next phase of exploration on our Namibian gold projects. As one of the largest and longest established exploration companies in Namibia we are well positioned to advance our pipeline of projects,” he said.
The company’s Exclusive Prospecting Licences prospective for gold are located in the Central Namibian Gold Belt which hosts a number of significant orogenic gold deposits including the Navachab Gold Mine, the Otjikoto Gold Mine and more recently the discovery of the Twin Hills deposit.
Completion of the EM survey is expected by the first week of May.
Following data interpretation by Namibian and Canadian experts, drill targets will be created by mid-May 2021.
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-nickeland carbonate-hosted lead-zinc-silver-copper-vanadium mineralisation.
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 also holds significant land positions in areas favourable for gold mineralization.
The Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth Project is the company’s most advanced project having completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment in 2014 and full Environmental Impact Assessment for a first mining area in 2017. An application has been made for a mining licence at Lofdal. The project is developed in joint venture with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) who are funding the current drilling and metallurgical program with the objective of doubling the resource size and optimization of the process flow sheet.
The Grootfontein Base Metal and Gold Project has potential for magmatic copper-nickel mineralisation, Mississippi Valley-type zinc lead-vanadium mineralisation and Otjikoto-style gold mineralisation.