Namibian exploration company North River Resources’ Namib lead-zinc mine’s mineral resource estimate has increased 36 per cent to 1.25mn tonnes
The company’s Joint Ore Reserve Committee reported an increase in mineral resource estimate after a six-month drilling programme was conducted in the area.
“We are pleased that that our efforts have borne fruit, with a significant increase in total resource, a strong conversion to indicated resource and a good increase in grade of the ore as well. This was particularly challenging as the mineralised shoots at Namib are erratic, making them difficult to define. Targeting involved complex work delineating a strata-bound envelope and integrating this with a reinterpretation electromagnetic data to direct our drills,” said Martin French, managing director of North River Resources.
After the drilling, indicated resources increased 33 per cent to 877,000 tonnes, at 2.7 per cent lead, six per cent zinc and 44.4gm/ tonnes sulphide minerals, stated officials from North River Resources. The programme also increased the average zinc grade by 13 per cent and the average lead grade by four per cent.
French revealed that the expansion programme will continue, with drilling expected to commence from the company’s new exploration tunnel, located 150 metres below the Northern lodes. North River Resources hopes to find more reserves, and complete a feasibility study as well.
